Day 6: His Life-blood poured out for us…

Isaiah 53 emphasizes that the trial of Jesus was unjust: by oppression and judgment he was taken away. And it emphasizes that he died, he was cut off from the land of the living but he didn't die for himself but "for the transgression of my people, he was stricken", Isaiah says.

Then it gives with amazing accuracy the details of his death. It says "he was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death," but the remarkable fact is that in the original Hebrew the word wicked is in the plural but the word rich is singular.

True enough in the record of the gospels, Jesus was crucified with the two thieves, the two wicked men, but then his tomb was the tomb of Joseph Aramethia, the one rich man. So we see every detail, exactly fulfilled in Jesus.

Isaiah 53, verses 10, 11, and 12 sum it all up:

“Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his soul [or his life] a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, 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. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life [or his soul] unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (NIV)

Although there was oppression and injustice, yet it was the fulfillment of God's purpose, it was the Lords' will to crush him, God had foreordained that it should be this way. The texts first speaks of his death but then we see by implication his resurrection. It says after his death "he will see his offspring and prolong his days". In the next verse it says "he will see the light of life and be satisfied."

It's emphasized that all this was to justify many to acquit them of their guilt. Isaiah says "my righteous servant will justify many," and then the text goes on to say "he will bear their iniquities." That's how justification (another word would be righteousness or acquittal) is made possible to us by the knowledge of Jesus, the Lord's righteous servant who bore our iniquities, suffered our punishment, and therefore turned away the wrath and judgment of God from us.

It says also that he "was numbered with the transgressors" - we pointed out already that he was crucified with the thief. And finally that he made intercession for the transgressors. And that began even while he was on the cross. He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." So you see how perfectly accurate in every detail this amazing picture is of Messiah suffering, the sufferings of the Son of Man given 700 years before it took place.