Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20040425.htm

ISAIAH: GOD'S DIRECTIVES TO THOSE TROUBLED AT GOVERNMENTAL APOSTASY
Part XL: God's Salvation Through Messiah, Jesus Christ's Substitutionary Atonement
(Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
  1. Introduction
    1. Some critics of Christianity claim Jesus of Nazareth was not God, but a gifted mortal man who created a new religion out of Judaism, cf. Dec. 94, Life magazine, p. 67-76.
    2. If this were so, our Christian faith is false, for Christ would not be God's sinless Son Incarnate, and His death would not atone for our sins and we would be without salvation, cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Also, the problems of the world's nations would be unsolvable as there would be no hope of His return!
    3. Accordingly, we view Isaiah 52:13-53:12, a passage that offers us a powerful apologetic, or a defense of the credibility of Jesus' being God's promised Messiah and Savior (as follows):
  2. God's Salvation Through Messiah, Jesus Christ's Substitutionary Atonement, Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
    1. First, the book of Isaiah predates Jesus of Nazareth by at LEAST 150 years, for the Isaiah scroll found at Qumran is dated by paleontologists to be penned in 150 B. C., Zond. Pict. Ency. of the Bible, v. Three, p. 321. [Since this was obviously a copy possibly a few times removed from the original work, the autograph manuscript by Isaiah himself was written about 700 B.C., Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, 78 ed., p. 968.]
    2. Then, the party designated as God's "Servant" in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, contrary to typical beliefs in modern Hebrew scholars, can only be an individual and not the nation Israel for the following reasons:
      1. The "Servant" is without sin according to Isaiah 53:9, an attribute not true of the nation Israel according to Isaiah's own many testimonies about Israel, cf. Isaiah 1:1-52:12.
      2. Also, the "Servant" is cut off from the living in Isaiah 53:8 where Israel has not ceased to exist.
      3. Until the 12th century A. D., Hebrew scholars treated the "Servant" in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 to be the Messiah, but then changed the interpretation to mean Israel, Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Isa. 52:13-53:12.
      4. Thus, the "Servant" in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is an individual.
    3. Third, this "Servant" is the Hebrew Messiah Who can only be Jesus of Nazareth who saves us from sin:
      1. Isaiah predicts this "Servant" of God will not be heeded by His generation though He would bring God's Word with authenticating miracles signified in "the arm of the Lord," Isaiah 53:1.
      2. He would minister as a relatively young man though He would have no particular outward attractiveness that would impress His human onlookers, Isaiah 53:2.
      3. He would be despised and rejected by men, and others would believe God had rejected Him, 53:3, 4b.
      4. This One would be oppressed, killed and buried with the rich as God's reward for his innocence:
        1. The "Servant" of God would yield His body and face to persecuting mistreatment that would leave Him so disfigured He would be almost unrecognizable, Isaiah 52:14b,c.
        2. His back would be beaten with a whip, Isaiah 53:5b.
        3. He would not defend Himself against such abuse like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers, 53:7.
        4. Incredibly, He would be oppressively taken and judged to be mistreated since none in His era would accept Him, and that though He would bear Israel's sins on Himself in the very process, Isaiah 53:8.
        5. This "Servant" would be buried with the rich as God's reward for His innocence, Isaiah 53:9.
      5. God would allow His "Servant" to experience this death to make Him substitutionally bear God's punishment for the sins of Israel and of the whole world, Isaiah 52:15a; 53:4a, 5-6, 10a, 11a.
      6. When God would see His "Servant's" suffering, He would be satisfied with His sin offering atonement and reward Him with prolonged days after death, 53:10b; 53:8-9. He would thus rise from the dead!
      7. Finally, this "Servant" would be deeply respected by men and honored by God, 53:12; human rulers would one day behold Him and be appalled at how badly they had once misjudged Him, 52:15b,c,d.
Lesson: Since the Isaiah 52:13-53:12 "Servant" of God could not be Israel, but only an innocent man, and since Jesus of Nazareth ALONE both HAS or even CAN fulfill this prediction, one made LONG before His BIRTH, we conclude Jesus FULFILLED the Isaiah 52:13-53:12 prophecies of God about His FIRST coming, and that He will come AGAIN to solve the governmental problems of the world!

Application: (1) May be believe in Messiah Jesus for justification, cf. Isaiah 53:11b. (2) May we trust His current intercessory work in heaven for us (Isa. 53:12c) and (3) live for the hope of His return!