All Articles
Marred Beyond Human Semblance
Isaiah 53 is a passage that we frequently read on this occasion of the Lord’s Supper. And rightly so. The information that we find in Isaiah 53 is so specific with reference to Jesus that it’s hard for me to think of another prophecy in the Old Testament that is so specific and uniquely fulfilled by Jesus. What makes it more powerful I think is the fact that we know it was written hundreds of years before the time of Jesus. But one thing you may not be aware of is that, in my view at least, Isaiah 53 has suffered from an unfortunate chapter division. The passage actually begins in Isaiah 52.13-15:
13 See, my servant shall prosper;
he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high.
14 Just as there were many who were astonished at him
—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of mortals—
15 so he shall startle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.
Isaiah 52.13-15 (NRSV)
This provides a good introduction to what we do read in Isaiah 53.
But there’s a striking paradox here. And that’s because in verse 13 the way that the Suffering Servant is portrayed is someone who will be exalted on the one hand, but then in the very next verse it says that people are going to be astonished by Him. And if we quit reading there, we might think they’re going to be astonished because He’s so exalted. But that’s not what they’re astonished about. They are amazed because His appearance is so deformed that He doesn’t really look like a human being anymore. And I just wonder if that wasn’t the physical appearance of Jesus as He was on the cross. And of course, the irony is that Jesus was much more, and is much more, than a human being.
What an amazing passage.
The other passage that we read at this time (again, very much appropriately) is 1 Corinthians 11. And in 1 Corinthians 11, we read that to help us remind ourselves about what it is we are doing here and again, that is completely understandable. But why was Paul writing that in 1 Corinthians 11? Did Paul just think, “All right, here’s a good opportunity to remind the Corinthians of the Lord’s Supper and what it’s all about”?
No.
There was a problem with the Corinthians. They had forgotten some of the things that I just mentioned, I think. And they had allowed other problems to creep in affecting even how they partook of the Lord’s Supper. They were divided.
And so, when Paul says that those who partake of the Lord’s Supper need to be carefully discerning the body, I think he’s being purposely ambiguous there. Because that can mean a couple of things, right? That can mean that we are to discern the body of Jesus whose emblems we are about to partake of. And that’s again perfectly understandable.
But on the other hand, we are to discern the body that is the Lord’s. One body represents this Being who was so much more than a human being; and so much is more than a human being. But on the other hand, we are to discern this body that’s weak. That struggles. That is made up of individuals who constantly, constantly fall short. You see there’s a paradox in what we do when we discern the body of the Lord. And in the verse immediately preceding that, he says to examine ourselves.
Examine ourselves.
What did this previous week bring for us? How did we do? Well, if we’re being honest again, I would assume we would believe we fell short. But yet here we all are. And here were all the Corinthians together. And that’s what’s so amazing about a letter that’s filled with problems. As Paul still considers them brethren. And there may be somebody who’s done something to you personally. Or there may be other divisions that aren’t uniting us.
We need to forget about that.
We need to discern the body, and realize that yes, we are made up weak people. And yes, sometimes we may make each other mad. We may sin against each other. But we still serve this Lord who is highly exalted.
He also loved us so much that His appearance was not recognizable as a human being.
