Today is customarily called Palm Sunday in the Christian tradition. It is the day that Christ rode into Jerusalem on a never ridden colt and was celebrated as king by the Jews. With that in mind, I want us to look forward into this Holy Week and focus our attention on the cross that Christ was crucified upon. There are two Old Testament passages that provide us with vivid detail, the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. One is Psalm 22 and the other is Isaiah 53. Let’s unpack the Isaiah passage.

Most scholarship on this passage testifies that the person being depicted is none other than Jesus Christ. It's also important to know that it has something to do with Acts 8, where an Ethiopian eunuch reads from the prophet Isaiah, doesn’t understand it and asks Phillip who Isaiah is talking about. Phillip begins with several verses in this passage and preaches Jesus to the man.

It has been widely agreed that the context of the passage begins earlier in chapter 52 beginning with verse thirteen. This is where we will start reading today. The passage contains one of the Old Testament’s clearest descriptions of the sufferings of Christ.

13 See, My Servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. 14 Just as many were appalled at You — His appearance was so disfigured that He did not look like a man, and His form did not resemble a human being— 15 so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him, For they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard. 53:1 Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to? 2 He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him. 4 Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. 6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not open His mouth. 8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who considered His fate? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was struck because of my people’s rebellion. 9 They made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man at His death, although He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. 10 Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and by His hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. 11 He will see it out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will carry their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels. 

In verses 13-15 of chapter fifty-two we see the beginning of the fourth of Isaiah’s Servant songs. In that section he basically says that Jesus is valued by His Father but rejected by men. This is describing Jesus’ life on earth. Jesus was totally obedient to His Father’s will even to the point of death. He has been exalted and given the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). When His final reign comes to fruition in His kingdom, He will receive international recognition for His effectiveness.

But before being exalted, this Suffering Servant had to go through cruelty that leaves Him so battered and bruised that He doesn’t look human. He was abused so badly people looked upon Him with astonishment (Matthew 26:67-68; 27:27-30). Although He was badly disfigured Jesus was never more a King than when He hung on Calvary’s cross, wearing the crown of thorns.

The people wanted a powerful king but although Jesus did many miracles and signs, they saw nothing about His physic that they were attracted to (Isaiah 53:1-2). At this point in God’s plan of salvation Jesus was despised by His own people and was the Suffering Servant not the Conquering King (Isaiah 53:3). His suffering was for all mankind that they might be healed by His wounds (Isaiah 53:4-6).

Yet despite all the suffering, Jesus was humble, even unto death. Although He was innocent, He died for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:7-9). It was the Father’s intent to crush Jesus and for Him to be a guilt offering, being the substitute who would pay the price for our sins (Isaiah 53:10). But death is not the end!

Beyond the grave there is life that awaits the Savior. Yes, He rises from the grave and He is well pleased that His suffering was not in vain because He will justify many (Isaiah 53:11). With new life Christ is raised to glory. Because Jesus submitted Himself to the Father’s will, He took the sins of many and made intercession for the sinner (Isaiah 53:12).