The New Testament shows these two aspects of Christ's work, This lesson comes from what may well be regarded as the chief chapter of the book of Isaiah.
The proper beginning
The chapter should really begin with the statement placed back in the previous chapter, "Behold my Servant..."
Key Verse
In our study of these 15 verses, we will not attempt to glean everything they offer, but will concentrate our thoughts around a key statement, He was despised and forsaken of men,
The two main ideas
This statement refers to Christ’s suffering on the cross, where "his appearance was marred more than any man..."
Here we are given two main reasons why Jesus
The New Testament shows these two aspects of Christ's work,
Our focus
In this lesson we concentrate on the second aspect of Christ’s work. He is our advocate, our highpriest, our intercessor. Christ is fully qualified, by virtue of his sufferings, to act as such
Isa 53:1-3
In the hearts of unbelievers, Christ "has no form or majesty... that we should be attracted to him". As believers, however, he does attract us, because like us he is "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief". The very thing that makes some people despise him, makes us turn to him, because he understands our struggles and
In him we see God not as a remote and incomprehensible Being, but as "a man..." who is truly one of us. Moreover, as "a man of sorrows" he has been through the same sorrows and temptations as we experience and therefore is able to understand and sympathise with us
Isa 53:4
Christ is pictured as one who "bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. This is more than just understanding and sympathising with our sorrows and griefs because he is acquainted with sorrows and griefs. This is actually shouldering those troubles and lifting the burden from us. When Matthew points to the fulfillment of this prophecy, he shows Jesus healing the sick and casting out demons. He showed his power to overcome tribulation.
How good it is to know that we can come to Christ not only for understanding but for overcoming. It is good to have a friend to listen to our troubles and be sympathetic, even if that friend is powerless to help us. It is better to have a friend who can not only listen, but can act to empower us to
Isa 53:5-6,10
Our greatest trouble in life I will mention in a moment, but our second greatest trouble is that life is so uncertain, and ever so short. Death comes to us all, and always too soon. Which brings us to the greatest of all our troubles: We have sins to condemn us when death thrusts us
Oh what if there were a way to make death not the end of life but the beginning of a far more wonderful life that never ends! And what if there were a way to get rid of our guilt so that we could made worthy to enter into that life! There is such a way, and Christ is it
The prophecy "He shall see seed, he shall prolong days" speaks of the everlasting life and joy that Christ gives us because he became "a guilt offering" on our behalf
Isa 53:6-7
The manner in which Jesus lived, and died, causes us to follow him. If we would walk in the steps of another, we can have no better example and shepherd than Jesus. "All we like sheep have gone astray". Who will shepherd us? He who himself was "led as a lamb to the slaughter" is able now to shepherd us along life's way, to be our spiritual guide along the right path. If we walk as he walked, and if we walk with him, he will lead us to green pastures of eternal life
This series has