Connect Luke 9:22 with Isaiah 53:3-5 about the suffering servant. Setting the Scene in Luke’s Gospel “ ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things,’ Jesus said, ‘and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised to life.’ ” (Luke 9:22) Isaiah’s Portrait of the Suffering Servant “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief … He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5) Clear Parallels Between Luke 9:22 and Isaiah 53 • Rejection • Isaiah: “despised and rejected” (53:3) • Luke: “rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes” (9:22) • Suffering and Death • Isaiah: “pierced … crushed” (53:5) • Luke: “must suffer many things … and be killed” (9:22) • Purposeful Atonement • Isaiah: “for our transgressions … for our iniquities” (53:5) • Luke: begins the journey to the cross where Christ will bear sin (cf. 1 Peter 2:24) • Ultimate Vindication • Isaiah implies vindication by God (53:10-12) • Luke: “on the third day be raised to life” (9:22) Why Jesus Had to Suffer • Fulfillment of Prophecy—Luke’s wording mirrors Isaiah’s phrases, underlining that Jesus consciously fulfills the Servant Song. • Divine Necessity—“must suffer” (Luke 9:22) shows a divine plan, not a tragic accident (Acts 2:23). • Substitutionary Atonement—Isaiah’s language of “pierced for our transgressions” reveals that Messiah’s pain secures our peace (Romans 5:1). Other Scriptures That Reinforce the Link • Psalm 22:16-18—details of piercing and mockery. • Mark 8:31 & Matthew 16:21—parallel predictions of suffering, confirming historic reality. • Acts 8:32-35—Philip explains Isaiah 53 as gospel truth fulfilled in Jesus. • Hebrews 12:2—Jesus “endured the cross … for the joy set before Him,” echoing Isaiah’s promise of exaltation. The Pattern: Suffering First, Glory After • Luke 24:26—“Was it not necessary that the Christ suffer these things and then enter His glory?” • Isaiah 53:11—“After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied.” Living in the Light of the Servant’s Work • Confidence—Christ’s finished work truly “brought us peace” (Isaiah 53:5); we rest in that accomplished redemption (Ephesians 1:7). • Healing—“by His stripes we are healed,” securing both spiritual wholeness now and bodily resurrection later (1 Corinthians 15:52-57). • Following—Jesus immediately calls disciples to take up their cross (Luke 9:23-24), mirroring His own path of self-giving love. The suffering foretold by Isaiah and announced by Jesus in Luke converges at Calvary, then bursts into resurrection triumph. Prophecy and history meet, ensuring that our forgiveness, peace, and hope rest on an unshakable foundation. |
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