The suffering servant
God’s servant suffers for us - redemption through suffering
The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me?
Prayer of the Day
“Almighty God, you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take our flesh upon him and to suffer death on the cross. Grant that we may share in his obedience to your will and in the glorious victory of his resurrection.”
The Lord’s servant faces suffering confident of His help. This pericope constitutes the third of the servant songs in Isaiah. The Lord’s servant hears His voice and is therefore fortified with determination to suffer mental agony in terms of ridicule, false accusations, humiliation, and shame. He suffers confidently because the Lord will vindicate, help, and pronounce him innocent.
For Jesus, death did not come only by physical torture. Probably the mental, emotional, and spiritual suffering were greater. Pilate was amazed that Jesus died so early. The pain greater than the physical dealt with his heart. In our lesson the Servant suffers shame and disgrace: the pulling out of his beard and spitting in his face. The depth of Jesus’ non-physical suffering was seen in his cry. “My God, why?” It is the only word of the cross reported by Matthew and the only word given in the original tongue, Aramaic. As we consider God’s dealings with His people we see Him sending His own dear Son as a suffering servant.
We consider tonight the real hurt of the cross.
I. Cry of loneliness — “forsaken.”
A. The suffering of the Messiah was not only physical but mental and emotional. This may be a worse form of hurt — hurt feelings. The servant, as a faithful follower of God, endures shameful treatment. His enemies pull out his beard and spit in his face. Jesus endured this form of suffering: the soldiers dressed him as a king; the superscription above his head; crucified between two criminals; exposed naked before a crowd; taunted and mocked, “If you are the Son of God....”
B. The Servant is successful in taking the suffering because of his confidence in God’s presence and help. God was near and ready to help. Though God allows suffering, he sustains the sufferer who suffers for his sake. When Jesus cried, “My God, why?” we sense the trauma and tragedy of God’s apparent withdrawal.
II. Cry of misunderstanding — “why?”
A. Why? Why did Jesus have to be abandoned by God? It was necessary for Him to fulfill all righteousness. This started on the day of His baptism when He entered the arena becoming our substitute. If you and I are to gain reconciliation to the Father He will have to be abandoned by God and forsaken by men. For Him to win our salvation it is necessary for Him to be rejected.
B. Because Jesus came down to the humility of the cross, Jesus was raised in exaltation. They are two sides of a coin. Jesus taught that he who humbles himself shall be exalted, and the reverse also applies. During Holy Week we watch Jesus stooping to the lowest level by dying a criminal’s most horrible death, and on Easter he is raised to glory.
His exaltation will not be complete until every knee shall bow and every tongue confess him as Lord. Jesus emptied himself of his pre-existent glory, majesty, and power that he might fit into the confines of a human being. Though he was the Son of God, he surrendered his divine attributes for the finitude of man.
III. Cry of alienation of sin — “me.”
A. Jesus’ suffering was personal. It was happening to Him - personally. He was suffering as no one ever had suffered or would suffer. His torments were real - as they would be real for you and for me. He suffered every conceivable pain that you could ever suffer. He took this suffering personally for it was for personal reasons that He took your sin to Himself.
B. Jesus’ suffering, the pains which He endured He did for you personally. St. Paul reminds us, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Christ was treated as if He were a sinner. He became the object of God's wrath and bore the penalty and guilt of our sin. God made Him to be sin for us! He never had a sinful attitude or did a sinful act. "In Christ" believers in some sense actually share the righteousness that characterizes God himself. Thus St. Paul will write, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Conclusion: God’s servant suffers willingly because of His trust in God. The Servant is successful in taking the suffering because of his confidence in God’s presence and help. God was near and ready to help. Though God allows suffering, he sustains the sufferer who suffers for his sake. When Jesus cried, “My God, why?” we sense the trauma and tragedy of God’s apparent withdrawal.
+ Soli Deo Gloria +
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