The Suffering Servant
"By His stripes we are healed"
This passage describes a man being beaten and killed.
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What does it say?
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The whole message, in shortThe main points of the whole message, in a few sentences.
In Isaiah, God's servant speaks of setting his face like flint and not hiding from those who beat and mocked him. Then God says his servant will be lifted up, and the people confess that he was despised and rejected, and that he was pierced for their transgressions, and by his stripes they are healed. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, he poured out his life for others, and after his suffering, he would see the light of life.
Where it is in the Bible: Isaiah 50:4-9 and 52:13 to 53:12
All the sections at a glanceA map of the message, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Message
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. I Did Not Turn Back | 50:4-9 | The servant listens to God and endures shame |
| 2. Lifted Up | 52:13-15 | God's servant will be exalted |
| 3. Despised and Rejected | 53:1-3 | No one noticed him |
| 4. Pierced for Our Transgressions | 53:4-6 | He suffered in our place |
| 5. Like a Lamb | 53:7-9 | He went silently to death |
| 6. He Will See the Light | 53:10-12 | After suffering, life and victory |
Before You Read
Who it's about. In the second half of Isaiah, God speaks of "My Servant." Sometimes the servant seems to be the people of Israel. In these passages, the servant is one person, who suffers for others.
Who it was for. God's people in exile, about 550 years before Jesus. Many scholars think a later prophet in Isaiah's tradition spoke these words. Others hold that Isaiah wrote them, looking ahead. Either way, the church reads them as God's word.
What this passage is. Two of the "Servant Songs." First, the servant speaks about being beaten and not turning back (50:4-9). Then God and the people speak about the servant who suffers and dies for their sins, and is lifted up (52:13 to 53:12).
How to read it. These are some of the most important words in the Old Testament for Christians. Read them slowly. They describe Good Friday, written centuries before.
Section by Section
Section 1 of 6I Did Not Turn Back
The servant speaks. God gave him words "to sustain the weary with a word" (50:4). Every morning, God wakes him up to listen.
He did not rebel or turn back.
"I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle" (50:6).
Scorn means mocking and contempt. Spittle is spit.
"Therefore I have set My face like flint" (50:7). Flint is a very hard stone. He was determined not to give up.
He trusted that God would stand up for him. "Surely the Lord GOD helps Me" (50:9).
Section 2 of 6Lifted Up
Now God speaks about his servant. "Behold, My Servant will prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted" (52:13).
But first, people would be shocked at how badly he was hurt. His appearance would be disfigured beyond that of any man.
Kings would be speechless when they understood.
Section 3 of 6Despised and Rejected
Then the people speak, looking back. "Who has believed our message?" (53:1).
He grew up like a small plant in dry ground. There was nothing special about the way he looked.
"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief" (53:3).
People turned away from him. "We esteemed Him not" (53:3). To esteem means to value.
Section 4 of 6Pierced for Our Transgressions
"Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows" (53:4). Infirmities are weaknesses and sicknesses.
We thought God was punishing him for something he did.
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (53:5).
Stripes are the marks left by a whip.
"We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all" (53:6).
Section 5 of 6Like a Lamb
"He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth" (53:7).
He was arrested and condemned unjustly, and cut off from the land of the living.
He was buried with the wicked, and with a rich man, though he had done nothing wrong.
Section 6 of 6He Will See the Light
It was God's will for the servant to suffer, as an offering for sin. But that is not the end.
"He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days" (53:10). Someone who died will live again.
"After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied" (53:11).
"By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities" (53:11). To justify means to declare people right with God.
He was counted among sinners. "Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors" (53:12).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "I have set My face like flint" (50:7) | The servant was determined to go through suffering. |
| "Despised and rejected by men" (53:3) | People turned away from him. |
| "He was pierced for our transgressions" (53:5) | He suffered for our sins, not his own. |
| "By His stripes we are healed" (53:5) | His wounds bring us healing and peace with God. |
| "We all like sheep have gone astray" (53:6) | Everyone has wandered from God. |
| "Like a lamb to the slaughter" (53:7) | He went to death quietly, without fighting back. |
| "My righteous Servant will justify many" (53:11) | Through him, many are made right with God. |
Back Then
A guilt offering was a sacrifice for sin. In God's law, an animal could be offered to make things right after someone did wrong (Leviticus 5:14-19).
An Ethiopian official was reading Isaiah 53. He asked Philip who it was about. Philip told him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:32-35).
Jewish readers have often seen the servant as Israel, suffering among the nations. Christians, starting with the apostles, see these words fulfilled in Jesus.
Literal Reader Alert
"It was the LORD's will to crush Him." Was God cruel? This is hard to understand. The servant suffered willingly, out of love, to bring many people back to God. The Father and the Son were united in this plan of rescue (John 10:17-18).
If Jesus took our punishment, does that mean suffering is always deserved? No. Isaiah says people thought the servant was being punished for his own sins, and they were wrong. Suffering is not a sign that someone deserves it.
Is it okay to be quiet when someone hurts me, like the lamb? Jesus chose to suffer to save us. That doesn't mean you should stay silent when someone hurts you. If someone is hurting you, please tell a trusted adult.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The servant | Determined | He set his face like flint (50:7) |
| The people | Appalled | His appearance was disfigured (52:14) |
| The servant | Grieving | He was a man of sorrows (53:3) |
| The people | Healed | By his stripes they were healed (53:5) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which line stays with you? Tap one.
A man of sorrows
Jesus knows grief. He understands yours.
Like sheep astray
We all wander. He came looking for us.
By his stripes
His wounds bring healing.
He will see the light
Suffering wasn't the end. He rose.
You Might Have Heard
"Jesus's death was just a sad mistake."
What's true: Jesus's death was unjust. People rejected and killed an innocent man.
What the passage is mainly about: Centuries before, God said his servant would suffer for others' sins, willingly, and then be lifted up. It was God's plan to save us. "The LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all" (53:6).
Where Jesus is: Beaten, silent before Pilate, crucified between two criminals, buried in a rich man's tomb, and raised to life on the third day.
Good News
We all went astray. God laid our sins on his servant.
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (53:5).
Jesus took what we deserved. We receive what he deserved: peace with God and healing. And he lives.
God's servant was despised, pierced, and crushed for our sins. By his wounds we are healed, and he lives.
Big Idea
God's servant set his face like flint, was despised and pierced for our sins, and was lifted up. By his wounds we are healed.
If this message brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther called Isaiah 53 a chapter every Christian should know by heart. He said the words "for us" and "our" are the most important. Christ suffered for our sins.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Isaiah 50:4-9a on the Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) in all three years, and in Year B in September (Lectionary 24). It reads Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12 on Good Friday in all three years.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities
How did that feel?
You finished The Suffering Servant.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Palm Sunday Year A · Year B · Year CFirst reading, Isaiah 50:4–9a
- Lectionary 24 Year BFirst reading, Isaiah 50:4–9a
- Lectionary 29 Year BFirst reading, Isaiah 53:4–12
For a newsletter or sermon notes
The Suffering Servant, explained in plain words. God's servant is despised, pierced, and crushed, for others' sins. About 11 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/the-suffering-servant/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church