Transformed by Grace A blog about Jesus, theology, ministry and the transforming work of the grace of God.

Atonement in Isaiah 53

Justification is the heart of the Gospel which explains to a sinful world how they can through Christ be made right with God. The preaching on justification is what sparked the Great Awakening and every other revival in the history of the Church. The dismissive attitude of some Christians today regarding justification is unsettling to this Christian who lives and breathes the truthfulness of justification. It is my prayer as we open the pages of Scripture that the Holy Spirit would blow afresh the truthfulness of justification as it is recorded in Scripture.

Jonathan Edwards during the Great Awakening said, “The beginning of the late work of God in this place was so circumstanced, that I could not but look upon it was a remarkable testimony of God’s approbation of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, here asserted and vindicated. The following discourse of justification seemed to be remarkably blessed, not only to establish the judgment of many in this truth, but to engaged their hearts in a more earnest pursuit of justification, in that way that had been explained and defended; and at that time, while I was greatly reproached for defending this doctrine in the pulpit, and just upon my suffering a very open abuse for it, God’s work wonderfully brake forth amongst us, and souls began to flock to Christ, as the Savior in whose righteousness alone they hoped to be justified. So that this was the doctrine on which this work in its beginning was founded, as it evidently was in the whole progress of it.”[1] May Edwards declaration be our battle cry as Christians!

Justification in Isaiah

Isaiah 53 is one of the key passages in the Old Testament on the substitutionary atonement of Christ. Within the pages of Isaiah 53, Isaiah predicts the bloody death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Isaiah challenges Israel’s sin and uses the Servant’s (Jesus) obedience. Isaiah 50:8 as Isaiah 53:4-6 will make clear shows how the Servant did not suffer because He was guilty, but because others were guilty. The Old Testament records how man fell into sin through disobedience, and now in the New Testament reveals how through Jesus mankind can be saved. For His innocence, God vindicated Jesus (1 Tim 3:16). Isaiah 52:13-53:12 sets forth the Lord’s Servant as the exalted Sin-Bearer. This section opens up the fourth and final Servant Song, and is frequently used in the New Testament (Acts 8:30-35; 1 Peter 2:22-25), to describe the Messiah (Isa. 42:1-9). Isaiah’s argument is based on how the Holy One of Israel can bless sinful people. All the promises of God will come true for them not because mankind deserves this unmerited favor, but because of the suffering and triumphant Servant who removes their guilt before God through His bloody death.

In order to properly understand Isaiah’s argument in Isaiah 53 it’s important to observe the pronouns “I” in this passage which is typically the Lord, “he” the Servant, and “we” the servants disciples, who themselves need the servant to bear their guilt (Isaiah 53:4-6), which is why the Servant cannot be Israel or the pious within Israel. In Isaiah 53:13-15, the Servant appears repulsive but achieves redemption. In Isaiah 52:13, the word “act wisely” means Jesus succeeded at his task. In John 12:38-41, John brings the vision of Isaiah 6 together with the fourth Servant Song and says that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory; this repeated phrase justifies John’s reading.

Isaiah 52:14-15 records the servant was rejected by many (in his passion, Jesus was beaten into a shockingly inhuman mass of wounded flesh), so he will sprinkle many nations to make them clean. Isaiah 53:1-3 records how the servant lives in rejection. “Us” in Isaiah 53:1 refers to the believing remnant of Israel (John 12:37-38; Rom. 10). The “arm of the Lord” is the power of God in action (Isa. 40:10; 51:9; 62:8) Unbelief in the Servant was natural because He was an obscure, outwardly unimpressive person in a failed culture. His generation was blind (v.8). The rejection spoken of in Isaiah 53:3 refers to how the servant reveals how misguided the human mind is. Jesus was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Jesus experienced sorrow and grief of various sorts throughout his whole life. “Acquainted” can also be rendered knowing. Isaiah 53:4-6 records how the Servant bore the sins of other people; He was himself innocent. This paragraph is the heart of this paragraph. The surely in vs.4 (Isaiah 53) introduces the truth about the Servant’s sufferings. Acting as His people’s substitute, with no support or understanding from them, the Servant took upon Himself the bitter consequences of their sin; grief’s, sorrows (Matthew 8:14-17). The sufferings of the Servant would show the consequences that sin brings to fallen humanity, though He himself would not sin (Isa. 53:9). Jesus would be smitten by God and afflicted. God would be the ultimate source of the sufferings of this faithful servant.

The “but” in Isaiah 53:5 contrasts with “our” incomprehension in v.4b. The Servant’s anguish was “our” fault, not His own. Jesus bore our transgressions’, our iniquities. His sufferings went to the root of all human woe (Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24). Wounded, crushed, chastisement, and stripes in Isaiah emphasize how severely God punished and rejected the servant for the sins of mankind. “All we, everyone” focuses on how the Servant as sinless, was uniquely qualified to bear the sins of others. “Like sheep focuses on their helplessness”. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Lev 16:21-22; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 2:25).  Isaiah 53:7-7 focuses on how the Servant dies in innocence like a lamb. “Like a lamb” means Jesus was innocent, submissive, and did not complain (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32-33; 1 Peter 2:22-23). “By oppression and judgment” means the Servant was wrongly condemned. “Who considered?” Those who condemned Jesus did not understand what they were doing (Luke 23:34; Acts 3:14-18; 1 Cor. 2:8).

In Isaiah 53:9 they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man. The numerous parallels between the description of the Servant in this verse and the death of Jesus have led Christians through the ages to see this as fulfilled by the events surrounding Jesus death. Although the Servant was condemned as a criminal (“with the wicked”), He was buried in an expensive garden tomb belonging to a rich man. Likewise the servant is presented as someone who was completely innocent, both in deed (having done no violence), and in word (there was no deceit in his mouth). The Servant is thus described as a person of total moral purity, the true substitute for sinners (v.)

Matthew 27:57-60 fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9 Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin who did not consent to the actions against Jesus (Luke 23:50-51). His high standing within the Jewish community gave him access to Pilate. Joseph “asked for the body of Jesus”. Jewish custom dictated that crucified bodies should be taken down before the evening, especially before the Sabbath, which began at sundown on Friday. “New tomb” was a rectangular tomb cut into rock. It was accessed through a low entry room and blocked with a stone that could be rolled back and forth, mainly to protect the body from wild animals. The use of a rich man’s tomb fulfills Isaiah 53:9.

Isaiah 53:10-12 focuses on the servant was crushed but victorious. The “will of the Lord” in Isaiah 53:10 focuses on a divine purpose underlying the human oppression of the servant (Luke 24:26; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). His soul refers to how Jesus suffered not just in his body but in His deepest inner self. “An offering for guilt” means the Servant’s sacrificial death paid for human sin by setting sinners free from their guilt before God (Lev 5:15-16). The Septuagint translated “offering for guilt” as “offering for sin,” which explains why Paul could say that Christ’s death “for our sins” was “in accordance with the Scriptures’” (1 Cor. 15:3). He shall see his offspring refers to those who strayed like sheep (Isa. 53:6) return as children. “He shall prolong His days” means death is not the Servant’s end; He will receive everlasting life. Although the Resurrection is not explicitly taught here, it is the natural inference (1 Cor. 15:4 can speak of the resurrection as being “in accordance with the Scriptures”) “The will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” means the Servant becomes the executor of God’s will and plan. “He shall see and be satisfied” focuses on how the outcome of the Servants suffering is not regret but the satisfaction of the obvious accomplishment. “By his knowledge” means His experiential knowledge of grief (v.3). “Many”. By His triumph, which does not secure the salvation of every individual without exception (universalism), spread out beyond the remnant of Israel to “a great multitude that no one could number” (Rev 7:9; Romans 5:15). “To be accounted righteous” (Romans 4:11-12).  “Therefore”. The sacrificial death of the Servant explains his subsequent glory and the eternal blessings of those who believe in Him. “A portion of the spoil”. The imagery is that of a conqueror sharing His victory with his allies. “Numbered with the transgressors.” The Servant is identified with rebels (Luke 22:37). “Makes intercession” The Servant’s priestly work on behalf of those He represents, securing their acceptance before God.

Sources

Edwards Jonathan, Five Discourses In the Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 1 (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Press, 1974), 620.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Dave

Here is where you can find me online:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Jenkins/339135015103

Fan Page on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nampa-ID/Servantsofgrace/53445848164

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PastorDaveJ

Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Servantsofgrace

Blog: http://feeds.feedburner.com/PastorDaveBlog