Isaiah

Isaiah 53: God’s Servant bears His people’s sins

Begin in prayer

Before we read why the innocent Servant suffered, let us ask God for humble and believing hearts. Pray that our family would see our own wandering and come to Jesus, who bore the guilt His people could not remove.

You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah.

Psalm 85:2

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us the sin that made the Servant’s suffering necessary. Help us trust Jesus and rejoice in His sufficient sacrifice. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

The Servant grows up without the outward majesty people admire and is despised as a man familiar with suffering. Those speaking had judged Him as afflicted by God, but confess that He bore their sickness, suffering and sins. They had wandered like sheep, and God laid their iniquity upon Him. He suffers oppression without retaliation and is cut off from the living for His people’s disobedience. Though innocent of violence and deceit, He is buried with the wicked and a rich man. God makes His life an offering for sin, yet promises that He will see offspring, live and accomplish God’s pleasure. The righteous Servant will justify many, receive victory’s reward and intercede for the transgressors whose sin He bore.

As you read Isaiah 53, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God’s innocent Servant bears His people’s sins, suffers death and brings them righteousness through His completed sacrifice.

The chapter corrects the belief that the Servant’s suffering proved Him guilty before God. He is wounded because of the sins of those who confess their wandering. Sheep going their own way picture rebellion rather than innocent confusion. The silent lamb shows His willing endurance under oppression, not weakness or consent to wrongdoing. His grave with a rich man points us to Jesus being laid in Joseph’s tomb (Matthew 27 verses 57 to 60). God’s pleasure in this sacrifice concerns His saving purpose, not delight in cruelty. After death the Servant sees offspring and prolonged days, so death cannot be the end of His work. To justify means to declare righteous, and the innocent Servant does this for many by bearing the guilt that stood against them.

How does Isaiah 53 show us that God’s innocent Servant bears His people’s sins, suffers death and brings them righteousness through His completed sacrifice?

God’s Servant suffers for sins that belong to others.

Those speaking confess that they had all turned to their own way. They had mistaken His suffering for evidence of His own guilt. God laid their iniquity upon the innocent One who bore their punishment.

God’s Servant gives Himself through unjust suffering.

He endures oppression like a lamb led to slaughter. He has done no violence and spoken no deceit. His innocence makes plain that His death answers the disobedience of His people.

God’s Servant brings righteousness through His sacrifice.

His life becomes an offering for sin, and God’s purpose succeeds through Him. He will see offspring and live beyond His suffering. He declares many righteous by bearing their sins and intercedes for the transgressors.

Memorise

But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, will I confess my wandering and trust Jesus who bore His people’s guilt?

The confession is plain, “Everyone has turned to his own way.” The answer is equally plain, “Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The righteous Servant carries guilt that belongs to wandering sinners.

Philip began from this Scripture and told the Ethiopian official the good news about Jesus (Acts 8 verses 32 to 35). On the cross Jesus was pierced and crushed for His people, and the punishment that brought their peace was on Him. Peter says Jesus carried their sins in His body, and by His wounds they are healed (1 Peter 2 verse 24). God raised Him from death to see the fruit of His suffering. His offering is enough, and His people will never need another.

Turn from your sin and trust Him for forgiveness. Forgiveness belongs to all who look to Jesus in faith. Leave the way you have chosen against God and come to the Savior who bears guilt. His wounds bring peace to those who receive Him in faith.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the Servant is innocent and suffers in the place of guilty people. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that His innocent Servant bears sin and brings righteousness to those He saves, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

For I tell you that this which is written must still be fulfilled in me: ‘He was counted with transgressors.’ For that which concerns me has an end.”

Luke 22:37

Holy God, thank You for the innocent Servant who bore His people’s sins. Please show us our wandering and help us trust Jesus for forgiveness. Teach us to rest in His completed sacrifice. Let His mercy turn our family from defending sin to loving the righteousness He gives. Amen.