4. God's Plan of Redemption

by Vince Finnegan

Isaiah 53 is the great chapter in the OT that foretells God’s plan of redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ. God’s plan for humanity’s redemption through Jesus Christ is foretold. The subject begins in the preceding chapter.
SERVANT SONGS OR PSALMS IN ISAIAH ─ 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 50:4-10; 52:13-53:12, and some include 61:1-3. (See Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27 and 31.)

Isaiah 52:13 Chapter 53 could have started with this verse because it introduces the subject.
Before the servant’s suffering is set forth, his victorious glory is foretold. In 53:10-13, after the sufferings are described, his glory again is stated. This information about his eternal glory must have been vital and encouraging for Jesus to read and believe so that he could endure his suffering and death.
Isaiah 52:14 - “Astonished” means appalled, greatly dismayed, or horrified. “Marred” means disfigurement of face. His form was so disfigured that he no longer resembled a man.
Isaiah 52:15 - Kings, the most exalted of men, will stand in awe speechless before him. When his suffering and death happened, no one understood what was really happening since God kept it a mystery. After his ascension, believers understand, and in the age to come, everyone will know.

Isaiah 53:1 - Will we believe the great message of salvation? If we believe, the arm of Yahweh will be revealed to us.
Isaiah 53:2 Jesus did not dress like a prince or king; rather, he looked like a regular guy.
Isaiah 53:3 - The Hebrew word for “sorrows” is also translated “pain” (2 Chronicles 6:29; Job 33:19, and Psalm 69:26 …). The Hebrew word that is translated “grief” in verses 3 and 4 occurs 24 times and only here as “grief”. Everywhere else it is “sickness” (15), “sick” (1), “illness” (3), “disease” (2), and “affliction” (1). Our understanding of the word “grief” is much different than sickness or illness. Translating it as “grief” misleads us from understanding something of great importance.
Isaiah 53:4 Again, the word “grief” could have been translated “sickness,” and the word “sorrows” as “pain”. The people concluded that Jesus deserved the torture and crucifixion as God’s punishment for his sin. They were terribly wrong for he suffered for their sins and ours.
The following acknowledges the changes mentioned above.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of pain and acquainted with sickness; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we [humanity] did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our sickness He Himself bore, and our pain He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed [thought] Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [shalom] fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3-5)

The Hebrew word “shalom” was translated above “well-being” and most often is rendered as “peace.” However, “shalom” has a fuller meaning than just peace. It is an overall sense of fulness, wholeness, soundness, completeness, and health in mind, body, and estate. Isaiah 45:7; 48:18; 54:13 ─ “well-being”; Genesis 15:15 ─ “peace”; 28:2 ─ “safety”; 29:6 ─ “it is well”; 37:4 ─ “friendly terms”; 37:14 ─ “welfare”; 41:16 ─ “favorable”; 43:23 ─ “be at ease”; and 43:28 ─ “well”

The subtle differences in translation have caused many to miss an important part of our atonement, our salvation. These verses reveal two very important accomplishments from Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice. He bore our sickness and pain (vs. 3 and 4) and our transgression and iniquities (vs. 5). He endured what was necessary for our physical and spiritual well-being, our completeness. By his scourging, we are healed.

The New Testament clearly confirms that Jesus was the sacrifice for our sins and that through him we are now redeemed, forgiven, righteous, justified, and sanctified. The New Testament Scriptures also clearly support the inclusion of physical healing as part of our atonement, our salvation.

Matthew 8:16-17 - The context is unquestionably physical healing and is a quotation from Isaiah 53:4.

1 Peter 2:24 - Not a direct quote, but an illusion to the Isaiah 53 section

The Greek word “sozo” is most often translated “saved” and considered to refer to spiritual salvation, the new birth, eternal life, but like the word “shalom”, it has a fuller meaning that includes physical healing and deliverance. The earthly experience of salvation that includes deliverance and healing is how the Greek word for salvation is most often used in the NT. “Sozo” means much more than going into the Kingdom. It means and is sometimes translated as healed, cured, delivered, set free, made whole, preserved, and many similar words.

[cookiebrown]

A wonderful reminder. God gave his son completely for us.

[bingreyesful]

What a great message...the kind of LOVE THAT THE LORD HAVE FOR OUR SALVATION. Rev Vince, thank you so much for your love for GOD and for sharing this message to us so that our eyes, our ears and our hearts will be opened to understand. Shalom🙏❤🌹