Messiah: Vicarious Sufferer

“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. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-5. NKJV). “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots…And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Luke 23:33-34, 38. NKJV).

Jesus, Messiah, Vicarious Sufferer. Can we begin to comprehend this title for our Lord? The meaning of the word “vicarious” is “serving instead of or for someone else.” The truth is, you and I should have been the ones undergoing the indignities of the trial and crucifixion, the inhumane death of our Lord. We are the guilty ones—covered with sin and unworthy to approach God—but He “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.” For us he was “smitten, afflicted, wounded, bruised.” The punishment (chastisement) rightly due us was placed upon Him. Every stripe He endured should have been for me. This personalizes His vicarious suffering. I can hardly bear to think of the price He paid for my salvation. Like wandering sheep who lost our way, we stood condemned at the foot of the cross, but Jesus, looking upon His persecutors then, and all of us since, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” And the amazing truth is that His vicarious suffering was accepted by God!

He was the Lamb led to the slaughter, the Sheep before shearers, complaining not at all, the Silent Sufferer, “for the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8b). Read all of Isaiah 53 and thank God for the Vicarious Sufferer. Just as Jesus endured what Isaiah predicted in vicarious suffering for us, so he also prophesied, and rightly so, the triumph of the Vicarious Sufferer: “He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand…By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10b-11, NKJV). In recent years we often hear, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” And, indeed, He is. From His coming as a Baby in Bethlehem to His death, resurrection, and ascension back to the right hand of God, where He lives to make intercession for us, His vicarious life, death and victory were purposed for redemption. Isaiah got a marvelous glimpse through the Holy Spirit and wrote about Him centuries before Jesus came and suffered. Now we have the whole picture in His Word. How can we but believe and act on the Truth? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV). Praise be to God!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Suffering Servant Song V-Part 5-Rewarding Results

"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he was put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offering; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:10-12, ESV) [Read Isaiah 52:13- 53:12]

Today we conclude the Suffering Servant Songs from the prophecy of Isaiah. Why did I begin this series? Say it was from my intense interest in studying the Word of God and seeing how one portion explains another, how the whole is tied together in one great and marvelous story of redemtpion of mankind. Recently, my pastor has been preaching through The Revelation in his Sunday morning sermons. As hard as that book of the Bible is to interpret and understand, his deligence in preaching-teaching has made clear that Scripture (even the visions of John on the Island of Patmos) is relevant today and exceedingly important. Any my pastor's plea that we be serious in our own personal Bible study led not only to my examination of these important Suffering Servant Songs in Isaiah, but also to all the studies that have gone into these devotionals back to January 1, 2010 when I began them. Pardon this personal testimony about the importance and benefits of studying the Word of God. As I study, rich avenues open up, and the Spirit reveals truths of which I have been hitherto unaware. I pray that something I have written will make you want to study more deeply the riches of God's Word and find and apply its relevance to your lfie.

In the verses for today, we see how the Messiah's life was a sin offering for our guilt. As a result, we are His spiritual offspring. Let us never forget that truth! We learn here that God was pleased that the Savior's death paid the price; it was not some happenstance but was predetermined with much purpose and forethought. This sacrifice, God's love for us, and His plans to establish a worldwide kingdom began with the removal of guilt and proceeded with the restitution. Many will be justified-that is, will choose to belive that the Messiah came and became the propitiation for guilt and the ent4ance way to the Kingdom of God.

"His days will be prolonged." This result, as I interpret it, means the resurrection from the dead of the Suffering Servant Himself and of His followers. The Suffering Servant is satisfied about His suffering and himiliation. "It is finished!" He said on the cross (John 19:30). After three days He rose from the dead. At His ascension, He gave us a commission which is still intact until His second return: "Go, tell, baptize, teach.." (Matthew 28:18-20). And for all the faithful, and those who "confess with thy mouth...and believe in thine heart" (Romans 110:9-10) that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, we will have a portion with Him, not only in work and sometimes suffering here, but in results and rewards of faithfulness. The John, in giving us his visions of Heaven, gave a foretaste of what is yet to come for the redeemed. Here is one of his glimpses: "And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:5, ESV) Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Suffering Servant Song IV-Part 4-No Complaints

"He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7-9) [Read Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12]

In this portion of the Suffering Servant Song, we see the Messiah during His death being the sacrificial lamb, without spot or blemish, and completely without complaints despite the cruel and inhumane treatment. Again, it is amazing that Isaiah had the foresight to prophesy about what happened to the Messiah hundreds of years before the fact; and I mention again-to tell of it in the past tense, "prophetic tense," an accomplished fact. This can only be explained by Isaiah's being guided by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not suffer mildly. His death was vile. He suffered without rebuttal and defense. We live on this side of the Messiah's sacrifice. Reading of the accounts of his arrest, trial, condemnation and death, we see how accurate and full of truth Isaiah's prophesy is. The question about "his generation" not giving much thought to what was happening was certainly true. Then, only the inner circle, the disciples and a few followers, could really know the impact of Christ's coming and His death, events that split history into B.C. and A. D. (Before Christ and Anno Domini-the year of our Lord). His death was with wicked criminals and his burial was in a borrowed tomb of a rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea.

"Although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth" Jesus suffered death for you and for me. Reread the verses again and thank God for His sacrifice. All the gratitude we are able to muster will not be enough to thank Him. But we can begin with praise and continue with a life of dedication and service.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, September 27, 2010

Suffering Servant Song IV-Part 3-Vicarious Death

"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 trangressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5. ESV) [Read Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12]

Continuing thoughts on the Suffering Servant Song IV from Isaiah, we concentrate today on the Messiah's vicarious death on the cross. Vicarious means "in the place of another." Isaiah begins with a strong adverb, "surely"-introducting a new thought. His death is to bear our griefs, to carry our sorrows. What does this mean? That we ourselves suffer, and He bears our suffering? In the context of sacrifice for sin, this refers back to the curse that came to all mankind in the Garden of Eden when Eve and Adam ate of the forbidden fruit and the fall of man occurred. "I will greatly multiply your sorrow, " (Genesis 3:16) and "Cursed is the ground for your sake..." (Genesis 3:17). Yes, griefs and sorrows have been the lot of mankind, rebellion and rejection of God the sum of man's transgressions. And our peace and forgiveness are justified only by His chastisement and His stripes. Vicariously-for us- Jesus, the Perfect Son of God-suffered. His vicarious death was the bridge that crossed the chasm between man and God.

Important emphases in these verses hinge on the pronouns "He" and "our". He bour our griefs; He carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions and He was punished for our guilt. Our peace and restoration result from the sacrifice He made. We owe our reconciliation to God completely to Jesus. He is the only way to God. Despite the "New Age" doctrines that multiple paths lead to God, the truth is that His vicarious death is the only way. "Jesus said to him [to Thomas, known as the 'doubting' disciple], I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

In witnessing to persons, I like to ask, "Is there a time in your life when you asked Jesus to come into your heart?" If the person can answer yes, I ask him/her to share his salvation experience. If the answer is no, I seek to gently lead the person to see Jesus as the only way to forgiveness, restoration and salvation through faith.

Recently, I had the happy privilege of sharing this wonderful news of Jesus' sacrifice with an elderly man who is very ill and facing death. He did not seem to have the assurance of his salvation. It was my joy to lead him through the steps of confession and assurance. His response was, "No one has ever explained it to me like this before!" God, grant us opportunities to present Jesus in a positive way to others!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, September 26, 2010

Suffering Servant Song IV – Part 2 – Caracteristics

“Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:1-3) [Read 52:13 – 53:12].

The fourth suffering servant song begins in Isaiah 52:13 and continues through 53:12. That is why I am suggesting to my readers that we read the passage daily as we move through this marvelous prophecy of the Messiah’s coming which Isaiah foresaw and recorded. What are the characteristics of the Suffering Servant?

First of all, His life and characteristics are unbelievable in their magnitude. Isaiah writes of Him as if He has already come: “Who has believed what they heard from us?” Or, in the more familiar King James Version: “Who hath believed our report?” The Suffering Servant’s coming and what He will do as God-with-man is so incredulous that people cannot believe it. But that does not deter the prophet from declaring the reality of His appearance. The very fact that he writes in the past tense, or as scholars term it, “the prophetic past tense,” indicates the surety of His coming. And to whom is He revealed? Isaiah does not answer his question, but that remains. He is still being revealed to people, even in this age, centuries from the time of His prophetic prediction. Belief and trust are always at the heart of every person’s acceptance of this report of the Suffering Servant. “The arm of the Lord” refers to His miraculous strength and His saving power.

He has the characteristic of humility. He had no form of majesty but was as a tender plant—not a mighty oak or a towering tree. Isaiah refers to a “root from the stem of Jesse,” (Jesse-King David’s father), showing his lineage from Israel’s great King David. Yet with that lineage in the Messiah’s earthly roots, He is still humble, despised and rejected. How prophetic, indeed, were Isaiah’s words, for “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (John 1:11).

He was despised and rejected—the characteristic of unpopularity, unacceptability.
How tragic that God-with-us, the very God-man sent to show us the way to restore our lost fellowship with God would be sorrowful and alienated. “Despised” describes how despicable He was to many. With that identification, Jesus met His death on the cross. From the foundation of the world it was so ordered. Man entered into this necessary plan of God by rejecting the One who came to show us the Father. It was because “we esteemed Him not.”

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, September 25, 2010

Jesus in the Court of Pilate

“Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’ And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ‘I find no fault in Him at all.’ “ – John 18:38 (NKJV)

Annas and Caiaphas, high priests, and the Pharisees all had decided that Jesus should die. However, they had a big problem. The Jewish Court had no authority to issue the death sentence. That had to come from the Roman ruler in Jerusalem, Pilate, who presided from the Praetorium. Read the gospel accounts of the trial before Pilate in John 18:28-19:16, in Mark 15: 1-16, in Matthew 27:1-26, and before both Pilate and Herod in Luke 23:1-25, In Matthew’s account, Jesus fulfills the prophecy about himself in Isaiah 53:7: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not his mouth.”

In John’s gospel, however, we read of the dialogue between Pilate and Jesus. “Are you the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked Jesus. Jesus wanted to know if he asked on his own knowledge, or was it because of what others had said. When Pilate asked Jesus what He had done, His reply was revealing: “My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus stated that He came to bear witness to the truth. Pilate asked a profound question of Jesus: “What is truth?” Is this, ultimately, not what each of us seeks: The Truth? Twice Pilate said he found no fault in Jesus.

Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but was swayed by the crowd who demanded “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” A common criminal, Barabbas, no doubt deserving of the death sentence, went free, while the innocent Son of God was delivered up to be crucified. But Pilate’s final action was, in itself, a testimony to who Jesus was. “Pilate ordered a sign to put on the cross. It read: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ (John 19:19). The Jews wanted Pilate to change the sign to read: ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.’ But Pilate was adamant. He would not change the sign. He had intended that the sign mock the Jews. Instead, God had another purpose in the sign. It was a silent witness to who Jesus was. One of the thieves on the cross read the sign and consequently believed in Jesus. Passers-by read it. We do not know the wide-spread effect the sign had in turning others to Christ. A hard Roman ruler who asked probingly, “What is truth?” was an instrument used of God to bring people face to face with the Truth, Jesus Christ. How amazing that nothing is lost in the purposes of Almighty God!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, March 29, 2010

Triumphal Entry: Fulfilling Prophecy

“This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’..The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! To the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest.’ “ –Matthew 21:4, 9 (NIV)

Today throughout Christendom, we celebrate what we call “Palm Sunday.” It is a time of remembrance when Jesus rode in triumph into Jerusalem. Though seated on a donkey, a lowly animal, with clothing and branches of trees spread along His way, it still was a processional of glory because of the adoration of the people and the fulfillment of prophecy.

Have you ever thought about what it might have been like had you been in the crowd that day, spreading palm branches and crying out in a mighty chorus, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” There is such a thing as “crowd psychology.” Some might have joined because it was the popular thing to do at the moment. Here comes a host of people. They are demonstrating in this busy street in Jerusalem. I will join in. Maybe I, too, can be counted in this crowd of followers. Maybe I can find a place when He comes into His kingdom. The quotation of praise was from the prophet Zechariah (See Zec. 9:9). In that context, the praise chorus was in the midst of occupation of Zion by an enemy, much as Rome had Palestine under its power in the day of Jesus. The prediction of the coming of Zion’s King was for military victory and peace. Their salvation on that triumphant day was viewed as an overthrow of oppressors.

On the other hand, had you been in that crowd, would you have been sincere, from the depths of your heart proclaiming Christ’s praise, regardless of the outcome? Were you among those who knew Isaiah’s prophecy? “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering…Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isa. 53:3-5 NIV).

But for a few minutes, in a street in Jerusalem, there were shouts of praise and hope, joy and victory. “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, His reward is with Him, and His recompense accompanies Him.’ ” (Isa. 62:11, NIV).

We know the week of trial and suffering which would come for Jesus, and his death and, gloriously, His resurrection. We stand on this side of the cross. But most of the people who cast the palm branches and shouted with joy in Jerusalem were looking for a lifting of the Roman yoke and restoration of the nation of Israel. How could they know that God had far greater plans in store—plans that would include all nations and all subsequent generations!

As Isaiah so aptly prophesied, there was a reward for those who followed Jesus triumphant, seated on a donkey, coming into His glory: “They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord!” (Isa. 62:12). On this day of remembrance, I will cast not only palm branches before Him, but give Him my very life! This is my reasonable service.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, March 28, 2010