The Identity of the Lord's Servant

Key Thoughts
We continue now in one of the most startling passages in the entire Bible. I am referring to Isaiah’s fourth and final “Servant Song,” the familiar text that we simply call “Isaiah 53.” I say that it is startling because Isaiah seems to be writing as an eyewitness, although he penned his prophecy some 700 years before the actual event. In this sermon I will open up the second stanza of the song. It reveals the identity of the Servant of the Lord. However, the text opens with a provocative question that must be rightly understood and accurately answered. That is because it relates to the far-reaching theological implications about the sovereignty of God in salvation – a point that really shouldn’t even need to be defended. However, because it is controversial, I will develop this aspect of the text in some detail. From there we move to the identity of the Lord’s Servant, and that is described in graphic imagery. But the underlying characteristic throughout the description is that of humility. As we shall see, the Servant of the Lord is a humble and suffering servant. May the Lord God be pleased to bless His ancient word to His modern people!

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