Theme · christological

Suffering Servant

Isaiah's four Servant Songs (42, 49, 50, 52–53) progressively reveal a figure who is called, rejected, afflicted, and ultimately vindicated. The fourth song reaches its climax: 'He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities.' The Ethiopian eunuch in Acts reads this passage and asks, 'Of whom does the prophet speak?' Philip begins with that very Scripture and tells him the good news about Jesus. The New Testament consistently identifies Jesus as this servant — silent before his accusers, numbered with transgressors, making intercession for the guilty.

Passages expressing this theme

1Pet 2:22 — Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pet 2:23 — Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pet 2:24 — Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Acts 8:32 — The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Acts 8:33 — In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Isa 42:1 — Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isa 49:3 — And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Isa 50:6 — I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Isa 52:13 — Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
Isa 52:14 — As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Isa 53:2 — For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3 — He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 — Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 — But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 — All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 — He was oppressed, and 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 53:10 — Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
Isa 53:11 — 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 53:12 — Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he
Matt 8:17 — That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Matt 20:28 — Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matt 26:67 — Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
Matt 27:30 — And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Phil 2:7 — But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phil 2:8 — And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.