Suffering Servant

"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself...And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24 : 25-27, 44-47 KJV)

The Jews did not understand their own scriptures about the Messiah. Yes, they did believe in a Messiah, and they believed that he would be born "king of the Jews," and would rule the nation, and bring the kingdom of Israel into great glory, leading them to complete victory over all their political enemies.

They did not have any idea, however, about the suffering and death of their Messiah, and how the Messiah would become, by his death, the antitype of all the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant, and the means of full atonement, thereby, for their sins. They did not see the Messiah as a Savior from sin, at least not in this manner.

Further, not seeing the correct interpretation of their scriptures, respecting the suffering and death of the Messiah, they also did not understand their scriptures that spoke beforehand of his resurrection, and of his exaltation to glory, to the "throne of David."

From the above words of Jesus, spoken after his resurrection, it appears that the eyes of the Jewish people were "closed" to this proper understanding, for only those who had their eyes "opened" by Christ could see his suffering, death, and resurrection, in the Old Testament scriptures.

During Christ's ministry, he began at some point to tell his disciples of his coming death upon the cross, and of his subsequent resurrection. But, they still did not understand what he was saying. It was not till after his resurrection that a full understanding of the Old Testament scriptures, respecting the sufferings and death of the Messiah, would be received and understood.

"Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying." (Luke 9: 44, 45 KJV)

"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." (Luke 18: 31-34 KJV)

"No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (I Corinthians 2: 7, 8 KJV)

So, it may be said that the suffering, death, resurrection, and sacrificial nature of the Messiah's sufferings and death, though in one sense revealed in the Old Testament, yea, from the very beginning of time, yet, in another sense, was not revealed until after Christ was already dead and raised from the dead.

It was revealed in the sacred prophecies, but the people themselves could not see the correct interpretation of the prophecies. The reason, of course, is obvious. The Messiah must die in order to save the nation, and the world. Thus, the blindness of the people served God's purpose in not hindering his sacrificial death.

"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ." (Acts 17: 1-3 KJV)

This was the message that was constantly announced to the people after Christ had been raised and exalted. "Christ must needs have suffered and died." This is the grand fact that was not believed nor understood except by those whom the Lord "opened their eyes to understand the scriptures."

"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3: 13-19 KJV)

"Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." (Acts 26: 22, 23 KJV)

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." (I Peter 1: 10, 11 NIV)

So, the apostles continued to preach what the Lord had opened their eyes to see from the Old Testament about the Messiah and his sufferings and death. They preached that the scriptures had foretold of his sufferings, death, and resurrection, and that such had been hidden from their eyes, but that now the thing is being openly understood and believed, the "veil" being lifted from the eyes of their understanding.

"And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart." (II Corinthians 3: 13-15 KJV)

Christ went through the whole Old Testament with his disciples, after his resurrection, and opened their understanding to scriptures that before they had no understanding conerning. They also had understanding now of the things Christ said to them during his ministry, about his sufferings and death, things which had been previously hid from their eyes.

It would take much time to go through the books of the Old Testament and to note all the prophecies and references to the coming of Christ, and of his death, burial, and resurrection and glory, but notice the first from Genesis, followed by testimony given by Moses, and then look at perhaps the leading passage in the prophets dealing with the "suffering servant."

"And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3: 14, 15 KJV)

The "seed" of Eve is the Messiah. He would be "bruised" in his "heel." This was literally fulfilled when Christ's feet were nailed to the cross. Also, the crushing of the head of the serpent, in some measure fulfilled when Christ was raised from the dead, will also be literally and completely fulfilled when Christ returns to destroy the serpent's seed.

"The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken..." (Deuteronomy 18: 15 KJV)

Another prophetic reference to the Messiah from the "law of Moses."

"Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53: 1-12 NKJV)

This is one of the clearest prophecies of the coming of Christ anywhere in the Old Testament and it, more than any other, describes his sufferings in life and in death, with his subsequent victory over death, Hell, and the grave.

"And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 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: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." (Acts 8: 26-35 KJV)

Surely the Lord opened the eyes of the Eunuch to understand the scriptures, and to see in the coming and career of Christ the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy of Isaiah. He became convinced that day that Lord God had fulfilled his promise respecting the "suffering servant" and coming Messiah, and became his disciple that day, being immersed into his name.

Friend, has Lord God opened your eyes to behold his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to see him as the Messiah and Savior of the world?