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The Servant, Suffering, and Hope – the Messiah is coming
Reflect
We are hope-based creatures, constantly creating stories or pictures of the future. Hope for the marathon runner is the picture of the finish line. For those of us going through the daily grind, it may be the holiday or the house that the grind pays for. There is no more powerful force in life than hope. The people of God were about to need it more than ever.
Isaiah wrote to the southern kingdom of Judah warning them that unless the people turned back to God his patience would run out. But into the darkness, hope shines.
What is the hope of Israel in exile according to Isaiah?
Isaiah paints a stunning picture of hope through the ‘servant’. This servant was going to be the one who would one day free the people from the chains of oppression. What a picture to cling to!
God says to Jerusalem that a new time is coming. So put on your ‘garments of splendor’ (52.2) and be ready to burst into song and dance (52.9). And He says the same to us today.
How can God say this to suffering people?
God knew what He was doing and what Judah needed – a king who would fight and overthrow their oppressors, but not in the way they expected. The Messiah – God’s chosen anointed one – fought not with swords and spears but with silence and suffering. God was raising up a savior-king like a root out of the dry ground (53.1). He had nothing warrior-like about him (53.2–3). Instead, he was despised and cast out, but through his suffering, the servant was to achieve the greatest victory of all.
What does this hope of a servant mean for us today?
The servant suffered on our behalf. Isaiah points us to Jesus, the one who laid down his life to save us from our exile. On the cross, we see the punishment that brings us peace. The hope for the world is in Jesus the servant because one day God will exalt those who trust him. They will be where he is now (52.13, 53.11–12).
Despite deep injustice and suffering, Jesus was faithful to God and to us to the very end. If He was faithful then, do we think He’ll abandon us now? He will not.
Respond
Jesus was a man of sorrows. His life shouts to our pain, ‘I get it!’ Whatever you’re going through, Jesus knows what it’s like.
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Big, complex, old … just some of the words people use to describe the Bible. Sound familiar? That’s where The Bible Course comes in. The course will increase your confidence, equip you to read the Bible better, and help you to see its relevance to daily life. This accompanying devotional plan provides a birds-eye view of the world’s bestselling book, sample videos from the course, and inspiring application.
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