Jesus' Death: The Risen Christ -- Satisfied with His Sufferings Isaiah 53:3-12
The Redeeming Servant of the Lord Was to Rise
Now what about the resurrection? Let's look at the resurrection of the redeeming Servant of the Lord in these words written 700 years before it happened. At least three times Isaiah tells us that the sacrifice that the servant made in dying results in a resurrection triumph. He does not use the word "resurrection," but the reality is plain.
First,
verse 10b: "If He would render Himself as a guilt offering [which He did] ..." now three things will result: "(1) He will see His offspring, (2) He will prolong His days, (3) And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand." In other words, if He dies for others as a guilt offering -- as a substitute -- 1) He will live to see His offspring -- those whom He has saved by dying for them -- and 2) He will live for a long time ("prolong His days"), by implication, forever since when death is conquered it can't defeat you again (
Romans 6:9); and 3) God's great purposes will triumph in His hands -- He will take the scroll of history and unroll it as the Lord of heaven and earth (
Revelation 5:5). This is a picture of the Messiah who was dead and is alive and victorious forever as the Lord of all those who receive His salvation.
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Then
verse 11. Again triumph comes from death. "As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities." Again three results from His dying for sinners: 1) He sees the fruit of His death and is satisfied. He is not dead. He is living and satisfied. His work is complete, and He is glad. He is alive and satisfied. 2) He justifies many -- all those who trust in Him. If you trust Him, you are declared just and righteous before God. That is what "justify" means. A dead Christ does not justify. A living Christ justifies. 3) "He will bear their iniquities." Yes, He bore these iniquities when He died. But He goes on making intercession and bears them forever in the sense that as long as He lives it is plain that His death was utterly sufficient to pay for all your sins.
He is satisfied. We are justified. And all our sins are carried by another forever. We will never bear them again.
Finally,
verse 12. God speaks. "Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because [there is the third statement that this resurrection existence is because of His obedient death for sinners] He poured out Himself to death." In other words, after He pours out Himself to death, He lives and divides the booty with the strong -- as though His death were a great triumph in war with much booty.