Isaiah 53:10, commentary and pictures

It was foretold centuries beforehand that the Messiah would come not as a temporal king but as the Lamb of God to give His life as an offering for sin, and that prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
It pleased the Lord to bruise Him and put Him to grief because the Father gave His only-begotten, sinless Son to stand in the sinner's place as substitute, bear human sin and its full penalty of curse, condemnation and wrath, and satisfy justice by perfect obedience and death on the cross.
That crushing exposes how heinous sin is, for it caused the death of God's dear Son, and it meant awful darkness through withdrawal of the Father's favor while the guiltless One suffered as guilty so the guilty might be counted guiltless.
Though bruised, after making His soul an offering He would live on beyond death, prolong His days, see His seed in the ransomed church who receive life through His sacrifice, and succeed in carrying out the Lord's pleasure by His hand.
By bearing iniquity He justifies many who believe, upholds and magnifies the law instead of abolishing it, secures the covenant made between Father and Son to redeem humanity, and gives believers righteousness, pardon, cleansing and power to hate sin and obey.

Messiah Foretold Beforehand

Isaiah 53:10 joins the sacrificial service closely to prophecy about the Messiah, foretelling centuries beforehand the scenes of the Saviour's atonement in which the Messiah as the Lamb of God would give His life to atone for sin, a truth made known to Israel through God's instruction as the means of salvation.
It is part of the prophecy fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth that identifies Him as the Messiah and Son of God.
With other prophecies of His character, work, reception and death it points to Him as the one represented by the sacrificial offerings, whose death was part of His work as the world's Redeemer.

The verse foretells a lowly, self-denying life of poverty and humility, rejection, suffering and death, rather than coming as a temporal king to elevate the Jewish nation, deliver from earthly oppressors, or overthrow Rome.
His humble life and ministry were in harmony with what had been foretold, and the prophecy traced His experience with Christ revealed through humanity.
It points to the Messiah's suffering and death as the Lamb of God rather than to political elevation of the Jewish nation, showing He would come as a man among men to live a life of poverty and humility and at last be despised, rejected and slain.
He would offer Himself as a sacrifice in behalf of the fallen race, thus fulfilling every requirement of the broken law, so that in Him the sacrificial types meet their antitype and His death on the cross lends significance to the entire Jewish economy.

Even the manner of death was shadowed forth in plain prophecy of His sufferings and death.
Though He had done no violence and no deceit was in His mouth, it pleased the Lord to bruise Him and put Him to grief, with His grave made with the wicked and with the rich in His death.
His suffering and death as an offering for sin and ransom for guilty humanity are the crowning sacrifice ending His earthly mission, while His entry into Jerusalem draws public attention to that sacrifice and faintly prefigures His future glory as King.

The people misread this testimony about the first advent because they accepted their teachers' claims and applied prophecies of the second coming to the first.
Expecting the glory of the second appearing and a temporal prince who would defeat Rome and reign as an earthly prince, they failed to recognize the time and manner of His coming and did to Christ what Scripture foretold.
This prophecy showed that His rejection, suffering and death were part of God's purpose, not a defeat of His mission.

All that He passed through was ordained in the councils between the Father and the Son and foretold by prophets and men inspired by the Holy Spirit, including being refused and rejected, the humiliation received, the death died, and rising again on the third day.
Every specification of the prophecies concerning Him was fulfilled, and He opened the Scriptures step by step to show this fulfillment to His disciples.

Jesus recognized Himself as its fulfillment when twelve years old on His first visit to the temple, learning from what He saw there His mission and work as the great sacrifice for sin.
He knew the prophecies of His humiliation, atonement and intercession and of His work of mediation for fallen humanity.
The gracious purpose of the Lord prospering in His hands was the object of His life on earth, kept ever before Him from childhood as He studied the prophecies concerning His work, and He rejoiced to think of it.
The promised seed and the Lord's purpose prospering through Christ describe the reward of His self-offering, that He would see the result of His suffering and His people would have life that endures.
He knowingly walked toward Gethsemane and the place of crucifixion.

From Olivet He fully knew and saw lying before Him the soon-coming path through Gethsemane to Calvary under horror of great darkness and superhuman anguish as He gave His life for sin.
No dread for Himself or of His own suffering clouded His unselfish spirit.
His tears in the gladness of the triumphal entry were not for His own approaching agony but for the blindness, impenitence and coming doom of the thousands of Jerusalem whom He came to bless and save.

The prophecy belongs to Christ's work and continues the account of Him stricken for the transgression of God's people.
It is intended to help and bless His people and is cause to thank God as part of God's wonderful work.
What He suffered in His own person secured the salvation of the human race, so its Old Testament truths vividly representing it are to be sacredly cherished.

Bruised as Sin Offering

It pleased the Lord to bruise Him and put Him to grief by making His soul an offering for sin, the Father giving, permitting and pledging His only-begotten Son to suffer so He could bring redemption to the human race. That permission also let Satan display his character and the principles of his rule, so that the conflict between Christ and Satan would be revealed. That crushing was willingly done and driven by how much God loved the human race, manifested at Calvary as Jesus hangs on the cross, to pay the price of redemption when no one else could ransom them.

The bruising exposes the heinous character of sin, for sin caused the death of God's dear Son, and sin is the transgression of the law and is never to be treated as small. The Redeemer was the Just and Perfect and only sinless One who knew no sin, was holy and far above humanity, yet with perfect meekness and compassion stooped to help the weak and tempted. He endured suffering and temptation without sin, took humanity upon Himself and lived among people for thirty years, clothed divinity with humanity and took His position at the head of humanity. Even in laying aside royal robe and crown to become poor that men through His poverty might be made rich, He remained evidence of divine love and benevolence by which the divine image is restored.

He was made sin for humanity and became the sin-bearer with human sins transferred to Him; though guiltless He suffered as guilty and was stricken and afflicted by God in the sinner's place, bearing the blow deserved for transgression, so the guilty might be counted guiltless. He took the sinner's place as humanity's divine-human substitute and bore the full penalty required for transgression, the stroke of divine justice, the curse, God's condemnation and wrath, and an infinite weight of woe. Through perfect obedience and blood shed on the cross and death for those who broke it, justice was fully satisfied. His perfect obedience and death upheld the law's claims and established its unchanging authority rather than setting it aside. He was crucified and buried as the sin-bearer and His grave opened a way for all who accept Him as personal Saviour, paying the redemption price for the fallen world.

That standing in the sinner's place meant awful darkness gathered about His soul through withdrawal of the Father's love and favor, the same darkness every sinner must experience, with the veil of darkness about His divine soul drawing the cry as of one smitten and forsaken. God's heart yearned with greatest sorrow without vindictiveness while His guiltless Son suffered, and the bruising was a sundering of the divine powers that will never occur again through the eternal ages. As substitute and surety He suffered under divine justice what it means for sinners to stand before God without an intercessor. It was completed in His dying agony when nature sympathized with her suffering Author in darkened sun, rent rocks, earthquake and opened graves, until He cried it was finished and committed His spirit to the Father and was declared a righteous man.

In the crucifixion His face and form were marred beyond any man and He suffered humiliation, scorn, mockery and abuse to save men from everlasting disgrace and shield them. Even in that humiliation of stooping to take man's nature He remained the Son of the Highest, worthy of dignity and glory befitting His character, having left the glory shared with the Father before the world was. His appearing was an event angels looked forward to with intense interest as greatest joy to all people, desiring it attended with dignity and glory befitting Him even in lowliness, and He bore an infinite weight of woe. Only the Son with an infinite nature and equal standing with the Father was fully sufficient to undertake redemption, meet the conditions of salvation and magnify the law. No angel or human being and no sacrifice angels could make could do this work.

The Lord allowed Satan to display his character and the principles of his rule so the conflict between Christ and Satan and the outcome of Satan's methods and government if he controlled the world would be revealed, showing what humanity does under Satan's control in making void God's law and bringing in Satan's government. The battle continued through resurrection and ascension, then was transferred to and carried on against His followers. That terrible scene left a lasting impression on all who saw it and revealed humanity under Satan's control. Those who heard the report of His death, even from His enemies, were convicted, began searching the Scriptures, were converted to Christ and told many others, so His suffering sprinkled many nations.

Seed Days and Pleasure

The bruising and grief do not end the story, for after being made an offering for sin He sees His seed, prolongs His days beyond death and lives on, and the pleasure of the Lord prospers in His hand. Though He suffers, He sees the outcome of His suffering, has enduring life, and carries out the Lord's purpose to its fulfillment. That promise is rich even amid foretold bitter suffering and cruel death, declaring He will see the anguish of His soul and be satisfied while succeeding in God's work.

His seed are His spiritual offspring, the ransomed church, those who receive life, pardon and everlasting life through His sacrifice. Their days are prolonged forever, and their life and mission continue His work. Those who benefit from His work share lasting life, and the promise of prolonged days is also set before children in obedience to parents, with Christ as the example and disobedience bringing the sure result of shortened days.

The Father's promise follows the offering: Christ gives His life as the world's propitiation, then sees His seed in the ransomed church and receives glory through them. His church is the recompense for His victory and a chief source of His glory. Through it God's wisdom is made known to heavenly powers.

His finished work and ascension fulfill this promise, for He is glorified. As the risen and ascended Saviour He guides and protects His followers and gives them guidance through the Holy Spirit. In this way He continues His work through them after His suffering and sin offering.

He looked beyond the suffering to the people who would receive pardon and everlasting life. He saw the redeemed made joyful through His humiliation, heard their praise, and was satisfied with the result of His sacrifice. For that future joy He endured the cross, and the sight of those redeemed sustained Him through betrayal and trial.

This is the reward set before Him, to see the fruit and result of His travail and be satisfied as the Lord's gracious purpose prospers through His work. That gracious purpose prospering in His hands was the object of His life on earth, kept ever before Him from childhood as He studied the prophecies of His humiliation, atonement, mediation and intercession, and He rejoiced to think of it. Faith in these words of God's purpose succeeding through suffering makes believers earnest and sincere in faith and trust and confidence, always working on the faith side and becoming in His hands a vessel unto honor as colaborers inviting others to come, which belongs to true service, thorough consecration, and entire sanctification of soul, body and spirit.

The following verses explain the triumph after pouring out His soul unto death. He is satisfied by His work, justifies many by bearing their iniquities, is numbered with transgressors, makes intercession for transgressors as priest, and receives a portion with the great. Through that sacrifice, made as the condition of the covenant to redeem people from Satan's power, He has a people, continues His work, and carries out the Lord's purpose.

Covenant Law Vindicated

The bruising and grief by which his soul was made an offering for sin was the condition of the covenant to redeem humanity from Satan's power, settled in the councils of the Godhead between the Father and the Son, and on that condition the fulfillment of God's purpose rests. Through that sacrifice he would have a people, continue his work, and cause the pleasure of the Lord to prosper in his hand, while the following verse explains that he bears their iniquities and justifies many. With Christ God gave all the resources of heaven, so nothing was wanting in the plan for man's uplifting.

In that counsel the Father purposed that the human family should be tested and proved whether they would be allured by Satan's temptations or would make Christ their righteousness, keep God's commandments, and live. The Father gave to the Son all who would be true and loyal, and Christ covenanted to redeem them from Satan's power at the price of his own life. That price was paid while men were yet sinners, when he laid aside his royal robe and kingly crown, clothed divinity with humanity, stooped to man's estate, became poor that men through his poverty might be made rich, took his position at the head of humanity, bore the stroke of divine justice, suffered the penalty of transgression in the transgressor's place, and died that men might live. In the heavenly courts the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit pitied the fallen race and appointed him, the only-begotten Son, to give himself as unmistakable evidence of the love and benevolence by which the divine image is restored in man.

The Father pledged that if he clothed divinity with humanity and endured the test Adam failed, his obedience would be counted as righteousness to his people, conquering in their behalf and placing them on vantage ground with probation to return to loyalty by keeping God's law. Through his sacrifice justice was satisfied and the law's authority was upheld, not abolished, for he took the sinner's place and bore the full penalty required for transgression of God's law. Not one jot or tittle of the law could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition, so by perfect obedience and death for those who broke it he vindicated its honor, elevated and ennobled it, settled its immutability forever, upheld its claims and established its unchanging authority. As humanity's divine-human substitute he met its perfect standard as Substitute and Surety while displaying sin's curse, and his equal standing with the Father made him fully sufficient to become the sin offering and to magnify the law and make it honorable, a work angels could not do. Through his righteousness credited to them, people can be reconciled to God and escape the punishment due for disobedience.

It pleased God to lay the penalty of the human race on him so the heavenly universe could see the conditions of the covenant of redemption, so the throne of justice would be made eternally secure, so the law would be exalted and honored as unchangeable, so honor would be restored to God's government before unfallen worlds, so all doubts would be settled, and so Satan's charge about justice and mercy would be answered. At the same time Satan's attributes, principles, government, enmity against the Commander of heaven, and cruel mercy would be seen and realized. His death proved God's administration without flaw, and the cross is looked upon by unfallen worlds, the heavenly universe, satanic agencies, and the fallen race until every mouth is stopped and every voice in and out of heaven testifies to God's justice, mercy, and exalted attributes.

He is fallen humanity's only hope of a life that measures with the life of God, having given himself as Saviour and Mediator between God and humanity and redeemed the human family at infinite cost. His self-offering was part of the plan of redemption, first taking humanity upon himself and living among people for thirty years, so that humanity would not be left to perish and might regain godlike manhood. By that offering he enables people to become sons and daughters of God, restores the divine image, and as the just One becomes the justifier of all who believe in him.

Salvation and Transformed Life

By bearing iniquity He justifies many, for at Calvary He bore human sin that the sinner may receive His righteousness. Through His death the believing, repentant sinner may stand justified before God in His righteousness, reconciled, redeemed, restored and given life. His perfect obedience and blood shed on the cross make this possible for repentant sinners, and through His righteousness credited to them they escape the punishment due for disobedience.

His sacrifice reveals the Father's character that God is just while justifying those who believe, having been stricken and afflicted in humanity's place and bearing the blow deserved for transgression of the law. Through that sacrifice He can accept the humble penitent, give peace and rest, release from bondage, cleanse from guilt and moral defilement, and give power to obey the law. By making His Son the sacrifice for sin and thereby condemning sin in the flesh, Christ's righteousness is given to believers so they are made the righteousness of God in Him. Thus made sin for humanity as the sin-bearer with human sins transferred to Him though He knew no sin, they become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world through lust.

His sacrifice rescues sinners from sin's terrible influence and makes it possible for them to hate sin and turn from sin. He gave His life so people could be converted and work with God, meeting as Substitute and Surety the perfect standard of obedience while His death displayed sin's curse and upheld and honored the law rather than abolishing it. When the sinner realizes Christ died for him he magnifies God's love in providing salvation, for Christ died that He might impute His righteousness to him. Penitence and faith are learned at the foot of the cross, and all that is noble and generous responds to contemplating Christ there, who suffered humiliation, scorn, mockery and abuse to save men from everlasting disgrace and shield them.

Contemplation of this matchless love fills the soul with gratitude, cleanses it from selfishness, and leads the disciple to deny self, take up the cross and follow, restoring the divine image in man. Faith in these words of God's purpose succeeding through suffering, with Christ seeing the result of His travail and being satisfied, makes believers earnest and sincere in faith, trust and confidence. Always working on the faith side they become in His hands a vessel unto honor as colaborers inviting others to come, in thorough consecration and entire sanctification of soul, body and spirit.

Because He gave all as a complete sacrifice, God asks for the whole heart and accepts nothing less than undivided affections. To serve Him in return is to resemble Him in character and imitate Him by obeying, keeping commandments, openly confessing allegiance under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel and not under the apostate's black banner, showing by zealous keeping of His Word whose army one is, and worshiping in spirit and truth. Since sin caused all His suffering, sin is never to be treated as small, and teachers, ministers and all God's children must use all God-given power to restrain sin, depart from iniquity, reverence Christ and fellow laborers, and keep His commandments. The promise of prolonged days also applies to children's obedience to parents: Christ set the example, His seed who benefit from His work share enduring life, and disobedience brings the sure result of shortened days.