Sabbath School lesson for February 27-March 5, 2021
For daily videos about the lesson, see https://www.youtube.com/teresathompson
See also: https://outlookmag.org/4-reasons-to-memorize-scripture/
Overview of Lesson 10 (Isaiah 50-53)
Some surprising things about the Servant are brought out in chapters 50-53…
- Sunday: He does not come to save Himself. (Isaiah 50:4-10)
- Monday: He is a suffering Servant. (Isaiah 52:13-15 and Isaiah 53)
- Tuesday: He does not deserve to suffer. (Isaiah 52-13-15 and Isaiah 53)
- Wednesday: We are the cause of His suffering. (Isaiah 53:3-9)
- Thursday: He suffered and died for our salvation. (Isaiah 53:10-12)
Isaiah continues to flesh out the Servant, the One who brings Israel promises of comfort and hope. This Messiah is presented as a King, a truly heroic figure who saves His people.
But then, our image of Him is totally upended. He becomes a suffering, despised, rejected Servant, not at all like we first saw Him in these prophecies.
Perhaps Isaiah is hesitant to show us the extreme suffering of this Servant, because the image of it was almost too hard for the prophet to bear. He gently leads us into the truth of the horrific sacrifice of the Lamb, because that’s the most merciful way to convey what happens to our King, the One we have come to love and admire.
Memory Text: “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 NKJV
“Taking the form of a bondservant [or slave]” (Philippians 2:7), Jesus did the unthinkable (dying on a cruel cross), in order to reach the unreachable (the whole human race).
Sunday: Isaiah’s Testing Truth (Isaiah 50:4-10)
In Near Eastern culture, honor is highly valued. Even minor offenses and mistreatment are taken seriously, and usually result in some kind of punitive action. For instance, David went to war with the Ammonites, when their king sent David’s servants back with half their beards shaved off and their garments shortened to an embarrassing length. See 2 Samuel 10:1-12.
It was therefore very difficult for Isaiah’s readers to grasp how the Messiah would allow Himself to be horribly abused to the extent Isaiah described in these prophecies. The rulers in Christ’s day, as they watched His suffering on the cross, even ridiculed Him, saying, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.” (Matthew 27:42)
The truth of the Messiah’s suffering and death proved to be a very hard concept to understand, even for the faithful. Isaiah used his best communication skills to portray this unbelievable event that secured our salvation.
Here are some of the features that Isaiah noticed about this mysterious, suffering Servant.
- He was not rebellious. (Isaiah 50:5)
- He was not revengeful. (Isaiah 50:6)
- He was not ashamed. (Isaiah 50:7)
- He relied on His Father. (Isaiah 50:10)
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Isaiah 50:5 and Matthew 26:39
- What did Jesus not turn away from?
- Why was it hard for Jesus to accept God’s will at this time?
Isaiah 50:6, Matthew 27:30, and Matthew 5:39
- Why are we told to “turn the other cheek”?
Isaiah 50:10 and Psalm 23:4
- What can be our comfort in times of darkness and death?
Monday: The Suffering Servant Poem (Isaiah 52:13-53:1-12)
This passage dwells on a Servant who suffers on all levels, yet remains victorious. It’s even been called the Suffering Servant Poem. At last, Isaiah reveals the full extent of the Servant’s sacrifice, even linking it to the animal sacrifices they have either ignored, minimized, or misunderstood for so many years.
Isaiah had been preparing his readers for this final drama in previous chapters. His birth to a virgin was mentioned in Isaiah 7:14, His kingly qualities in Isaiah 9:6, 7, His work of restoring Israel in Isaiah 11:1-16, and even some of His acts of mercy during His earthly ministry in Isaiah 42:6, 7.
But now, Isaiah is ready to have us explore the immense suffering the Servant King must endure in order to bring salvation to the world. After the “deed” was done, Paul neatly summed up the supreme sacrifice made at Calvary in Philippians 2:5-11.
The same humility and suffering are to be expected in the life of the Christian, as we follow His example and reflect His compassion on those around us.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 11:10, and Isaiah 42:6, 7
- What features of the Messiah does Isaiah first bring out in these verses?
Isaiah 52:13-15
- What tells us here that our picture of the Servant King so far is about to change?
Philippians 2:5-11
- Why is it easier for Paul, and for us, to see the suffering side of the Messiah?
- When will His majesty be fully displayed, however, requiring us to still have faith in Isaiah’s prophecies?
Tuesday: Who Has Believed? (Isaiah 53:1, 2)
At the beginning of this chapter, Isaiah admitted that his words were going to be hard to believe. This Messiah was not described at all how we would expect the King of the Universe to manifest Himself. He’s compared to a delicate plant, struggling to survive in dry conditions. His appearance was not just ordinary; it became disfigured to the extent that we hardly recognize the humanity there.
Not only that, but Isaiah was careful to point out that this Servant did not deserve such treatment. His purpose in suffering was not for Himself, but for those who caused Him such physical and emotional pain.
The story of Job should help prepare us for the themes in Isaiah 53. Job, too, was innocent of any unrighteousness at the time, but he ended up suffering almost beyond endurance through losses of wealth, family members, and, finally, even his health. He was so tormented with boils that death seemed an almost welcome end to his pain. Yet, he struggled to find answers from God, never losing faith that God would somehow hear his pleas for help.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Isaiah 53:1 and John 12:37, 38
- How did John understand the meaning of this verse from Isaiah? (Notice John verifies that the prophecy came from Isaiah the prophet, not a second author as some have suggested.)
Isaiah 53:2
- What does this tell us about the Messiah’s appearance, and even His upbringing?
Job 1:1, 2:12
- How did Job’s story prefigure what happened to the Messiah?
Wednesday: The Unreachable Is Us! (Isaiah 53:3-9)
The middle of Isaiah 53 (verses 3-9) dwells almost exclusively on the role of the world, including God’s chosen people, in sacrificing the Lamb of God. Although it says in verse 4 that our suffering Servant was smitten by God, we are made to understand that it was allowed in order to save us from the grip of God’s enemy, Satan.
Just as we have come to admire the attributes of the Messiah, we also are made to detest the one who would make Him suffer. It is only then that Isaiah makes us realize that we all, as sinners, are responsible for the unjust treatment of this Servant King.
We find ourselves saying, “We have met the enemy and they are us.” God indeed paid a high price to secure our salvation. He gave His only Son to an undeserving world. We are all complicit in His death, and will never be able to repay Him for His loving sacrifice. The only sacrifice we can make is to surrender our hearts and minds to His control and choose to love and serve Him as He enables us through the Holy Spirit.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Isaiah 53:2, 3 and John 1:10, 11
- In what ways did Jesus suffer on earth, even before His cruel death at Calvary?
Isaiah 53:4, 10 and Matthew 8:16, 17
- How did Jesus bear our griefs and carry our sorrows?
- What does it mean when we are told He was “smitten by God”, or “it pleased the Lord to bruise Him”?
Thursday: A Transforming Reparation Offering (Isaiah 53:10-12)
At the end of this Suffering Servant Poem we see most clearly the connection between the symbolic offerings that took place in the temple and the actual sacrificial Lamb that took place at Calvary. Christ paid for our sins there, and allowed us to escape the second death, the final punishment for the unrighteous (Revelation 20:14 and 21:8).
Knowledge of this supreme sacrifice that justified so many has a healing, transforming power. It prompts many of us to accept His forgiving grace and share His love with as many as we can.
Here are some verses in the New Testament that capture the essence of God’s sacrificial gift, as shown in Isaiah’s writings:
- Romans 5:8–While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
- Galatians 2:16–We are justified by our faith in Him.
- Philippians 3:9–We are saved through His righteousness, not ours.
- Hebrews 2:9–We are spared the second death, because He died for us.
- 1 Peter 2:24–We are healed through His suffering.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Isaiah 53:10, 11 and 2 Corinthians 5:21
- What does God’s “offering for sin” mean for us personally?
Isaiah 53:12, Colossians 2:15, and Ephesians 6:12
- What kind of triumph did Christ’s death provide us?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Isaiah 52 and 53 gives us a complete picture of the Messiah. He is shown to be a King in Isaiah 52:7, 8. Then the rest of that chapter focuses on Him as our Redeemer, the One who rescues us. It is not until Isaiah 53 that we are given the full extent of suffering this Messiah would endure.
Looking back on the events at Calvary allows us to recognize that these different portraits of the Son of God were in reverse order. He must first suffer and die for our sins. He will then come as our Redeemer to rescue us from this sinful planet. And finally, He returns to complete His kingly duty of cleansing the universe from Satan’s influence.
Although it isn’t easy to visualize all the pain inflicted on our Lord and Savior, we must remember it as the price of our freedom from sin. Only God Himself would have enough love to be able to accomplish this unthinkable mission. We should be eternally grateful that He was willing to endure such affliction for those who will never deserve it.
Next Week: Sabbath: Waging Love
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