Prosperous Through Death: Isaiah 52:13-15

While it would be very tempting to jump straight from Jesus’ burial to focusing on Jesus’ resurrection, to do so would also jump over a couple of prophecies that would be ideal to focus on during this point in time. While we could have technically included these prophecies anywhere earlier on in Jesus’ ministry, the point in time following His death is especially relevant because of what these prophecies talk about.

The first of these prophecies is found in Isaiah, chapter 52, and it in some ways draws our attention onto the abuse Jesus suffered leading up to the cross. Reading from Isaiah, chapter 52, using the New American Standard Bible, starting in verse 13, Isaiah writes:

¹³ Behold, My servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.
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.
¹⁵ Thus He will sprinkle many nations,
Kings will 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.

In these three verses, we have an interesting dilemma. On one hand, God’s chosen Servant is described as prospering, and as being high, lifted up, and greatly exalted. While the actual application of being high, lifted up, and exalted could reference the praise Jesus received from the crowds, it could also in a more literal way describe how Jesus was lifted up high on a cross. We’ve looked at parts of the gospels in these podcast episodes that draw our attention onto Jesus framing the time He would be exalted as the time He would spend on the cross, though from our perspective, being exalted would be in a very different group of ideas than being put to death.

However, while describing God’s servant as prospering, Isaiah also draws our attention onto Jesus’ appearance being more damaged and injured than any other human. If one experiences the most extreme amount of abuse, it would be challenging to understand that abuse as also being prosperous.

I suspect that while we could dwell on these two seemingly opposing thoughts, Jesus understands Isaiah’s prophecy a little differently.

Part way through Jesus’ ministry, during a point when it would be easy for the disciples to feel proud of being near Jesus, we discover what Jesus does to help frame the situation. In Luke’s gospel, chapter 18, starting in verse 31, Luke writes:

³¹ Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. ³² For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, ³³ and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.” ³⁴ But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

In this framing of Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus intentionally tries to draw the focus away from the negative points of the prophecy, and onto the ultimate triumph that is known as the resurrection. While Jesus knows it would be easy to ignore both the trials and the crucifixion when experiencing an emotional high, it is also easy to ignore the good that is able to come as a result of the emotional low points. In Jesus’ case, with no crucifixion, there would be no resurrection, and with no crucifixion or resurrection, there would be no reason to be a follower of Jesus.

Looking back briefly at the trial Jesus faced, Matthew’s gospel shares in chapter 26, starting in verse 57:

⁵⁷ Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. ⁵⁸ But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. ⁶⁰ They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, ⁶¹ and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” ⁶² The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” ⁶³ But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; ⁶⁶ what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

⁶⁷ Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

Jumping forward into Matthew, chapter 27, starting in verse 24:

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” ²⁵ And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. ²⁸ They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. ²⁹ And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. ³¹ After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

All throughout the 24 hours leading up to Jesus taking His last breath, everything was stacked against Jesus in the most brutal, painful, and torturous way it could be stacked.

However, Jesus ultimately triumphed, because He walked through the pain, torture, and death without abandoning His mission. Because Jesus triumphed, we are able to triumph too when we have placed our faith, hope, trust, and belief in Him. While it is easy to ignore or discount the amazing promises and rewards God has promised us when moving through life with Him, if Satan, or simply life, is challenging us and pulling us down, remember today that Jesus defeated death.

Just like Jesus said He would do, Jesus returned to life. Because of this, anything life throws our way, even if the thing we are thrown is death, we can know that Jesus will be waiting for us on the other side when we stick with Him to the end. After we take our last breath, the next face we see will be Jesus’ and the next voice we hear will be His when we have placed our lives within His hands.

While Satan wants us to minimize, ignore, discount, or distract us away from Jesus, remember that Jesus’ sacrifice defeated Satan while also making the way possible for us to experience salvation.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open these challenges by saying in one way or another, intentionally seek God first in your life, and intentionally place your hope, your trust, your faith, and your belief in Jesus and His sacrifice. Remember that Jesus defeated Satan and death for you and me and when we ally and align our lives with His, we will be saved with Him for eternity.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself. While pastors, authors, speakers, and even podcasters have ideas they share, take everything you read, hear, and see and test these ideas against the truth found within the Bible. The Bible has stood the test of time as the most reliable guide for orienting our spiritual lives, and the Bible contains everything we need to know to grow a strong, lasting relationship with God.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!