“As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of man” (KJV, Is. 52:14).
“As many were astonied at thee”
At the outset of Isaiah 52:13-53:12, God instructs His listeners to behold. God fixes His attention and the reader on His chosen Servant. Jesus would come as a Servant of God, and He would deal wisely with man in His position as a Servant. As a result, Jesus would be high and lifted up and exalted by God the Father. But in Isaiah 52:13, the reader is not yet told what Jesus would endure as the Servant of the Father.
When one approaches Isaiah 52:14, he begins to see the calling of Christ. But before we get there, a few matters must be addressed. First, in Isaiah 6, the reader is told of the calling of Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet of God who had a vision of God that radically changed his life. Isaiah beheld God in holiness and reverential fear. The impact of Isaiah’s vision is seen throughout the book of Isaiah as God is commonly referred to as the Holy One of Israel.
After God reveals Himself to Isaiah and forgives Isaiah for his sin, God calls Isaiah to the ministry. Then Isaiah tells God that he will heed the calling of God and go where God sends him. Finally, we read of the calling of Isaiah to go to a people who will not hear his message or believe his message. Simply put, Isaiah was called to speak the words of God to people who would not receive them.
Tradition states that Isaiah was killed with a wooden saw under the authority of King Manasseh. In the book of Hebrews, the great chapter of faith, Scripture says, “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder…” (Heb. 11:36-37). Herein we possibly see the ministry of Isaiah.
But what of the ministry of the Lord? The words of Isaiah 52:13-52:12 would have obviously come before Isaiah died. Thus, Isaiah would have seen the Servant of God depicted through his prophetic utterances. As a result, they would have likely encouraged Him during his times of trial. No matter how bad or difficult someone’s life gets, it will never be worse than the Lord’s. No matter how challenging the calling of God is on someone’s life, it will never amount to what Jesus was called to endure.
Isaiah tells us that many were astonied at Jesus. But what does this mean? The Hebrew word translated astonied is shamem which carries the meaning of leaving people stunned. It would also consist of causing amazement to those who beheld Jesus.
God had called Jesus to a ministry that would leave people shocked and speechless. But what was the Father’s will for His Son?
“his visage was so marred”
The wording is strong, and those who would stop to ponder their significance will see the devastating effects of sin. When God instituted animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, the consequences of sin were on display to some degree. Every day blood was spilled because man did not measure up to what God had required. Animals were slain, and blood was poured out on the altar.
Nevertheless, all of the animal sacrifices put together could never measure up to what would be displayed in the Son of God. Jesus came to bear the guilt of man, and in no way could He avoid the disgusting display it would entail. Sin was shown to be sin in the Savior.
Isaiah speaks of Christ when he says, “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” (Is. 50:6). Jesus Christ took the guilt and shame upon Himself in many ways. He was beaten, mocked, and crucified for the sake of humanity.
Elsewhere the Bible tells us, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him” (Ps. 22:6-8). The calling of Jesus caused the people to look upon Jesus with scorn.
Indeed the people would have beheld the display of Jesus surrounding His death and thought there was no way they were beholding the chosen Servant of God. The Bible tells us that Jesus’s appearance was so marred that people could not have even recognized Him. The Hebrew word translated as marred carries the meaning of disfigurement and corruption. Jesus literally no longer looked like a man when He was on the road to Calvary.
“more than any man”
The extreme nature of Jesus’ torture and subsequent death can be seen in the words at hand. Jesus’ appearance was so marred more than any man. It cannot be said of Jesus that He is a distant God and unconcerned with man’s life. It cannot be said that Jesus does not know what it’s like to experience pain. Yet again, it cannot be said that Jesus’ life was easy, and He lacks an understanding of affliction and suffering. Jesus endured the heaviest load that there has ever been.
Surely the pain and suffering of Christ could be depicted in the Psalmist’s words when he says, “For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin” (Ps. 102:3-5). The Christian should never think that simply because Jesus was God, He did not feel the pain of suffering. Jesus was God, but He was also man. He came as one hundred percent God and one hundred man. Thus, Jesus experienced pain to the highest degree out of love for the lost.
“and his form more than the sons of man”
As a result, the form of Christ was marred beyond recognition and that of the sons of man. As one reads through Isaiah 52:14, he will notice little variation in the text. The verse can be summed up by stating that Jesus was brutally beaten to the point where people looked at Him and could not even recognize Him.
Jesus Christ was innocent of the charges which were brought against Him. The Jews conspired to kill Jesus but could not place a crime upon His shoulders. Nevertheless, they brought Jesus to Pilate, and the Bible says, “And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified” (Mark 15:15). The scouring of Christ was a brutal and disgusting event.
The flogging Jesus endured is what preceded crucifixion during the Roman Empire. Jesus was likely tied to a pole and beaten by several Roman guards with leather whips laced with sharp pieces of bone and metal. Roman authorities did not place a number upon the blows that could be given. As a result, it was not uncommon for the recipient of the blows to die before his intended execution.
Nevertheless, while the people were astonished at Jesus, the words of the Psalmist found their place. Scripture says, “I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge” (Ps. 71:7). Jesus Christ was a wonder unto many, but He found His place of refuge in the Father’s care.
Jesus looked beyond His present circumstances to the joy set before Him. Out of love, Jesus endured the cross and everything surrounding it. The love of Christ is on display for mankind to behold. Repent and believe the Gospel.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for sending Your Son to die for me. Jesus, thank You for enduring such a brutal death so that I could be forgiven of my sin. You have truly loved me, and for that, I am thankful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.