Isaiah 52:13
See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Today we begin our study of the fourth “Servant Song” in Isaiah. Widely considered the greatest “chapter” in the entire Old Testament, I would tend to agree. We will take our time and spend a considerable amount of time pouring over these verses.
The first section of this Song found in Isaiah 52:13-15 is really a summary of the whole prophecy which details the Messiah’s suffering and the glory that follows. The second section of this Song found in Isaiah 52:1-9 is told from the future when Israel looks back on what it did to the Messiah. Israel’s eyes are opened to realize what they did to God’s chosen Servant. Finally, the third section found in Isaiah 53:10-12 tells of the glory that will follow the Messiah’s suffering.
This entire Song is about Jesus and was fulfilled by Jesus. Isaiah wrote these words over 700 years before Jesus walked the earth and the extreme detail is nothing short of proof that our God is real. There are over 80 references to Isaiah in the New Testament and most of them come from this chapter. There are over 40 prophecies in this chapter that were fulfilled by Jesus. No man could have written this without an omniscient God directing his pen.
As we study this chapter, keep in mind that Isaiah’s primary audience is the Jewish people. Isaiah is pleading with his people to see Jesus as the Messiah in order to receive salvation. Even though most Jewish teachers disregard this chapter as referring to the Messiah, there is no denying that it the most amazing prediction of what Jesus would endure at the hands of his enemies. Augustine said of this chapter, “It is not a prophecy, it is a gospel.” So let’s dig in!
We begin at the end. Jesus “will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” Isaiah tells us that the Messiah will be victorious before we learn of the cost of that victory. The “happily ever after” ending comes in the introduction. Jesus will be highly exalted so we can rest assured that his suffering will not end in defeat.
Verse 13 begins with that Hebrew word hinnēh translated by the KJV as “Behold!” God is telling the Jews to give this their full attention. He calls His people to take a serious look at His Servant. Instead they would only show contempt. Paul scolded his fellow Jews for not giving God’s invitation a proper response: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4).
John wrote of the Jewish people: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11). Jesus came to save his own people, the Jews, yet they wanted nothing to do with him. They would in fact crucify him.
The second word of our opening verse is the Hebrew word ʽebed which is translated “servant.” Isaiah uses this word 17 times in his book but only twice in this fourth Servant Song. It describes someone who doesn’t have a will of their own. The servant submits themself to the will of the master, seeking to do only his will.
We would see this play out throughout Jesus’ life but at no more of a critical time than the night before his crucifixion: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The author of Hebrews would quote Psalm 40 about Jesus:
“Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
Then I said, “Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God”‘” (Her 10:5-7).
Jesus was the Suffering Servant. He came for Israel and he came for us. He would accomplish his mission and it would end in glory. But it would cost him greatly. And he did it all so we could be forgiven of our sin and spend eternity with him.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed” (Isa 53:5).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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