Theology of Isaiah 53

Theology of Isaiah 53

Theology of Isaiah portrays the startling and unexpected truth. “The power of God’s arm is not the power to crush the enemy (sin), but the power, when the enemy has crushed the Servant, to give back love and mercy. The Servant takes on himself the sin of Israel and of the world, and, like the scapegoat (Lev. 16:22), bears (nasa; cf. 53:4) those sins away from us.” Some who deny any substitutionary element in the Servant’s admit that the Servant suffers undeservedly because of human sin. This undeserved suffering is a revelation of the delivering arm of the LORD; his ability to restore his people to fellowship with himself. It is substitutionary atonement theology, a concept familiar to the Jews through the language of the entire sacrificial system (Oswalt, Isaiah 40-46). Who is this Servant sent by Yahweh, the LORD?

From the revelation of God in the incarnate Son, it is apparent that the Servant is none other than Jesus the Messiah. This is all about Christology: the person and work of Jesus Christ. The portions of the prophetic word are literally fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The following chart is taken from Beyer’s Encountering the Book of Isaiah, 212.

Verse	The Servant’s Description	Fulfillment in Jesus Christ
52:13	Raised, lifted up, exalted	God exalted him and  will exalt him fully at the second coming (Phil.2:9-11)
52:14	Appearance disfigured	Received beating at his trial (Mt. 26:67)
52:15	Sprinkled many nations	Sprinkling of his blood brings forgiveness (1 Peter 1:2)
53:3	Despised and rejected	Many rejected him, especially the leaders (Jn. 11:47-50)
53:4-6	Suffered for our sin; stricken by God	Died for our sin according to God’s plan (1 Cor. 15:3)
53:7	Silent before oppressors	Silent before accusers at his trial (Mk. 14:60-61)
53:8	Killed for his people’s sin	Died for our sin (2 Cor. 5:14-15)
53:9	Assigned a grave with the wicked and rich, but did no wrong	Crucified between two robbers, buried in a rich council member’s tomb (Mk.15:27-28, 43-46)
53:10	Lord’s will to crush him; he will see his offspring	God prepared him as an offering for sin (Rom 5:9; 2 Cor. 5:21)
53:12	Receives great reward because he poured out his life	Receives great reward because he poured out his life (Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:3-4)

VanGemeren sees that the portion of the prophetic word points to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Messiah is the wisdom (52:13; 53:9; Jer. 23:5), the glory (52:13), and the kingdom of God (v.15). The kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world. So the kings and nations were astonished at his kinship (53:1-2). He was exalted only after he had been rejected by this world (vv.3-4), and suffered for the sake of others (vv.4-6). His vicarious suffering was in total obedience to the Father (v.7). He died because of His father’s will (v.10). Through his obedience to the Father until his death, the new community (the “many”) will be justified and glorified (v.11), and finally Jesus, the Servant obtained the power, the glory and dominion (v.12) (VanGemeren, Interpreting the Prophetic Word, 280).