Theme: Jesus’ Glorious Victory
This week’s lessons explain how Isaiah 53 clearly points to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Suffering Servant who would accomplish salvation for his people.
Scripture: Isaiah 53
That is the point to which we come in the last verses, for these speak of the Messiah’s glorious victory. His death was not without effect. Jesus accomplished everything He came to accomplish. Notice verse 10b: “He will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.” There are three things here. First, He will see his offspring. “Offspring” is “seed,” and it is in the plural. It says He is going to see His seed. He is going to have spiritual progeny, and He is going to see them. In other words, His death would be fruitful. It would not be for nothing. Those for whom He died will be saved.
I cannot help but contrast this promise with the promise made to Abraham. When God made the promise to Abraham He focused on the singular, “seed.” You find it toward the end of Genesis 22, after Abraham had been asked to sacrifice his son and had come very close to doing that. God stayed His hand and provided a ram as a substitute—a picture of Christ. Then God told Abraham: “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Gen. 22:17, 18). “Offspring” is singular here; it points to Christ (cf. Gal. 3:16). However, when the word is used in Jesus’ own story it is plural, for it points to the many brethren who are saved by Christ’s death.
The second thing in verse 10 is this: “He will . . . prolong his days.” How long will He prolong them? Some of us are very addicted to exercise, and one of the reasons is that it is supposed to prolong our days. If you run your six miles a day and you do it five or six days a week, you are going to develop better health and live longer. At least that is what the books on running suggest. How long will that be? Five years perhaps? Ten years? Is that what it means when it says that Jesus will prolong His days? No, no! This is a prophecy of the resurrection. It means that He will live forever. So not only does Jesus see His offspring, the fruit of His work, but He lives to enjoy the fruit of His work forever.
The third point is: “And the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.” The will of the Lord does not always prosper in our hand, because we are not able to make it prosper. Our sin often tarnishes and mars what God is doing. Sometimes the work of God suffers in our hands. But it does not suffer in the hands of Jesus Christ! Jesus is the Lord of the church. Jesus is building the church. And when the Lord Jesus Christ constructs the building, the building stands.
At the time of Christ’s coming, Rome was in her glory. Shortly thereafter there was a great struggle between the Empire and the Christian church. Christians were hauled into the Colosseum at Rome and killed there by the hundreds. An uninformed observer in the Colosseum in those days, looking down upon the death of the Christians, would have said, “What a pitiful race this is. How weak are the followers of the Nazarene. Why, in a short time they are going to be wiped out.” Yet I have stood in the Colosseum at Rome. It is in ruins. Rome has passed away. And the church? The church of Jesus Christ is strong because of Jesus.
The conclusion is obvious. Is not Isaiah writing of Jesus Christ? Is not Jesus Christ the Messiah? If He is, we ought to follow Him. He ought to be our Messiah. He ought to be your Lord.
Study Questions:
To whom does Isaiah refer when he speaks of the Servant’s offspring?
In what way will the Servant’s days be prolonged?
Key Point: Is not Isaiah writing of Jesus Christ? Is not Jesus Christ the Messiah? If He is, we ought to follow Him. He ought to be our Messiah. He ought to be your Lord.
Application: Pray that God will give you discernment as you compare your attitudes to those of Christ. What do you need to do in order to be more like Jesus?
