“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5–6 NLT)

Isaiah was a prophet who ministered in Judah during the sixth century BC. In chapter 53 of the book that bears his name, he records a prophecy about a Suffering Servant—an innocent person who would take the punishment for the sins of others. Check the date on Isaiah’s employment history again: The sixth century BC Isaiah recorded his prophecy more than five hundred years before Jesus was born.

Yet there’s no mistaking who the prophecy refers to. The New Testament writers certainly saw the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy and Jesus. That’s why Matthew quotes from Isaiah 53 in his Gospel (Matthew 8:14–17). And Luke quotes from it in his (Luke 22:36–38). And John, too (John 12:37–41). Paul quotes from it in his letter to the Romans (Romans 10:16–17). Peter quotes from it as well (1 Peter 2:19–25).

The New Testament’s depiction of Jesus’ life and death makes even more specific connections to Isaiah 53. The descriptions of being pierced and crushed in verse 5 refer to His crucifixion. Jesus’ wrists and feet were pierced when He was nailed to the cross. His side was pierced by a Roman spear. The weight of His body as it hung on the cross crushed His internal organs (see John 19:33–34).

The references to silence in verse 7 connect to Jesus’ remaining silent during His trial while His accusers did their worst (see Matthew 27:12–14; Mark 14:60–61; Luke 23:8–9).

The references to a burial and grave in verse 9 correspond with the Gospel of Matthew. The Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion intended to bury Him with the criminals who were crucified on either side of Him. But Joseph, a wealthy man from Arimathea, got permission from the Roman governor Pilate to bury Jesus’ body in a new tomb he owned (see Matthew 27:57–60).

The most important takeaway from this prophecy of the Suffering Servant is that Jesus died “for our rebellion” and “for our sins.” He was sinless; He was innocent. We’re the guilty ones. Every one of us has sinned. Every one of us deserves God’s punishment. We can’t save ourselves, so Jesus had to die in our place. He was our substitute. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the only means to bridge the chasm between us and God—the chasm that was created by our sin.

People often ask, “Don’t all roads lead to God?” In other words, aren’t all belief systems equally true? If you take time to look at what each religion teaches, you’ll find that only Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again. The Bible teaches that He is the Son of God, that He paid the debt in our place, and that if we will turn from our sin and follow Him, we can be forgiven and know that we will go to Heaven.

Reflection question: What other connections do you see between the Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 53 and the events of Jesus’ life?

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