Suffering Servant

“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” Isaiah‬ ‭53:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today many of us Christians drive in cars, wear nice clothes, and live in beautiful homes. Yet Jesus our leader had no where to lay His head. The path that he chose was a path of simplicity and poverty. His 3 year ministry was nomadic and was probably a stranger to many in his early part of His ministry. He most likely did not have any worldly possessions, like a donkey or a horse. He almost certainly had only two or three sets of clothes and the sandals he wore. Isaiah says, "He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” If He were to pass by us, would we recognize Him? Is there anyone alive today who can tell us what Jesus really looked like? Was it really important to us what He looked like? Probably because everybody grew beards, Judas had to be paid to identify Jesus after sundown.

We know more about the spiritual image of Jesus than his physical appearance. His spiritual beauty that was calm, peaceful, gentle, loving and compassionate was outstanding. Isaiah 7:14 says, “a virgin shall conceive a child and He shall be called Immanuel (God with us).” That is what Christ was a fulfillment of this oft repeated prophesy. God with us. Following the ascension of Christ, early Christians came to sense the joy of Christian living, by surrendering all they had to live in communities that loved and cared for each other. This living presence of Christ is still seen today in the life of those who surrender themselves to Him to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

When the movie Passion was being released many of us were fearful of going and seeing the movie because of the dehumanizing graphic violent scenes being portrayed on the screen. Did the director Mel Gibson exaggerate the suffering that Jesus went through? Was the focus more on the brutal violence or the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross? The beating that Jesus endured in the movie would probably have killed him even before He was nailed to the cross. Which is more important the suffering and death of Jesus or his new life and resurrection? Haven’t there been many innocent people who have endured brutal scourging and death before and after Jesus? What sets Jesus apart from the rest (Luke 22:19-20)?

When Jesus was led away from the whipping chambers, he was presumably bleeding and in great pain. The words of Isaiah prophesied with astounding precision, "He was so marred that it was hard to recognize Him (Isaiah 52:13- 53:9).” When Jesus repeated this prophesy before his crucifixion for the third time, the disciples did not understand what He meant (Luke 18:31-34). God greatly glorified Jesus for the suffering He endured on the cross. The way Jesus chose was not won by toppling the Roman rule on Israel, but through suffering, pain, torment, and death on the cross. What seemed like an eminent defeat was declared a victory when Jesus rose from the dead.

“He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well. All of us were like sheep that had wandered off. We had each gone our own way, but the Lord gave him the punishment we deserved.” Isaiah‬ ‭53:5-6‬ ‭CEV‬‬

Jesus suffered and died for us so that we may enjoy the riches of God’s Kingdom (1 Peter 1:19; Hebrews 9:22-28). God so loved the world that He sent Jesus so that we may be saved through Him and have everlasting life (John 3:16). It is like a family name, property, and traits which we inherit down through generations. We are identified by our family name. So also at the name of Jesus all of us have been invited to become a part of the family of God and have been given the gift of everlasting life. Isaiah 53:5 says with amazing precision about the reason for Jesus’ suffering, “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the punishment that brought our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Today we can affirm with all our fellow believers the words of Paul from Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Jesus: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Jesus lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”