My Servant will Act Wisely
Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:3-5, 11-12
Isaiah 52:13-15
13 See, my servant will act wisely[b];
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him[c]—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
15 so he will sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Isaiah 53:3-5
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:
11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Here in Isaiah we have the greatest Old Testament prophecy that describes the ministry of Jesus Christ for people.
In Isaiah 52 we have an individual introduced that is described as “My servant.” The servant of God is not identified exactly, other than to describe what that servant does. When we read about the Servant, it becomes obvious that Isaiah is writing about Jesus Christ several hundred years before Jesus is born.
Here in Mark’s gospel, we are near the end of Jesus’ life of ministry. I have a desire to evaluate Jesus’ life. What did He do? Did His life really count for anything? Jesus has always been controversial. The accounts of His life in the gospels have been under intense scrutiny for two thousand years now. And what we find is that we have the same range of responses to the Servant of God in Isaiah’s day, in Jesus’ day as well as our responses toward Him today!
In this passage of Isaiah, I am going to focus on the bookends of the passage. It begins in chapter 52 with a summary. And it ends in chapter 53 with a summary. And in the middle, 53:3-5 we have a summary of Jesus’ work.
- Jesus is God’s Wise Servant
- Despised and rejected by the Jews. v.3 twice stated!
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Despised: contemptible, scorned, a vile person
Repugnance, felt contempt for, (you make me sick!)
Despised again!
Held in low esteem– had no regard for Him (think of, regard or value)
respect and admiration
- Forsaken by Judas
Rejected– Abandoned- forsaken, made destitute, ceasing
dismiss as inadequate, inappropriate, or not to one’s taste.
- Grieved by the Apostles
Sorrows– (anguish, affliction, pain)
a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune
Familiar with pain– a man of great pain, familiar with sickness, acquainted with grief, (malady, calamity, disease, anxiety, grief)
We will see this clearly in the Garden.
We see Jesus’ concern for the Apostles clearly in John 13-17, which includes His prayer for them!
16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
17: 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.
- Jesus is God’s Justifying Servant
53:11… by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
- He will sprinkle many nations 52:15
What does it mean to sprinkle? Cleanse, make Holy.
Acts 20:28
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Ben-Hur premiered on November 18, 1959. It was the fastest-grossing as well as the highest-grossing film of 1959, becoming the second highest-grossing film in history at the time, after Gone with the Wind. It won a record eleven Academy Awards,
At the end of this movie, people are healed of leprosy as the terrible effects of sin are reversed, and a man consumed by revenge releases his bitterness and forgives. This is all the impact of the blood of Jesus (who is never shown in the film) which is seen flowing from the cross, in rivulets caused by rain. His blood flows into streams, rivers and finally the sea and out to the whole world.
Acts 10: 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
- He will bear the sins of many 53:11-12
Revelation 7:
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
- He intercedes for the transgressors 53:12
Hebrews 7:23-26
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
I Timothy 2:5-6
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
Romans 5:9 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
III. Jesus is True Greatness
Matthew 23: 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Mark 9: 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
- Satisfied with the light of life
John 1: 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
John 8: 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 6:63 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
- Honored by kings and the strong
15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Quote from Napoleon in Evidence that Demands a Verdict p.127
There is a sense of no control when dealing with people and being in authority. And when you look at Jesus’ ability to capture hearts and minds, it is truly amazing. We take it for granted in the church today that people would love Jesus. But that love is remarkably strange! Who else in history do you look at as sacrificing all that they are for your good?! Only Jesus.
Jesus is the proof of the love of God.
Jesus is the proof of my deserving wrath.
Jesus is the proof of my salvation.
Jesus is the fountain of the most important wisdom!
- He is lifted up and highly exalted
Phil 2 contrast. Weakest, strongest!
Revelation contrast. Weakest, strongest!
In what way does Jesus seek to be highly exalted? He does not seek it! And yet, when people worship Him, He receives it. It is remarkable. No other character on earth in the Bible receives worship and is safe. Herod in Acts 12 receives worship and is struck down.
Angels in the Book of Revelation are overwhelming in their appearance, John falls to his knees and they rebuke him. “Worship God!” they say.
And when the Magi come: Matthew 2: 2“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 14 after walking to the Apostles on the water:
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 28 post Resurrection appearance:
9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
Luke 24: 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
John 9: 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Revelation 22: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
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