It was early evening and I was winding down to brush my teeth and head to bed. I don’t remember the trigger, but there it was. A memory of one of my lowest moments. I know that God loves me. In that moment though, my mind wandered. I wondered what I had totally bombed. What part of God’s perfect plan was now impossible after I had failed.
I prayed. And then I heard that still, familiar Voice. “Isaiah 53” was what I heard in my spirit. I was eager to find what He had to say in this moment:
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 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. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Beautiful and perfect; this chapter hit me like a ton of merciful, compassionate bricks. Isaiah 53 is a chapter in the Old Testament prophesizing the story of the Messiah. As you can see above, 700 years before Jesus walked the earth, it was prophesied that he would suffer, die, and rise again for our sins. I was expecting a verse or two comforting me, reminding me of the Lord’s compassion. Forgiveness. An example of a Biblical figure who messed up and then still did a lot of good. But this. This is what it is ALL about.
The Lord, the God of the Universe, loved us so much that he lived a difficult life (a man of suffering, familiar with pain). He then bore our sin and died (cut off from the land of the living). Finally He overcame death and the grave (After he has suffered, he will see the light of life). This is good news.
Not only is it good news. And an awesome answer to my bad mood. But Isaiah 53 is very obviously describing Jesus…and it is a chapter in the OLD TESTAMENT!
How incredible is it the God chose to reveal these details to us 700 years prior to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You may remember that the disciples first believed that Jesus, as the Messiah, would reign as a political leader. However, multiple books in the Old Testament disagreed (such as Isaiah and Psalms, stay tuned for this post!). The Messiah was always going to die as the final sacrifice for our sins “the Lord makes his life an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53:10).
Further, you may recall, that the disciples were not aware that Jesus would defeat death and resurrect. Yet, this chapter prophesies this crucial detail. “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…For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:11).
Isaiah proposed another interesting detail: that Jesus would not defend himself against his accusers. “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7).
The New Testament records this act: “When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor” (Matthew 27:12–14).
Isaiah 53 is a truly beautiful chapter. If you haven’t read it in its entirety, I highly suggest that you do so. It is poignant, heartrending, and heart-filling. And it is incredibly obvious, that Isaiah 53 is a clear depiction of Jesus in the Old Testament.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray. But the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. I may pretty hard on myself at times, but I can be at peace. God took care of it. A punishment that I could never bear, he paid it. And God has a PLAN. An amazing plan that took thousands of years from start to finish, with lots of evidence in between. If you enjoyed reading about an Old Testament prophecy that Jesus fulfilled, check out the next post series. First up in the series: 3 Prophecies that Jesus Fulfilled as a Baby.”
