While Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection was a conundrum to the disciples prior to Jesus opening their eyes to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45), it is obvious that afterward they understood clearly that these things were indeed foretold in the Word (Acts 3:18; 17:3; 26:22-23). But where exactly in the Old Testament did the Holy Spirit predict “the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1 Pet 1:10-12)?
Certainly there are shadows of suffering, death, and resurrection in the OT that picture the coming ministry of Christ. We might think of Abraham’s offering of Isaac on Moriah (Gen 22, cf Heb 11:19), the lamb’s blood by which the Israelites’ firstborn were saved from death on the first Passover (Exo 12), or the dead man who was raised upon being thrown into the grave of Elisha (2 Kings 13:20). However, there are more straightforward predictions that would lead one to expect the kind of suffering, death, and resurrection fulfilled by Jesus. Perhaps, none is clearer than Isaiah 53.
It is not at all uncommon to turn to Isaiah 53 to consider predictions of the suffering and death of the Messiah. Many of us are well familiar with these things. But what in Isaiah 53 indicates that this suffering and dying servant also would be raised from the dead? Numerous indications come in quick succession toward the end of the chapter:
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.
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.
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.
First, there are numerous references to His death. Most significantly: “he was cut off out of the land of the living” (v8); “they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death” (v9); “it was the will of the Lord to crush him” (v10); “he poured out his soul to death” (v12); “when his soul makes an offering for guilt” (v10). This last means that His very soul was a guilt offering, as in Leviticus 5, also indicating his death. It is crucial to note these references to His death because…
Second, there are numerous reference to His subsequent actions. If it wasn’t clear that the suffering servant died, these latter actions could be attributed to His life before He died. But that the suffering servant is described doing things after His death indicates life after death.
Third, and most importantly, many of these actions directly speak to a resurrection:
He shall see his offspring… That is, this one whose grave was with the wicked, He would not stay there, but would see His offspring, literally His seed, those come to life because of Him.
He shall prolong his days… This is a phrase used elsewhere indicating that a long life is a reward of righteousness (Deut 17:20; Pro 28:16; Eccl 8:13). This suffering servant will be raised from the dead unto an eternal reward.
The will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand… This is more literally, “The will of the LORD by His hand will succeed.” This is a crucial statement as the previous mention of the Lord’s will stated, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him.” That the will of the LORD will succeed by the hand of the suffering servant indicates two things: (1) the LORD’s crushing Him was not the final element of God’s plan; and (2) the success of the LORD’s plan requires the resurrection of the suffering servant since it will succeed by His hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied… Referring to the aforementioned sacrifice of His soul, which necessarily involves His death, there is predicted satisfaction—that is, He will eat and drink His fill— afterward. What can this mean but that He will be raised to life from the dead?
Verse 12 gives more of the same, promising that the suffering servant would share in the reward of the strong “because he poured out his soul to death.” Once again, that He would receive a reward after dying implies a resurrection.
When Jesus and the apostles taught that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and enter into His glory (Luke 24:26), surely they referred in part to types and shadows that we don’t readily see. But they also referred to passages like this which created the clear expectation of a Messiah who would suffer, die, and be raised for the salvation of His people.
As we celebrate Holy Week, let’s do so not only reveling in the historical reality of that week. Let’s also rejoice that these events were planned and foretold long before, so that Holy Week represents the grandest concentration of divine promise keeping ever recorded. Christ is risen, and God can be trusted.
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