Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Isaiah 53:4-5 …Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
THE SUFFERING SERVANT OF THE LORD (2)
Isaiah chapter 53 is unsurpassed in all the Old Testament for its gospel content. These two verses are the high point, setting forth that it was not Jesus' own guilt but ours that was laid on Him, the Servant of the Lord, our DIVINE SUBSTITUTE.
We know what a substitute is--one who takes another's place. In baseball there are pinch hitters and relief pitchers etc. On a much higher level, the Divine Substitute takes our place under God's wrath and bears a punishment that is ours.
Note carefully the changes in the pronouns from the third person to the first:
"Surely HE has borne OUR griefs and carried OUR sorrows…" The griefs and sorrows which are the consequences of sin were ours, but the Servant-Lord took them on Himself.
"But HE was wounded for OUR transgressions…" Again, the transgressions are OURS, but the Divine Substitute was wounded for us.
"The chastisement of OUR peace was upon HIM…" The chastisement or punishment that procured peace with God for us was upon Him. It should have been on us, but again, He took our place.
"And by HIS stripes WE are healed…" The suffering Servant got stripes and lashes from the whips; we got blessing from those stripes, for He took our place.
With Paul Gerhardt, we sing with penitent hearts:
'Tis I who should be smitten,
My doom should here be written:
Bound hand and foot in hell.
The fetters and the scourging,
The floods around Thee surging,
'Tis I who have deserved them well.
Thy cords of love, my Savior,
Bind me to Thee forever,
I am no longer mine.
To Thee I gladly tender
All that my life can render
And all I have to Thee resign.
(TLH 171:5, 8)
