Bible ReadingIsaiah 52:13–53:12Isaiah 52:13 — “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.”
[14:10]Isaiah 52:14 — “As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—”
[15:48]Isaiah 52:15 — “So shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.”
[15:53]Isaiah 53:1 — “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
[17:51]Isaiah 53:2 — “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.”
[18:49]Isaiah 53:3 — “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
[19:01]Isaiah 53:4 — “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”
[21:08]Isaiah 53:5 — “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
[21:21]Isaiah 53:6 — “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.”
[22:34]Isaiah 53:7 — “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”
[23:12]Isaiah 53:8 — “By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?”
[23:25]Isaiah 53:9 — “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”
[23:35]Isaiah 53:10 — “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”
[25:32]Isaiah 53:11 — “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”
[26:26]Isaiah 53:12 — “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
[27:20]Philippians 2:5–11Philippians 2:5 — “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,”
[34:32]Philippians 2:6 — “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,”
[34:32]Philippians 2:7 — “But emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
[35:09]Philippians 2:8 — “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
[35:16]Philippians 2:9 — “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”
[35:29]Philippians 2:10 — “So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”
[35:34]Philippians 2:11 — “And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
[35:49]Philippians 2:1–4Philippians 2:1 — “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,”
[36:01]Philippians 2:2 — “Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”
[36:15]Philippians 2:3 — “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
[36:18]Philippians 2:4 — “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
[36:28]Observation questions- What descriptions in Isaiah 52:13–15 show both the servant’s exaltation and his shocking suffering? [15:43]
- According to Isaiah 53:2–3, what made it easy for people to overlook, reject, and value the servant as nothing?
- What repeated words and actions in Isaiah 53:4–6 show that the servant suffers in the place of others? [21:21]
- In Isaiah 53:7–12, what details show that the servant’s death was voluntary, planned by God, and followed by victory? [25:32]
Interpretation questions- Isaiah calls the servant “high and lifted up,” language used elsewhere for God, while also describing him as an ordinary and rejected man. How do these two truths help explain why Jesus was both misunderstood and worthy of worship? [15:10]
- Isaiah 53 says that people are like sheep who have gone their own way, but that the Lord laid their iniquity on the servant. What does this say about the seriousness of personal sin and the kind of rescue sinners need? [22:34]
- The servant is called righteous, yet he makes many “accounted righteous.” Why is that different from trying to become right with God through church attendance, giving, prayer, or good behavior? [26:36]
- Philippians 2 connects Jesus’ death on the cross with his exaltation and then calls believers to humility. How does Christ’s willingness to serve shape the way Christians should understand strength, status, and success? [36:28]
Application questions- Salvation is freely received, but it came at the great cost of Christ’s suffering and death. Are there sins—such as pride, resentment, a bad attitude, private thoughts, or selfish habits—that are easy to treat lightly? How does remembering the cross change the way those sins are viewed? [30:28]
- Jesus was despised and rejected by people he came to save. When have you felt overlooked, misunderstood, or rejected? How might it help to remember that Christ is not distant from that kind of pain? [32:43]
- Christ bore griefs and sorrows as well as sin. What suffering, grief, disappointment, or injustice are you carrying right now that you need to bring honestly before him?
- Jesus did not use his position for his own advantage, but took the form of a servant. In what setting are you most tempted to insist on your own preferences—at home, at work, in friendships, or in church? What would it look like to count someone else as more significant there? [36:42]
- “Cheap grace” treats forgiveness as permission to keep sinning. Is there an area where you have been tempted to presume on God’s grace instead of fighting sin? What practical step could help you flee that sin this week? [31:43]
- Jesus was silent like a lamb led to slaughter, willingly laying down his life for the good of others. What is one concrete way you can serve someone this week without needing recognition, repayment, or control? [36:55]
- Many are counted righteous through the work of the righteous servant. If someone asked what gives you confidence before God, how would you explain that your hope rests in Christ rather than in your own record? [27:53]
