Isaiah 53:7-8 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter… In vers. 7, 8 there are five specific predictions: — (1) That the Messiah would be subject to oppression. (2) That amidst the oppression He would maintain silence. (3) That from the midst of oppression and judicial procedure He would be hurried off. (4) That beneath all the outer incidents in which men had a hand, there would be another work going on of which the men of His generation would never dream. (5) That this work, unthought of by His generation, was, that He was being "stricken for them." How each of these predictions was fulfilled in the event we know. It will be simplest for us, as we stand this side of the history, to note the several points as history. 1. The oppression to which Christ was subjected was of no ordinary kind. The first three Gospels indicate to some extent the spirit of hostility which animated the people, though in the fourth Gospel the advancing stages of that hostility are most clearly marked. At the last we find Jesus hurried off to trial. There were two trials: first, the Jewish, and then the Roman one. In the first, so far was the mind of the accusers set against Christ, that neither the fairness nor even the form of proper judicial procedure was observed. In the facts of(1) the trial being begun, continued, and finished, apparently, in the course of one night, (2) witnesses against the accused being sought for by the judges, (3) the evidence of one witness not being sustained by another, (4) questions being put to the accused which Hebrew law did not sanction, (5) a demand being made for confession, which Jewish doctors expressly forbade, and(6) all being followed by a sentence pronounced twenty-four hours too soon — in all these six main features the Jewish "trial" was an outrage on Hebrew law. Nor was the second trial a whit more in accordance with the rules of Roman procedure. In the first trial the point of law was, the claim of Jesus to be the Son of God; and, without any proof, that was pronounced invalid, and therefore blasphemous. In the Roman accusation the question concerned the claim of Christ to be a king; and the point on which the whole matter turned was this, "Did Christ's Kingdom clash with Caesar's rights?" And though the Lord Jesus had expressed Himself with a clearness on this point which ought to have made mistake impossible, yet men came with lies on their lips to charge Him with plotting against the Roman Government. Pilate, the governor, who shows by turns indecision, complaisance, bluster and subserviency, evasion, protest, compromise, superstitious dread, conscientious reluctance, cautious duplicity and sheer moral cowardice — is overcome at last, and decides against his knowledge to please the people, perhaps (as men on the incline of scepticism must sooner or later be) "stricken with inward paralysis from want of a motive and a hope." It would not be easy to say in which of the two trials the injustice was the more glaring; there was a more striking violation of form in the Hebrew trial; but, perhaps, a grosser violation of conscience in the president at the Roman one. 2. Amid this oppression there was no defence of Himself. Once He called attention to His rights as a Hebrew; once and again He reaffirmed His claims when challenged on oath. But "when He was reviled, He reviled not again." Why this silence? He knew His hour was come, and He yielded Himself to the stroke. He knew that His words would not tell rightly on His accusers in the state of mind which they cherished. With the far-distant future before Him, He saw that the sequel would vindicate His honour, and He could wait. He loved, too, to show patience rather than to display power; and He would show us the Divine grandeur of keeping power in reserve. 3. Underlying all this there was a Divine purpose being wrought out, of which the men of that generation had no conception. Man meant one thing, God was intending another. 4. This great work, of which the men of that generation never dreamt, was that the Messiah was cut off, "a stroke for them," for the people who sought His life and crucified Him. Let us, then, (1) Give the full and loving consent of our hearts to this Divine arrangement. (2) Learn to see sin in the light in which God views it. (3) Live a life of faith on Jesus Christ as being ever in His own glorious person our atoning sacrifice. (4) Be perpetually thankful and devoted to Him who consented to lay down His life for us. (5) Imitate our Saviour. In its relation to the government of God, the sacrifice of Christ must ever stand absolutely alone. But in that aspect of it which represented fidelity to the truth, and devotion to man, we can imitate it, even though at a far remove. It is precisely in connection with this view of it that Peter tells us, He "left us an example that we should follow His steps." But how can we follow such steps? By patience under wrong. By being willing to renounce our own ease and comfort, if thereby we may advance the welfare of others. By taking the sorrows of others on ourselves, not only by suffering for them, but by suffering with them. Suffering for others is the divinest form of life in a sinful world. By bearing others on our hearts in prayer, even though they may be our bitterest foes. (C. Clemance, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. |
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