He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth (Isa. 53:9). He had no transgressions, and He had never committed any sin. Nevertheless, men oppressed Him, persecuted Him, and even cut Him off. “He was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isa. 53:7; Matt. 27:12-14). When He was judged, He had just and good cause to muzzle the mouth of the false accusers, but He remained silent, like a sheep brought to the slaughter; for He was determined not to save Himself, in order that we might be saved.
When He died, He was numbered with the transgressors, yet He made intercession for them (Isa. 53:12; Luke 23:32-34). Man’s evil intention was that He make His grave with the wicked, but God’s arrangement was that He be buried with the rich (Isa. 53:9; Matt. 27:57-60). The year in which He died was the seventh year of the sixty-ninth week after the order was given to rebuild Jerusalem. This fulfilled the prophecy in the book of Daniel concerning the cutting off of the Messiah (Dan. 9:25-26).
The reason He was afflicted and put to death was because God wanted Him to bear our sin. The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6). “It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin” (Isa. 53:10). Therefore, He was cut off and stricken because He bore our sins (Isa. 53:8). He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, so that by His chastisement we might have peace, and with His stripes we might be healed (Isa. 53:5). He was chastised on our behalf, that we might be reconciled to God. The righteous God cannot lay again a claim on us. He was bruised on our behalf that our spirit might be healed and enlivened.
The scene and pain of His suffering of death are thoroughly described in one of the psalms of David (Psa. 22:1, 7-8, 12-18). Here, the Spirit of Christ, in Christ’s own words, describes both the terrifying scene around Him and His painful feelings inwardly and outwardly. He says that fierce evil men, like strong bulls, compassed Him and beset Him around. They gaped upon Him with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. All they who saw Him laughed Him to scorn; they shot out the lip and shook the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him (cf. Matt. 27:39-40, 43). At that moment, because He bore our sins, God forsook Him; He then cried out, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). As He gave up His life, He was poured out like water. He hung on the cross for several hours, so that even His bones were out of joint and He could tell all His bones. Because He suffered the judgment of God for us and was consumed by the wrath of God, His heart was like wax melted in the midst of His bowels, and His strength was dried up like a potsherd. His pain was so severe that even His tongue cleaved to His jaws. Finally, He said that God had brought Him into the dust of death. The wicked, like dogs, compassed Him; they pierced His hands and His feet and looked and stared upon Him. They also parted His garments among them and cast lots for His vesture (Matt. 27:35).
After Christ was buried, God raised Him from the dead on the third day (Hosea 6:2; 1 Cor. 15:4). Because He is the Holy One of Jehovah, God would not leave His soul in hell, neither suffer Him to see corruption (Psa. 16:8-11; Acts 2:24-31). In resurrection, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11). Christ is the resurrected righteous Servant of Jehovah. Many believe in Him and are thus justified. He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. His travailing will produce a corporate Body which is the church, including all the redeemed believers.
“He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Isa. 53:10). The phrase “he shall prolong his days” means that He shall be resurrected and live forever. Furthermore, He will impart His life to men, and make them His seed, that through them He can fulfill the pleasure of the Lord.
In His resurrection, Christ was begotten as the firstborn Son of God (Psa. 2:7; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5-6; Rom. 8:29). In His divinity Christ was the only begotten Son of God from eternity to eternity; but in His humanity He became the firstborn Son of God through resurrection. Psalm 22:22 says, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” This means that in His resurrection not only was He begotten to be the firstborn Son of God, but we were also begotten to become the many sons of God, having God’s life and becoming His brothers. Thus, He can declare God’s name to us and also praise God in our midst. Through resurrection He gains men to be His brothers and become His church. Thus He can reveal God and praise God in the church.