'Let’s spend a few moments now, looking back over this part of Isaiah’s description of Jesus’ life, and meditating on it, and pondering what it meant for Jesus to be a man of sorrows.
And now we come to the central stanza in Isaiah’s poem about Jesus. Everything leads us here – the structure makes us focus on the centre of the piece, just as our eyes are drawn to the centre of this cross. And the content above all draws us to this section too, because the big question here is “why?” Why did the servant do it? Why did he endure such suffering? Why did God allow it? Why did this happen to someone who according to the very first verse of the whole piece, acted wisely? Unjust suffering doesn’t seem to be very wise does it? Rejection and betrayal and pain don’t sound like the rewards of a virtuous life. And yet… The first part of this section takes up the last words of the previous bit. He was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, we were told. But now we realize that he took up our sufferings, our infirmities, and our sorrows. He was doing something for us.
And yet we considered him to be stricken by God. That word stricken is the word used time after time in Leviticus to describe the person who has been afflicted with a skin disease, like leprosy. It describes someone who is unclean because they have been struck down with disease.
We thought the servant was like that. Stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. And indeed he was. Just look at all the words that Isaiah piles up to describe what was happening to Jesus on the cross. Stricken, smitten, afflicted, pierced, crushed, punished, wounded.
How dreadful it must have been! No wonder Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” As he hung there he was literally God-forsaken, abandoned and cut off.
But here we learn the answer to that question, “Why?” He was pierced, but for our transgressions. He was crushed, but for our iniquities. He was punished so that we could have peace with God, and by his wounds, we are healed.
Because the simple truth is, and we all know it to be true in our hearts, the simple truth is it should have been us. We are the ones who deserve to be stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. We are the ones who have turned away from the source of all light and life and love. We are the ones who, like sheep going astray, have turned to our own way, saying “no thanks” to God and his ways.
And we would like to be able to pay for our mistakes. We would like to make it up to God for our rebellion and rejection of him. Yet we could never do enough. If I had to atone for all my iniquity, if the Lord laid it on my head and set me to work to make up for what I’ve thought and what I’ve said and what I’ve done – I would be working without respite for all eternity.
And we’ve seen this problem throughout Isaiah 40-53. In chapter 42 we heard how the people are blind, deaf, and dull to the things of God. And in chapter 48 they don’t listen to him, but are obstinate, stiff-necked people who deal treacherously and rebel.
Now, rebellion against God, even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant sin, renders me guilty of treason. Treason again Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland used to carry the death penalty. How much more though, do I deserve to die, having committed treason against the Sovereign Lord of the Whole Universe?
And yet….Isaiah’s words sound too good to be true… the Lord has laid on him, on the suffering servant, the iniquity of us all.
Let’s just take a few minutes now, then, to fill our minds with these staggering verses. Why not take these words and make them your own. Read them to yourself, “He was pierced for my transgressions. He was crushed for my iniquities.” Insert your own sins, “He was crushed because I… dot dot dot…” And when you’ve done that, and let it sink in how much Jesus has done for you, just say thank-you.
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