Suffering Servant - The Messiah To Suffer
Acts of the Apostles 26:22-23 NLT [22] But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— [23] that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”
As we explore the subject of the Suffering Servant, I want to begin by reminding us that Christ was the first to be raised to life. Through His resurrection, we experience two powerful realities. The first is revealed in 1 Peter 2:9 NLT [9] But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. He has chosen us to receive His mercy and His Life so that we would no longer walk in darkness. He called us out. The second is found here in Colossians 1:13-14 NLT [13] For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. We have been called out and rescued, purchased by Christ. Legally, darkness has no authority because the debt has been paid in full through innocent and pure blood. We now come out of darkness and into light through the resurrection power of Christ defeating sin and its penalty. This is why we are exhorted to put away the old nature because the power that dwells within us has overcome this world, and by Him, we also can overcome this world.
A commentary by Ellicott expresses it well: “That light shone on those who had been sitting in the shadow of death.” For all the years we were separated from Christ, we were in the shadow of death, awaiting eternal punishment. But Christ's Light came, shining on us and drawing us into His Light, where death has no power.
This light dwells in us when we receive, by faith, Christ’s atonement for our sins and make Him personally our Lord. The Word encourages us that the work of God is to believe in the One whom He sent (John 6:29). The power of His resurrection is our confidence that we are a new creation in Him and that the old has passed away and the new has come in. No other god can offer an eternally transformed, brand-new life. I have often heard this saying: "Is what you live for worth Christ dying for?” In other words, if we profess to know Him and abide in Him, does the fruit of our life testify to that great profession? Now, let me clarify my point. I’m not referring to outward signs of material success, human accolades, or packed events. Instead, I am talking about a transformative new nature, where old habits and thoughts continuously fade, making room for Christ to reside where idols and ambitions once existed. Is the evidence of Christ’s life growing within you? That is a testament to His presence filling your life.
Paul is speaking here about a profound mystery. “The Messiah would suffer and be resurrected. And in this way, announce God’s light to the Jews and Gentiles alike. Through His suffering, His light came forth. I don’t want us to skip this significant pattern. Suffering comes before Resurrection.
In this Aroma Moment, we will explore Psalm 22 and examine its fulfillment through Christ. This Psalm, among many others, we can look back on and understand why Jesus would say, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (Luke 24:25-26). We often, even now on this side of his resurrection, find it hard to believe many aspects of who He is, and we can tend to adhere to what is comfortable and what we can get our minds around. But we were not the first to be like that, and we won’t be the last. However, we cannot remain like that. We must be willing to examine and accept all that has been written. So, let's dive into the Word.
Isaiah 52:14 NLT [14] But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
These scriptures, when investigated, are so breathtaking. He was so disfigured. We just read in Psalm 22:17 that he could count all his bones. This means that his skin has been stripped away by the physical torture that he suffered to the degree that His bones could clearly be seen. Take a moment, and don’t be afraid to stop and meditate on what your Christ, your Saviour, went through. The Easter story we often hear can be so familiar that we neglect to stop and stay on the suffering and the sacrifice that was made, and we are all too ready to move on to the resurrection life because it is less confronting. But, my friends, he suffered much, and it cost Him everything, and He did it to serve and please His Father and to serve and save us. He is the most precious Suffering Servant, and we should never overlook the cost He willingly paid. Romans 5:8 NLT [8] But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. He did this before you, and I would come to know Him. 4 God chose us to be in a relationship with Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him. Ephesians 1:4 (TVT). When we think about being characterised by love, it becomes clear that love involves a willingness to sacrifice.
Jesus was mocked in the most heinous ways. The King of Kings was treated as though He was just a worm. He was despised, scorned, hated, and for His faith and obedience to God, He was ridiculed. It seemed that the One who was called upon by the ancestors of the past had rejected Jesus in His moment of desperate need. But that is far from the truth. Isaiah 53:10 AMP [10] Yet the Lord was willing To crush Him, causing Him to suffer; If He would give Himself as a guilt offering [an atonement for sin], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, And the will (good pleasure) of the Lord shall succeed and prosper in His hand.
In this moment of sacrificial love, the spilling of innocent blood serves as a guilt offering for all who call on the name of Jesus, His Son. It pleased Him to witness the powers of eternal death and hades being stripped from our enemy, delivering a crushing blow to the father of lies, in whom no truth is found. God was pleased that through His Son’s blood, He would see His offspring and the will of God prosper in His hands. This is deeply profound. Not something comprehendible in our natural minds.
This is why we are called to meditate on and focus on things above rather than limiting our spiritual reality to the things of this earth alone. We cannot comprehend God's will and purpose through our natural understanding, even when that understanding is good. Many scholars and professors teach the truth of Scripture but fail to grasp the spiritual reality we are called to walk in—the Light.
Simply reading a blog like this may help you understand some cross-referenced Scriptures. However, unless the Spirit of God breathes life into these words, they will remain black text on a white page, void of the transforming power of Christ within them. My prayer is that this does not occur. I am asking for the Spirit to continually illuminate and open our eyes so that we may walk not only in the reality of a transformed life but also gain a deeper understanding of all eternal matters. I have a desire for this in my own life. Paul prayed a beautiful prayer that I have read and wholeheartedly agree with, hoping it will come to full fruition in me, and I pray for you also.
Ephesians 3:14, 16-19 NLT [14] When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, [16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. [17] Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. [18] And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. [19] May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Thank you for joining us on this fragrant journey! Until next time, I pray that the Aroma of Christ will fill your hearts and that His Wisdom and Understanding will increase.
