October 5-11
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In Isaiah 50, we find a profound message of Christ’s voluntary suffering. Not only does He suffer for us, but He does so completely willingly. There is a very careful message being given. The words are meticulously chosen so that we can understand the exact nature of what Christ truly did for us.
In the beginning, Christ rebukes Israel and declares that He never sold them out. He has only ever been loyal to them. He demands that they show Him the proof that He supposedly left them. He then goes on to talk about His majesty and power. His hand is not shortened. He can redeem and deliver. He can dry up the sea and rivers. He clothes the heavens.
He is God.
After declaring how powerful He is, He declares the following.
Isaiah 50:6-7
6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Here, the Lord says He gives his back to the smiters. He gave His cheeks to those who pulled out the hair. He didn’t turn away from shame or spitting. This is significant placement. The Lord is literally telling us, “I am so incredibly powerful, but I gave myself over to this humiliation and torture. I gave it, and only I could give it because I am so powerful. It could not be taken from me.”
In verse 7, the Lord knows He is not alone or confused; He knows exactly what has been asked of Him. This phrase also clues us in: “I set my face like a flint.” In other words He is saying, “I’m not a victim. They attack me, but I am not a victim. I have power, and I am resolute. I insist on doing this.”
This is the very definition of voluntary suffering.
For all intents and purposes, He basically walked into the hands of the Jewish temple authorities and put the cuffs on by Himself. He whipped Himself. He put the crown of thorns on His own head. Everyone was so weak and powerless against Him that it was as if He nailed Himself to the cross.
I do not say this to excuse the guilty parties; I merely point out the fact that Christ’s suffering and death were voluntary.
Think about what that means for a moment in terms of Judas. Judas betrayed Him, but Christ wasn’t tortured and killed because of Judas. Imagine for a moment, what is truly going on in Christ’s heart. I can’t be sure because His mind is not my own, but I wonder if some of His thoughts included, “Why are you doing this Judas? I am choosing to suffer and die on behalf of the world. This is not because you actually held any power. But despite my own insistence on suffering on behalf of the children of God, it hurts that you would betray me. I loved you. You were my friend. You betrayed me.”
Judas had no true power to hurt Jesus other than the emotional damage he caused by his betrayal.
Now we’re going to change course here, and it may feel abrupt but stick with me. In Christian traditions, Isaiah 50 is a prophecy about Jesus Christ. This makes sense, and this is how we study this chapter. However, in Jewish tradition, it is believed to be a prophecy about the Israelites. The Israelites are the servants of the Lord who have access to His power but fall under oppression anyway. Because Isaiah’s words often have dual meanings, we can explore both traditions. This prophecy is about Christ, and yet, can it also be about us as a type of Christ?
There are three parts of this sacrifice that I want to talk about in relation to our following Christ’s example: willingness, love, and salvation.
The first aspect is willingness. Are we willing to suffer on behalf of another person? Are we willing to let go of our selfishness? I think there are many forms this can take. If the world looked at the relationship between the Savior and any of us individually, they would describe the relationship as toxic. Christ would be encouraged to cut us off, to not put up with that kind of disloyalty anymore.
But what if the world were a bit more patient with each other? Obviously there are appropriate times to step away from a toxic relationship. Christ would temporarily step away from Israel when they refused Him. Christ encouraged Nephi to leave his brothers. However, I think that line has been brought over too far in our modern society. The world has refused to tolerate flaws and mistakes in the name of fairness and self care. We mock and belittle instead of reaching out with love to try and reach someone who is capable of changing. I think the willingness to suffer a bit in the name of helping somebody change has greatly diminished. Sometimes that suffering comes in the form of patience when you have your own stuff to worry about. Sometimes that suffering comes in the form of continuing forgiveness while the other person figures things out. Christ was willing to suffer for us despite our not deserving it. Are we willing to follow Him and offer others the same grace even at the expense of ourselves?
The second one is love. This one is actually critical because suffering at the expense of another person is not about developing a martyr complex. Sometimes love looks like turning the other cheek, letting go of demanded progress, or continually forgiving. Sometimes love looks like pointing out things that are not right. Love can help determine how to react in any given situation, and it can also prevent and heal bitterness. When we think we’re constantly sacrificing ourselves, it can lead to resentment. I have found that love, not martyrdom, is the answer to that resentment. True love that you feel in your bones, not just acting like you love someone. Love is key.
The last one is salvation. The definition of salvation can mean different things. It can be expanded or narrowed down. Traditionally, we think of salvation as Christ offering us grace and living with Him again. I tend to expand that definition. Salvation is all of the joy that Christ offers.
Christ is the only One who earned salvation, and yet, would salvation be salvation without His family? If He had refused to suffer on our behalf, would He have gotten lonely and missed us?
When we choose to be selfless and truly loving (not just going through loving motions), we are offering others salvation and we are also offering that salvation to ourselves. Not in the sense that we can pay for our own salvation but in the sense that we find an enlightened life full of the things that Christ wants for us. This way of life, following Christ’s example, helps us receive the joy and peace that Christ has always tried to offer us.
I testify that Christ was willing to suffer. I testify that His willingness to suffer saved us and brought Him joy in the sense that He got His loved ones back. I testify that He is all-powerful, not a victim. I testify that following His example can help to save others by offering them the grace of Christ, and I also testify that following His example can bring us joy.
