June 6, 2025 - Isaiah 53:11 - "The Righteous Servant"

Isaiah 53:11

"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

There is not a more glorious declaration of God's sovereign purpose in the justification of sinners through the finished work of His Son, than declared here in God's Word. Isaiah 53:11 reveals the heart of the Gospel—justification is not based on the will or works of man, but upon the travail and satisfaction of Christ alone.

The “righteous servant” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, Who, by bearing the full weight of the iniquities of those the Father chose and purposed that He should save by accomplishing perfect Righteousness for them. "Through His knowledge"—that is, His knowledge of the justice and holiness of the Father, and knowledge of the sin of each one He came to save—He justified many, not all, but a specific, chosen multitude. This is sovereign grace: that God would justify sinners not by their merit, but by the merit of Christ alone, Who died in their place and satisfied God the Father's justice fully on their behalf. The justification of sinners (God declaring them righteous) was entirely accomplished by the LORD Jesus as God’s Servant for the salvation of His people. Note the three parts of Christ’s work that He accomplished to the satisfaction of God the Father: 

    Satisfaction through His Suffering: He shall see the travail of His soul and be satisfied. This refers to God the Father finding satisfaction in the effect of Christ's suffering. The satisfaction for those given to Him by the Father was fully achieved in the righteousness earned and established by the LORD Jesus for His people. 

    Justification through His Knowledge: By His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. Christ justifies many, the elect. While many claim their knowledge of Christ as their justification before God, here, the justification is attributed to Christ knowing them and revealing Himself in them—those for whom He sacrificed Himself. Knowing Christ is the evidence of eternal life procured and revealed by Christ Himself, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). His knowledge of the Father is the reason He came to save and justify those given to Him by the Father, "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me" (John 17:25). Through His understanding of God’s law and justice, He satisfied the Father on behalf of those for whom He paid the debt, and now reveals in them His justifying grace by His Spirit. 

    Bearing Their Iniquities: For He shall bear their iniquities. For God the Father to justify those given to His Son to represent, Christ had to bear away their sins. Once He paid for the sins of the elect through His shed blood unto death, only righteousness remained to be imputed to their account. The removal of sin and the subsequent justification of His people were simultaneous, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

    The rejection of how the Scriptures reveal God’s justifying work by Christ stems only from the sinful, blind pride of the heart. Pride dictates, “I must fulfill certain conditions to obtain it.” Unbelief opposes and refuses to acknowledge without conditions what Christ has achieved. All the evil inherent in the fallen, depraved nature opposes the free and complete justification by God’s grace in the death of Christ alone. But praise God! He does not leave in rebellion and unbelief those He has already justified. Instead, He turns their hearts from seeking deliverance through their works or presumed faith to rest in Christ and His finished work alone, ""All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).