Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2008 6:54:09 GMT -7
I believe the cross of Jesus Christ is where my new life started. It's where the humbling started and the confession and the repentance for sins. It's where my mind focused on what He has done to set me free from sin and death and all the pain that led up to that ultimate sacrifice.
I am also reminded that God's suffering for His world is a principal theme running through the Bible. I am using The New American Standard version.
I want to start with a Psalm of King David, written approximately 1000 years before the time of Christ's birth. Psalm 22. In this Psalm, the imagery speaks of the final hours of Christ's suffering on the cross.
Psalm 22
Verse 1 My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
Verse 7 All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip,
they wag the head, saying,
Verse 8 Commit yourself to the Lord;
let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because
He delights in him."
Verse 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
Verse 14 I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
Verse 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
Verse 16 For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
Verse 17 I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
Verse 18 They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots
I have quoted the passages from Psalm 22 that speak to me of the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross, penned 1000 years approximately before that momentous event. Some 400 years before crucifixion was used as a method of execution. Next I will quote from the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion to show how much of the above is echoed in that Psalm and in other biblical passages.
Matthew Chapter 27
Verse 35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots. (See Psalm 22, v.18; Mark Ch.15 v.24; Luke Ch.23, v.34; John Ch.19 v.23-24)
Verse 36 and sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. (See Psalm 22 v.17; Luke Ch.23 v.35)
Verse 39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads. (See Psalm 22, v.7; Mark Ch.15, v.29; Luke Ch.23, v.35-37, 39)
Verse 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him, and saying V.42 "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him.
Verse 43 He trusts in God; Let Him deliver Him now, If He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' " (See Psalm 22, v.7, v.8; Mark Ch.15, v.32)
Verse 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" (See Psalm 22, v.1; Mark Ch.15, v.34)
Verse 49 But the rest of them said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him." (See Psalm 22, v.8; Mark Ch.15, v.35)
Isaiah Chapter 50
This chapter concerns salvation and also the suffering of God's servant. Verse 2 states "Is my hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver?" This theme is similarly stated in Isaiah Chapter 59, verse 1: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear." Later in Chapter 59, a passage concerns God's "arm" bringing salvation:
Verse 16 And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righeousness upheld Him.
Verse 17 And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
In verse 20, Isaiah prophecies about the "Redeemer":
Verse 20 "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the Lord.
Verse 21 "And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the Lord: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the Lord, "from now and forever."
The Messiah is several times referred to as "Branch" and other similar imagery features, such as the "root out of parched ground" in Isaiah 53, verse 2.
To return to the them of the suffering Messiah, verse 4 to 9 (Isaiah 50) concern this:
Verse 4 The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
Verse 5 The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient, nor did I turn back.
Verse 6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.
Verse 7 For the Lord God helps Me, therefore, I am not disgraced; therefore, I have set My face like flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Verse 8 He who vindicates Me is near; who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me.
Verse 9 Behold, the Lord God helps Me; who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them.
The passage that (to me and many other Christians) speaks of the suffering of Christ in the hours prior to His crucifixion is verses 5-6.
Isaiah Chapter 52
Isaiah 52 starts with exhortation to Zion to wake up and in verse 3 "You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed without money." Verse 10 "The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God"
How was this salvation to be accomplished? By the Law of Moses? No! By a new covenant in blood, one made by God Himself in the person of Jesus, whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins and for the redemption of the world. The chapter ends with a section about "My servant" from verses 13-15:
Verse 13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
Verse 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.
Verse 15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings shall shut their mouths on account of Him; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.
Isaiah Chapter 53
The Suffering Servant
Jesus identified Himself with the suffering Messiah of Isaiah's chapter 53 and, according to Luke's gospel, chapter 22, verse 37, He quotes from verse 12:
Luke Chapter 22
Verse 37 For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, 'And He was numbered with transgressors'; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment."
Isaiah 53, verse 12
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
Isaiah Chapter 53
Verse 1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Verse 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
Verse 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Verse 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ouselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Verse 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
Verse 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
Verse 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.
Verse 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?
Verse 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
Verse 10 But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
Verse 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
Verse 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the trangressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
I have quoted the whole of Isaiah Chapter 53 because all of it refers to the suffering Messiah whom I confess to be Jesus Christ who was crucified, was raised from the dead on the third day and now intercedes for the saints at the right hand of God the Father. I believe this by faith and through the Holy Spirit's guidance. Here are some passages from the New Testament that fulfill the text of Isaiah 53:
Matthew 27, v.38; 39-44; 57, 59-60
Mark 15 v.27-28; 29-32; v.43; 46
Luke 23 v.35-37;39, 50, 53
John 19, v.34; v.39-41
Psalm 22, together with Isaiah 53 are the two most lengthy prophetic texts that speak of the suffering of the Messiah. Other passages in scripture echo passages in the Gospel accounts of Christ's passion. They are scattered and are not so easily interpreted as being references to Jesus Christ's suffering but for Christians they have become long associated with that suffering.
Psalm 129, verse 3 (See Matthew Ch.27, v.26; Mark Ch.15 v.15; John Ch.19 v.1)
"The plowers plowed up my back;
They lengthened their furrows"
This graphically describes the effect of the Roman tool for scourging - the Horrible Flagellum. The Gospels do not speak descriptively of the actual ordeal of the scourging. The implement used for scourging by the Romans has not survived in archaealogical remains so we don't actually know precisely what kind of scourge was used. Certainly it would have been brutal and contemporary description of victims scourged during the Roman era has survived. It was indeed one of the most brutal tortures ever devised by humans.
Psalm 69, v.21 (See Matthew Ch.27, v.34; Mark Ch.15, v.23; Luke Ch.23, v.36; John Ch.19, v.28-29)
They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink"
Zechariah Ch.12 (See also Isaiah Ch.53, v.5; Psalm 22, v.16)
Verse 10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born."
Zechariah Ch.13, v.1 (John Ch.20, v.34 "but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.")
"In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity."
Zechariah Ch.13, v.6-9
Verse 6 "And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will say, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'
Verse 7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate."
Declares the Lord of Hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
Verse 8 "And it will come about in all the land," Declares the Lord, "That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.
Verse 9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.' "
Isaiah (50 verse 6, 52, 53, 63, v.8-9), the Psalmist (22, 129 verse 3, Psalm 69, verse 21, others), and other books of the Old Testament (e.g. Zechariah, 12 verse 10; 13, verse 1, 6-9) speak about the Messiah coming to suffer and to die in order that the race of Adam might be brought back into right relationship with God.
I was reciting Isaiah 49, first 13 verses for a friend and was struck by verse 7. This whole chapter is about the Messiah coming to save not just God's chosen people (called "Jacob" and "Israel" in this chapter) but also (verse 6) "a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
Two sections of the book of Isaiah speak about the suffering and despised servant being the Messiah who would save not only the Jewish people but all nations of the world. They are in Isaiah 49 and 53
Here is Isaiah 49, verse 7 (New American Standard)
Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and its Holy One, To the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, 'Kings shall arise, princes shall also bow down; because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You."
Here is Isaiah 53 verse 3 "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised and we did not esteem Him"
It's clear from reading Isaiah's prophecies of the Messiah that He comes to save the world and not just the Jews. He is both a king as well as a suffering servant. He is despised (Isaiah 49, verse 7, 50, verse 6; 52, verse 14-15 and 53, verse 3).
Most people when they think of a king will think of a crown of gold with costly gems and pearls embedded in it, robes lined with ermine, a golden orb and sceptre, and a great power base behind the throne - a nation with a judicial system, a government and a military force to defend it. The Jews who looked for a messiah who would rule an earthly kingdom did not understand what Isaiah could have been speaking of when he described the Messiah as being one despised, one indeed who was put to death (Isaiah 53, verse 7-9; 12). This is why the Jews could not accept Jesus because they looked for one who would defeat the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom.
John chapter 18, verse 14 is interesting because it refers to something said by the high priest, Caiaphas, who tried Jesus.
Verse 14 "Now Caiaphas was the one who advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people."
What did Caiaphas mean by this? Did he think that to put Jesus to death would save the Jews from being destroyed by the Romans? Or was he thinking of Isaiah's prophecies of a Messiah who would suffer and die for the sake of the people?
I am also reminded that God's suffering for His world is a principal theme running through the Bible. I am using The New American Standard version.
I want to start with a Psalm of King David, written approximately 1000 years before the time of Christ's birth. Psalm 22. In this Psalm, the imagery speaks of the final hours of Christ's suffering on the cross.
Psalm 22
Verse 1 My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
Verse 7 All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip,
they wag the head, saying,
Verse 8 Commit yourself to the Lord;
let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because
He delights in him."
Verse 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
Verse 14 I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
Verse 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
Verse 16 For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
Verse 17 I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
Verse 18 They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots
I have quoted the passages from Psalm 22 that speak to me of the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross, penned 1000 years approximately before that momentous event. Some 400 years before crucifixion was used as a method of execution. Next I will quote from the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion to show how much of the above is echoed in that Psalm and in other biblical passages.
Matthew Chapter 27
Verse 35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots. (See Psalm 22, v.18; Mark Ch.15 v.24; Luke Ch.23, v.34; John Ch.19 v.23-24)
Verse 36 and sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. (See Psalm 22 v.17; Luke Ch.23 v.35)
Verse 39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads. (See Psalm 22, v.7; Mark Ch.15, v.29; Luke Ch.23, v.35-37, 39)
Verse 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him, and saying V.42 "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him.
Verse 43 He trusts in God; Let Him deliver Him now, If He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' " (See Psalm 22, v.7, v.8; Mark Ch.15, v.32)
Verse 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" (See Psalm 22, v.1; Mark Ch.15, v.34)
Verse 49 But the rest of them said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him." (See Psalm 22, v.8; Mark Ch.15, v.35)
Isaiah Chapter 50
This chapter concerns salvation and also the suffering of God's servant. Verse 2 states "Is my hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver?" This theme is similarly stated in Isaiah Chapter 59, verse 1: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear." Later in Chapter 59, a passage concerns God's "arm" bringing salvation:
Verse 16 And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righeousness upheld Him.
Verse 17 And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
In verse 20, Isaiah prophecies about the "Redeemer":
Verse 20 "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the Lord.
Verse 21 "And as for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the Lord: "My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says the Lord, "from now and forever."
The Messiah is several times referred to as "Branch" and other similar imagery features, such as the "root out of parched ground" in Isaiah 53, verse 2.
To return to the them of the suffering Messiah, verse 4 to 9 (Isaiah 50) concern this:
Verse 4 The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
Verse 5 The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not disobedient, nor did I turn back.
Verse 6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.
Verse 7 For the Lord God helps Me, therefore, I am not disgraced; therefore, I have set My face like flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Verse 8 He who vindicates Me is near; who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me.
Verse 9 Behold, the Lord God helps Me; who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them.
The passage that (to me and many other Christians) speaks of the suffering of Christ in the hours prior to His crucifixion is verses 5-6.
Isaiah Chapter 52
Isaiah 52 starts with exhortation to Zion to wake up and in verse 3 "You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed without money." Verse 10 "The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God"
How was this salvation to be accomplished? By the Law of Moses? No! By a new covenant in blood, one made by God Himself in the person of Jesus, whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins and for the redemption of the world. The chapter ends with a section about "My servant" from verses 13-15:
Verse 13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
Verse 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.
Verse 15 Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings shall shut their mouths on account of Him; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.
Isaiah Chapter 53
The Suffering Servant
Jesus identified Himself with the suffering Messiah of Isaiah's chapter 53 and, according to Luke's gospel, chapter 22, verse 37, He quotes from verse 12:
Luke Chapter 22
Verse 37 For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, 'And He was numbered with transgressors'; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment."
Isaiah 53, verse 12
Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
Isaiah Chapter 53
Verse 1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Verse 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
Verse 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Verse 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ouselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Verse 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
Verse 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
Verse 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.
Verse 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?
Verse 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
Verse 10 But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
Verse 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
Verse 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the trangressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
I have quoted the whole of Isaiah Chapter 53 because all of it refers to the suffering Messiah whom I confess to be Jesus Christ who was crucified, was raised from the dead on the third day and now intercedes for the saints at the right hand of God the Father. I believe this by faith and through the Holy Spirit's guidance. Here are some passages from the New Testament that fulfill the text of Isaiah 53:
Matthew 27, v.38; 39-44; 57, 59-60
Mark 15 v.27-28; 29-32; v.43; 46
Luke 23 v.35-37;39, 50, 53
John 19, v.34; v.39-41
Psalm 22, together with Isaiah 53 are the two most lengthy prophetic texts that speak of the suffering of the Messiah. Other passages in scripture echo passages in the Gospel accounts of Christ's passion. They are scattered and are not so easily interpreted as being references to Jesus Christ's suffering but for Christians they have become long associated with that suffering.
Psalm 129, verse 3 (See Matthew Ch.27, v.26; Mark Ch.15 v.15; John Ch.19 v.1)
"The plowers plowed up my back;
They lengthened their furrows"
This graphically describes the effect of the Roman tool for scourging - the Horrible Flagellum. The Gospels do not speak descriptively of the actual ordeal of the scourging. The implement used for scourging by the Romans has not survived in archaealogical remains so we don't actually know precisely what kind of scourge was used. Certainly it would have been brutal and contemporary description of victims scourged during the Roman era has survived. It was indeed one of the most brutal tortures ever devised by humans.
Psalm 69, v.21 (See Matthew Ch.27, v.34; Mark Ch.15, v.23; Luke Ch.23, v.36; John Ch.19, v.28-29)
They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink"
Zechariah Ch.12 (See also Isaiah Ch.53, v.5; Psalm 22, v.16)
Verse 10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born."
Zechariah Ch.13, v.1 (John Ch.20, v.34 "but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.")
"In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity."
Zechariah Ch.13, v.6-9
Verse 6 "And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will say, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'
Verse 7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate."
Declares the Lord of Hosts. "Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
Verse 8 "And it will come about in all the land," Declares the Lord, "That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.
Verse 9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.' "
Isaiah (50 verse 6, 52, 53, 63, v.8-9), the Psalmist (22, 129 verse 3, Psalm 69, verse 21, others), and other books of the Old Testament (e.g. Zechariah, 12 verse 10; 13, verse 1, 6-9) speak about the Messiah coming to suffer and to die in order that the race of Adam might be brought back into right relationship with God.
I was reciting Isaiah 49, first 13 verses for a friend and was struck by verse 7. This whole chapter is about the Messiah coming to save not just God's chosen people (called "Jacob" and "Israel" in this chapter) but also (verse 6) "a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
Two sections of the book of Isaiah speak about the suffering and despised servant being the Messiah who would save not only the Jewish people but all nations of the world. They are in Isaiah 49 and 53
Here is Isaiah 49, verse 7 (New American Standard)
Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and its Holy One, To the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, 'Kings shall arise, princes shall also bow down; because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You."
Here is Isaiah 53 verse 3 "He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised and we did not esteem Him"
It's clear from reading Isaiah's prophecies of the Messiah that He comes to save the world and not just the Jews. He is both a king as well as a suffering servant. He is despised (Isaiah 49, verse 7, 50, verse 6; 52, verse 14-15 and 53, verse 3).
Most people when they think of a king will think of a crown of gold with costly gems and pearls embedded in it, robes lined with ermine, a golden orb and sceptre, and a great power base behind the throne - a nation with a judicial system, a government and a military force to defend it. The Jews who looked for a messiah who would rule an earthly kingdom did not understand what Isaiah could have been speaking of when he described the Messiah as being one despised, one indeed who was put to death (Isaiah 53, verse 7-9; 12). This is why the Jews could not accept Jesus because they looked for one who would defeat the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom.
John chapter 18, verse 14 is interesting because it refers to something said by the high priest, Caiaphas, who tried Jesus.
Verse 14 "Now Caiaphas was the one who advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people."
What did Caiaphas mean by this? Did he think that to put Jesus to death would save the Jews from being destroyed by the Romans? Or was he thinking of Isaiah's prophecies of a Messiah who would suffer and die for the sake of the people?