He was led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7).
Did Isaiah prophesy that Jesus was the Suffering Servant?
Some readers will say, Absolutely!
How could anyone not see it? And others, No, that doesn’t fit with
the general nature of prophecy; there must be another explanation!
The reason some scholars question the assumption that Isaiah
had Jesus in mind is that most predictive prophecy regards the near
future, not a future many generations removed from the original audience. We
find what God is speaking to us by first determining what God was speaking to
the original audience. Isaiah’s audience was concerned with one thing only:
returning to Jerusalem. Where did Christ’s ministry and death enter into that
story?
Yet let’s acknowledge: He was led like a lamb to the
slaughter sure sounds like
Jesus. As does, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1). The answer might be hinted at in Matthew’s temptation narrative
(4:1-11). Regarding his first temptation, Jesus answers straight from
Deuteronomy 8:3. His final two responses are from 6:7 and 6:13. In his actions and
words, Jesus shows that whereas Israel was God’s unfaithful son, he is the
faithful Son.
Jesus identified with these Old Testament pictures. In the
case of the Suffering Servant, Israel itself was probably the servant, albeit
imperfect. Jesus took that role upon himself, becoming not only the perfect
Son, but also the perfect Servant.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Read through the Suffering
Servant songs: Isaiah 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-9 and 52:13-53:12. Thank God that
Jesus was the perfect servant.
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