Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD’s arm been revealed? Wesley: Who—Who, not only of the Gentiles, but even of the Jews, will believe the truth of what I say? And this premonition was highly necessary, both to caution the Jews that they should not stumble at this stone, and to instruct the Gentiles that they should not be seduced with their example. The arm—The Messiah, called the arm or power of God, because the almighty power of God was seated in him. Revealed—Inwardly and with power.

Few believe; the arm is the Messiah himself, revealed inwardly. Both confess: who has believed; the arm of the LORD revealed. Shared christology: both camps hear this report as of Christ the Servant of 52:13; do not invent a fight on whether the Servant is Christ. Compare 52:10: the holy arm bared before the nations is now this revealed arm. Those who do not believe do not fail because no report was spoken.

Who will believe our report? Calvin: this division of the chapter ought to be disregarded; it ought to have begun with 52:13. Having said that the name of Christ would be everywhere proclaimed, and yet would have so mean an aspect that it might appear as if these things were fabulous, he exclaims that nobody will believe those things. Of those who hear the Gospel scarcely a hundredth person will be a believer. To whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed? To suppose that by the word Arm Christ is meant is, in my opinion, a mistake; it assigns the cause why there are so few that believe: they cannot attain it by the sagacity of their own understanding. John and Paul quote this (John 12:37; Romans 10:16). The external voice is of no avail if it be not accompanied by a special gift of the Spirit; the difference proceeds from the secret election of God, the cause of which is hidden in himself.

Few believe because the Spirit must reveal; the report is still of Christ from 52:13. Either reading: unbelieved report; arm revealed. Shared christology: Calvin does not deny that the song is of Christ; he denies that Arm here means Christ as a title. See John 12 and Romans 10. Election is hidden in God, not waiting on our sagacity. Do not split 52:13–15 from this chapter; Calvin's own seam.

For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. Wesley: As a root—And the reason why the Jews will generally reject their Messiah, is, because he shall not come into the world with secular pomp, but he shall grow up (or spring up, out of the ground) before him (before the unbelieving Jews, of whom he spake Isa 53:1, and that in the singular number, as here, who were witnesses of his mean original; and therefore despised him) as a tender plant (small and inconsiderable) and as a root, or branch, grows out of a dry, barren ground. No form—His bodily presence shall be mean and contemptible. No beauty—This the prophet speaks in the person of the unbelieving Jews. We—Our people, the Jewish nation.

Jews saw a mean original and despised him; no secular pomp. Both sides agree: young plant; root from dry ground; no form or majesty; no beauty. Shared christology: the Messiah of 52:13. Recall 11:1: a branch from Jesse's stock. Wesley's point is why they stumbled.

Yet he shall grow up before him as a twig. Calvin: Christ will at first have no magnificence or outward display among men; but before God he will nevertheless be highly exalted. Before him is contrasted with human senses. In a desert land: Christ's power of springing up will not be derived from the sap of the earth, as in trees, but contrary to the ordinary course of nature. They who in this passage speculate about the virgin Mary, and suppose that she is called a desert land because she conceived by the Holy Ghost, speak beside the purpose; for the present subject is not the birth of Christ, but his whole reign. He hath no form nor comeliness: this must be understood to relate not merely to the person of Christ, who was despised by the world and condemned to a disgraceful death, but to his whole kingdom, which in the eyes of men had no beauty, no comeliness, no splendor.

Before God, not before human show; the whole reign looks like a twig. No form; dry ground; not desired. Calvin brings in 11:1, Jesse's dry stock.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him. Wesley: We hid—We scorned to look upon him.

The unbelieving We of v. 2 now hide the face; scorn is true, not a feint. Neither side disputes this: despised; rejected; man of sorrows; acquainted with grief; faces hid; not esteemed. Shared christology: this is the same Christ. Compare 52:14: the marred visage is this hiding. Smiters; the atonement of vv. 4–6 is coming, kept in this unit, not forced back as a camp fight on identity.

Calvin: Christ will be rejected by men, in consequence of their beholding in him nothing but grief and infirmity. These things needed to be often repeated to the Jews, that they might not form a false conception of Christ and his kingdom; for, in order to know his glory, we must proceed from his death to his resurrection. We hid the face from him: he uses the first person, we, for he declares that there will be a universal judgment; no man will ever be able to comprehend it by his own understanding till the Lord correct and form him anew by his Spirit. All men are accursed and condemned for ingratitude in despising Christ, because they do not even consider him to be worthy of being looked at, but turn away their eyes as if from something detestable.

From death to resurrection is the order; we all hid the face. Both traditions see: despised; sorrows; not esteemed. Compare v. 2: the same want of form.

Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. Wesley: Yet—Our people believed that he was thus punished by the just judgment of God.

The griefs are ours; the false esteem was that God smote him for his own sins. Both note: borne our griefs; carried our sorrows; we considered him plagued, struck by God. Shared atonement: both camps hear him carrying what was ours. Compare Matthew 8:17, where the healings are the sign of that carrying. The piercing of v. 5 will name the guilt.

Surely he carried our sicknesses. Calvin: the particle is equivalent to for, and assigns a reason; it is a monstrous thing that he to whom God has given supreme authority over all the creatures should be thus trampled on; the reason of the weakness, pains, and shame of Christ is that he carried our sicknesses. Matthew quotes this after relating that Christ cured various diseases; though it is certain that he was appointed not to cure bodies, but rather to cure souls; it is of spiritual disease that the Prophet intends to speak. In the miracles which Christ performed in curing bodies, he gave a proof of the salvation which he brings to our souls. We thought him to be smitten, wounded by God, and afflicted: they did not know why Christ was so severely afflicted, but imagined that God smote him on account of his own sins, though they knew that he was perfectly innocent; they took no account of their own sins, which were to be expiated in this manner.

Our sicknesses, spiritual first; the misread stroke is the scandal. He carried ours; we thought God smote him. Shared atonement with Wesley: expiation of our sins, not his. Calvin brings in Matthew 8:17 here—sign of the soul's cure. The point is whose sins the stroke answered.

But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. Wesley: Wounded—Which word comprehends all his pains and punishments. For our iniquities—For the guilt of their sins, which he had voluntarily taken upon himself, and for the expiation of their sins, which was hereby purchased. The chastisement—Those punishments by which our peace, our reconciliation to God, was to be purchased, were laid upon him by God's justice with his own consent. Healed—By his sufferings we are saved from our sins.

Voluntary taking of guilt; expiation purchased; peace laid on him by justice with his consent; we healed. Common confession: pierced for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities; chastisement of peace; wounds heal. Shared christology and shared substitution: both camps hear this as Christ's cross for our sins. See 1 Peter 2:24. Justice actually laid it; he actually consented.

And he was wounded for our iniquities. Calvin: he again repeats the cause of Christ's great afflictions, in order to meet the scandal which might have arisen from it. The spectacle of the cross alienates many persons from Christ, when they consider what is presented to their eyes, and do not observe the object to be accomplished. All offense is removed when we know that by his death our sins have been expiated, and salvation has been obtained for us. The chastisement of our peace: Christ was the price of our chastisement, that is, of the chastisement which was due to us. Thus the wrath of God, which had been justly kindled against us, was appeased; and through the Mediator we have obtained peace, by which we are reconciled. We are reconciled to God by free grace, because Christ hath paid the price of our peace. This cannot be limited to a particular time, without most heinous sacrilege. In his wound we have healing: in us nothing can be found but destruction and death; in Christ alone is life and salvation; he alone hath pacified the Father.

Expiation, wrath appeased, free-grace peace, not a Papist leftover of satisfaction by our merits after baptism. Wesley says as much: pierced for us; peace purchased; we healed. Both hear substitution here. Calvin brings in Romans 5:1, peace with God.

All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Wesley: We—All mankind. Astray—From God. Have turned—In general, to the way of sin, which may well be called a man's own way, because sin is natural to us, inherent in us, born with us; and in particular, to those several paths, which several men chuse, according to their different opinions, and circumstances. Hath laid—Heb. hath made to meet, as all the rivers meet in the sea. The iniquity—Not properly, for he knew no sin; but the punishment of iniquity, as that word is frequently used. That which was due for all the sins of all mankind, which must needs be so heavy a load, that if he had not been God as well as man, he must have sunk under the burden.

All mankind; own way as nature and as chosen paths; punishment made to meet on him, God and man or he sinks. Both readings hold: all we like sheep; every one to his own way; the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all. Shared substitution: both camps hear the load transferred. Recall v. 5: the same piercing.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray. Calvin: in order to impress more deeply the benefit of the death of Christ, he shows how necessary is that healing. Here none are excepted, for the Prophet includes all. The whole human race would have perished, if Christ had not brought relief. He does not even except the Jews, whose hearts were puffed up with a false opinion of their own superiority. Every one hath turned to his own way: he descends from a universal statement to a special, that every individual may consider in his own mind; there is only one way of living uprightly, and if any one turn aside from it, he can experience nothing but going astray. He does not speak of works only, but of nature itself, which always leads us astray. And Jehovah hath laid upon him: in ourselves we are scattered; in Christ we are gathered together. Our sins are a heavy load; but they are laid on Christ, by whom we are freed from the load. This must refer exclusively to guilt and punishment; for he was free from sin.

None excepted; nature itself; guilt and punishment laid on the sinless one. Wesley reads it the same way: all gone astray; the load made to meet on him. Both traditions share the doctrine of substitution and the confession of Christ. Calvin brings in Romans 3:10 here. Skip a camp fight on the all—both refuse exceptions on this verse.

He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth. Wesley: He opened not—He neither murmured against God, nor reviled men.

“Lamb”—silence toward God and men; the load of v. 6 is borne without murmur. Common to both: oppressed; afflicted; opened not his mouth; lamb to the slaughter; silent before shearers. Shared christology: the same Servant. See Acts 8:32 and John 1:29.

He was punished. Calvin: the Prophet applauds the obedience of Christ in suffering death; for if his death had not been voluntary, he would not have been regarded as having satisfied for our disobedience. As by one man's disobedience all became sinners, so by one man's obedience many were made righteous (Romans 5:19). This was the reason of his silence at the judgment-seat of Pilate, though he had a just defense to offer; having become answerable for our guilt, he wished to submit silently to the sentence, that we might loudly glory in the righteousness of faith obtained through free grace. As a lamb shall he be led to the slaughter: we are here exhorted to patience and meekness (1 Peter 2:23). In the word lamb there is probably an allusion to the sacrifices under the Law; and in this sense he is elsewhere called the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

Voluntary silence as the satisfaction; Law's lamb, then the Lamb of God. Wesley concurs: opened not his mouth; no murmur, no reviling. Shared substitution: answerable for our guilt. See Philippians 2:8.

He was taken away by oppression and judgment; and who among his generation considered that he was cut off from the land of the living, struck for the disobedience of my people? Wesley: Taken away—Out of this life. By distress and judgment—By oppression and violence, and a pretence of justice. His generation—His posterity. For his death shall not be unfruitful; when he is raised from the dead, he shall have a spiritual seed, a numberless multitude of those who shall believe in him. Cut off—By a violent death. And this may be added as a reason of the blessing of a numerous posterity conferred upon him, because he was willing to be cut off for the transgression of his people.

A spiritual seed after the violent death; willing to be cut off for his people's transgression. Both agree: taken away by oppression and judgment; cut off from the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people. Shared substitution: both hear for my people. Compare v. 10: he will see his offspring. Wesley's posterity is believers.

He was taken from oppression and judgment. Calvin: some think the Prophet continues that Christ was smitten on account of our sins. The Greek translators render, In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. I rather agree with those who think that the Prophet, after having spoken of death, passes to the glory of the resurrection: he was rescued from prison and judgment or condemnation, and afterwards was exalted to the highest rank of honor. Who shall relate his generation? The ancients abused this passage in reasoning against the Arians concerning Christ's eternal generation; they ought to have been satisfied with clearer testimonies. As dor signifies age or duration, I have no doubt that he speaks of the age of Christ, and that his meaning is that Christ, though almost overwhelmed by sicknesses, shall not only be taken from them, but that even his age shall be permanent and eternal (Romans 6:9). Yet let us remember that the Prophet does not speak of Christ's person alone, but includes the whole body of the Church. For the disobedience of my people: we ought to apply to ourselves all the shame that appears in the cross; he bore the punishment which we must have endured.

Not Arian-debate eternal generation, but the endless age of the risen Christ and his Church. Cut off; for the disobedience of my people. Both traditions share this confession of atonement. Calvin brings in Philippians 2:9, the same order: cross, then the name.

They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Wesley: With the wicked—This was a farther degree of humiliation. He saith, he made his grave, because this was Christ's own act, and he willingly yielded up himself to death and burial. And that which follows, with the wicked, does not denote the sameness of place, as if he should be buried in the same grave with other malefactors, but the sameness of condition. “Grave”—he made it; willing death; condition with the wicked, not necessarily a pointer to Joseph's tomb. Shared innocence: both hear a sinless sufferer. See 1 Peter 2:22. Burial; the guilt offering of v. 10 still governs this unit.

And he laid open to wicked men his grave. Calvin: I rather think that the meaning is that God the Father delivered Christ into the hands of wicked men. And to the rich man his death: I consider the singular rich to be put for the plural; by rich men he means violent men; men grow haughty and disdainful on account of their riches. Pharisees and priests rush upon him; Pilate, though well aware of his innocence, condemns him; the Roman soldiers execute the sentence. Who would not conclude that Christ was crushed and buried amidst those impious and bloody hands? I consider the word grave to be here used metaphorically. Though he did no iniquity: here the Prophet applauds the innocence of Christ, not only in order to defend him from slander, but to speak highly of the benefit of his death. Though innocent, he suffered by the decree of God; therefore it was for our sake, and not for his own. Neither was there deceit in his mouth: in two words he describes the perfect innocence of Christ; this cannot be said of any mortal man, and hence it follows that it applies to Christ alone.

Delivered to wicked and violent hands; innocence proves the death is for us. Calvin grants the honorable burial of Matthew 27:60 while keeping this verse as a death among bloody hands.

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and the LORD’s pleasure will prosper in his hand. Wesley: He—God was the principal cause of all his sufferings, tho' mens sins were the deserving cause. When—When thou, O God, shalt have made, thy son a sacrifice, by giving him up to death for the atonement of mens sins. His soul is here put for his life, or for himself. Shall see—He shall have a numerous issue of believers reconciled by God, and saved by his death. Prolong—He shall live and reign with God for ever. The pleasure—God's gracious decree for the salvation of mankind shall be effectually carried on by his ministry and mediation.

“Offering”—the Father the principal cause; men's sins the deserving cause; the Son made a sacrifice for atonement; a numerous issue; he lives forever; the decree for mankind's salvation carried on. Agreed: the LORD willed to crush him; guilt offering; he shall see offspring; prolong days; the LORD's will prospers. Shared substitution and shared christology. The crushing is his will, not a surprise. Wesley's issue is believers saved by his death.

Yet Jehovah was pleased to bruise him. Calvin: in Christ there was no fault; why, then, was the Lord pleased that he should suffer? Because he stood in our room, and in no other way than by his death could the justice of God be satisfied. When he shall have offered his soul as a sacrifice: asham denotes both sin and the sacrifice offered for sin; the sacrifice was offered to expiate sin by enduring its punishment and curse; our sins were thrown upon Christ in such a manner that he alone bore the curse. Paul calls him a curse (Galatians 3:13) and sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Nowhere but in Christ is found expiation and satisfaction for sin. He shall see his seed: the death of Christ will be the cause of his having offspring, because, by quickening the dead, he will procure a people for himself. He will prolong his days: Christ shall not be hindered by his death from living eternally; immortality shall at length be bestowed on each of the members. And the will of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand: the Lord will cause the ministry of Christ to yield its fruit; two views of God's kindness: he spared not his only-begotten Son, and he does not suffer his death to be useless.

“Offering”—asham, curse, satisfaction; seed and endless days in Head and members. Wesley says as much: the LORD pleased to crush; sacrifice for sin; offspring; he lives; the will prospers. Shared atonement: do not invent a camp fight here. See Galatians 3:13.

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities. Wesley: Shall see—He shall enjoy. The travel—The blessed fruit of all his labours, and sufferings. Satisfied—He shall esteem his own and his father's glory, and the salvation of his people, an abundant recompence. By his knowledge—By the knowledge of him. Justify—Acquit them from the guilt of their sins, and all the dreadful consequences thereof. And Christ is said to justify sinners meritoriously, because he purchases and procures it for us. Many—An innumerable company of all nations. For—For he shall satisfy the justice of God, by bearing the punishment due to their sins.

Knowledge of him; meritorious purchase; innumerable of all nations; justice satisfied by his bearing. He will see the light and be satisfied; my righteous servant; make many accounted righteous; bear their iniquities. Shared substitution: both hear him bearing iniquities and justifying many.

From the labor of his soul, he will see. Calvin: Christ, after having suffered, shall obtain the fruit of his death in the salvation of men; he takes the highest delight in our salvation. By his doctrine, or by the knowledge of him: the way we experience the power of his death is the knowledge of him. Shall justify many: men are not only taught righteousness in the school of Christ, but are actually justified. This is the difference between the righteousness of faith and the righteousness of the Law; the Law is a mirror in which we behold our own unrighteousness. The doctrine which Christ teaches as to obtaining righteousness is nothing else than the knowledge of him; and this is faith, when we embrace the benefit of his death and fully rely on him. For he will bear their iniquities: these two clauses agree: he shall justify by his doctrine inasmuch as he will bear their iniquities. Having been once made a sacrifice for us, he now invites us by the doctrine of the Gospel to receive the fruit of his death. My righteous servant: he shows that Christ justifies us, not only as he is God, but also as he is man; for in our flesh he procured righteousness for us.

Knowledge as faith embracing the death; actually justified, not Law-righteous; the Servant as man in our flesh. Common ground with Wesley: knowledge of him; many justified; iniquities borne. Both traditions share this confession of atonement. Calvin brings in 2 Corinthians 5:20, the ambassador's call.

Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Wesley: I—God the father. A portion—Which is very commodiously supplied out of the next clause. With the strong—God will give him happy success in his glorious undertaking: he shall conquer all his enemies, and set up his universal and everlasting kingdom in the world. Because—Because he willingly laid down his life. Transgressors—He prayed upon earth for all sinners, and particularly for those that crucified him, and in heaven he still intercedes for them, by a legal demand of those good things which he purchased; by the sacrifice of himself, which, though past, he continually represents to his father, as if it were present.

The willing death is why the kingdom is set up; he prayed for those who crucified him and still intercedes by presenting the purchase. Portion with the many; spoil with the strong; poured out his soul to death; numbered with transgressors; bore the sins of many; makes intercession. Shared substitution and shared christology: both hear him bearing sin and interceding. See Luke 23:34 and Hebrews 9:7. Do not split this unit; the song that began at 52:13 ends here.

Therefore will I divide to him a portion. Calvin: Isaiah again declares the result of the death of Christ; he borrows a comparison from a triumphal procession; Christ, as a valiant and illustrious general, triumphed over the enemies whom he had vanquished. He enjoys it not on his own account, but on ours; for us Christ subdued death, the world, and the devil. For he poured out his soul to death: Christ's humiliation was the beginning of this supreme dominion. And was ranked with transgressors: Mark quotes this when he relates that Christ was crucified between two robbers (Mark 15:28). He bore the sins of many: I approve of the ordinary reading, that he alone bore the punishment of many, because on him was laid the guilt of the whole world. It is evident from other passages, and especially from Romans 5, that many sometimes denotes all. And prayed for the transgressors: as in the ancient Law the priest, who never entered without blood, at the same time interceded for the people, so what was there shadowed out is fulfilled in Christ. First he offered the sacrifice of his body; secondly, that the atonement might take effect, he performed the office of an advocate (John 17:20). He expressly mentions transgressors, that we may know that we ought to betake ourselves with assured confidence to the cross of Christ, when we are horror-struck by the dread of sin.

The cross is the triumph; many as the world's guilt, and many can mean all as in Romans 5; priestly blood then priestly prayer. Wesley concurs: poured out; numbered with transgressors; bore sin; intercedes. Shared atonement: do not invent a fight on whether he is the Servant, or on whether the death is substitutionary. See Colossians 2:15. After 52:13–15 and this whole song, Zion will sing in chapter 54—Calvin's order from Head to body.