One of the things that amazes me about the description of the Promised Messiah in Isaiah 52: 13 – 53: 12, is how vulnerable He is. Jesus, as the fulfilment of Isaiah’s words, will be a 'tender shoot' (53: 2), 'rejected by men' (53: 3), 'despised', and 'led like a lamb to the slaughter (53: 7).
His strength will not be in the intimidation of others, or even of natural physical strength. He will have no power due to a high position in society.
Instead, He will deliberately put himself in the path of the worst of human behaviour – like putting yourself in the way of a thundering train, except the train rages with hate and wants your blood.
Matthew describes the moment when Jesus was arrested, and he includes the detail of Peter cutting off the high priest's servant’s ear. Jesus, to Peter's amazement, simply tells him: “Do you think I cannot call on my Father and he will at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels?” (Matt 26: 53).
He tells him to put his sword away and chooses instead to be unprotected. Vulnerable. The one who had once commanded stars into space, and who had spoken life and health into the sick and dying, at this moment in time chose to take anything cruel people and the demons of hell might throw at him.
The next thing that strikes me is how misunderstood he was in this situation. 'We considered him stricken by God', foretells the prophecy in Isaiah (53 v 4). God must be angry with him because, surely “Cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal 3: 13). Some called out: “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in 3 days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the son of God” (Matt 27: 40). Translation – ‘you think you’re so great? Prove it by coming down from the cross. You can’t do it, can you? Because obviously, God is against you!’
With no shield or army to defend Him, no cheer of encouragement from the crowd and no understanding from people as to why God would allow all this to happen, the third thing that strikes me is how obedient he was. Submissive to those who arrested Him; obedient to His Father in Heaven.
“…as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Is 53: 7)
“…it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer” (53 v 10).
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will (Matt 26: 39).
Sacrifice and suffering, resulting in death was the action that was needed. The Father asked it of His Son, and the Son asked His Father if there was another way. There wasn’t. So, Jesus walked into the clutches of his executioners, voicing no sound of resistance.
“After he has suffered, 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 unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors” (Is 53: 11 – 12)
The vulnerable, misunderstood Son of God gave His life in obedience to the Father’s plan, so that eventually we might realise it was the only way for our sins to be taken away, borne by Him and then left in the grave. It was the only way for us to be brought back to life.
