Suffering Servant or Conquering King?
Pastor Michael Wise
There had been a few who knew the truth about Jesus – Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25) and Mary (Luke 1:26-38) had both been visited by an angel. The Holy Spirit had impressed Zacharias and Elizabeth with the nature of His mission (Luke 1:39-45, 67-79). The shepherds were not only went to worship the baby Messiah, but shared the good news with many. You can read about Simeon (Luke 2:25-35), and Anna (Luke 2:36-38). But these were a minority. The nation was in spiritual darkness, needing the light of truth Jesus would bring and would be. But why did so many miss the fact that baby Jesus was the promised Messiah?
Matthew 2:1-6 tells us more of the story. Herod was troubled at the news, as was Jerusalem. Was there another king, a new threat to his rule? The news of a new Ruler in Israel had been prophesied. It was there in the Old Testament –the birthplace (Micah 5:2) the star sign (Number 24:17), and the Magi (Isaiah 60:3). I’ve read that there are over 300 Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.
So how could they have missed it? Perhaps the same way that we can miss the teaching and meaning of Scripture. A careful study of their mistakes can help us from making similar ones.
Most of the writers of the New Testament were Jewish people, living in the first century. They believed that the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures described one Messiah who was to come to this earth twice, first as a suffering servant, later as a conquering King. They believed that Jesus was the Christ, that He was the fulfillment of both expectations.
But this reality was not initially understood by Jesus’ disciples. The New Testament reveals the Jewish messianic expectation that they, and presumably the biggest number of common Jews, had. Which was that the Messiah would come as a conquering King, a Son (descendent) of David. Even after His resurrection and just before ascending to heaven, Jesus was asked by Peter, “Are you now going to restore the kingdom” (Acts 1:6). Even here, at the end of His earthly ministry, the apostles were still expecting Jesus to restore political power and freedom to the Jews. To set up an earthly kingdom.
Judas expected Jesus to be a conquering king. Jesus was of the lineage of David (Luke 2:4), and what an incredible king Judas, the disciples, and most of Israel, thought Jesus would be. He could heal the sick, raise the dead, feed multitudes from just a few loaves and fishes. These abilities would certainly have been advantageous to the Jewish nation, and any army they might raise, to overthrow their Roman oppressors. After all, isn’t that what the prophecies pointed to?
Judas hoped to manipulate Jesus into beginning a rebellion against Rome and setting up His kingdom when he agreed to participate in Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. How disappointed he must have been with Jesus’ words to Pilate when He said His kingdom was not of this world, that it was now not from here (John 18:36). After centuries of being slaves of or subjects to the conquering kingdoms – Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome – the most common Jewish expectation was that Messiah would come as a liberating “Son of David”, to come as a conquering King, and restore the political fortunes of the Jewish nation; restoring the ancient glory of Israel.
The Jews had been ready and willing to crown Jesus king, but Jesus wouldn’t allow it. Their views and goals were distorted from the light God had given them. They didn’t see that His plan and purpose was – to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), including the gentiles.
Ezekiel 37:24-25 is a messianic passage which identifies the coming Messiah as a descendent of David. And while Zechariah 9:9-12, 14-16 portrays both pictures of Messiah – a King, but lowly, riding on a colt, it would be easy to see how Israel would gravitate to the parts describing a King who would defend them and help them conquer their enemies.
Scriptures certainly give a seemingly divergent picture of Messiah. According to Micah 5:2 He would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. Isaiah 9:7 said Messiah would be Heir to David’s throne. He would be a priest as well as king (Psalm 110:4). He would triumphantly enter Jerusalem (Zechariah 9:9). He would be the Son of God (Psalm 2:7).
But in Daniel 7:13,14,26,27 we see the timing of when Messiah would come as the conquering King – when He arrives, riding on the clouds of heaven at His second coming. Was it confusion over the seemingly divergent propheies – would the Messiah be cut off (killed) as predicted in Daniel 9:25-27, or would He come in regal splendor and reign forever as Isaiah 9:1-7 describes? Would He be the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 or the Royal King portrayed in Psalm 2?
The answer was, and still is, yes!
Jesus’ first coming would be as our Suffering Servant to liberate all mankind from the bondage of sin. He started the process of establishing His kingdom by conquering sin, Satan, and death. He imparts and imputes His character and the hope of His kingdom into the hearts of everyone who will accept Him as Savior and Lord. And yes, one must first see Jesus as their personal suffering Savior before they will surrender to Him as their Lord, and later (soon) returning conquering King.
It is at Jesus’ second coming that He will return as Conquering King, to liberate His followers and take them from this world of sin to His heavenly city (Revelation 19:11-16). And then, 1,000 years later, He will return to earth with that heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, filled with His saints, to finally eradicate sin, Satan, and death forever (Revelation 21:1-8).
The picture of the suffering of our Lord is nowhere more poignantly displayed than in the prophecy of Isaiah, Chapter 52:13-53:12 but the Jewish leaders largely ignored the prophecies that spoke of Messiah as a Suffering Servant. It didn’t fit their agenda, their hopes, their plans, their world-view. Jesus Himself was an inconvenience to them and when He didn’t fit their pre-conceived notions and prophecies of the Conquering King, they felt it was better that He die, even knowing He was sent by God (John 11:49-53; John 3:1,2).
Application:
What about us today? What lessons can we learn, what application should we make?
Scripture tells us that spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). To properly understand Scripture we need to study all of Scripture (Isaiah 28:10,13), carefully examining what it says to gain a broad and balanced context. We need to embrace all of God’s counsel contained in Scripture. If it doesn’t fit our agenda, our hopes, our plans, then we are what needs changing! And we can by God’s grace. But it is not right or safe to pick and choose only what we want from the Bible, what we want it to say.
And while we should respect God’s appointed leaders, and listen carefully to their teaching, we must also be aware that not all ”spiritual” leaders teach truth (1 Timothy 1:5-7; 2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Peter 2:1). There are leaders who may themselves be unaware of the balanced perspective of God’s truth. Or worse, they simply do not care, but instead teach their opinions and traditions instead of God’s truth (Matthew 15:9).
We need to be students of the Bible (Psalm 119), surrendered and committed to follow Holy Writ (Isaiah 8:20). If we would follow the lamb wherever He leads (Revelation 14:4), we must be acquainted with His teachings in Scripture so that we can walk in His steps as He asks us to do (Colossians 2:6-7).
Like ancient Israel, do you have pre-conceived notions of what the Bible should say, or of what God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit should be, or should be doing for you?
Do you reject or ignore Bible truth that conflicts with your wants, desires, or pre-conceived notions? Do you replace what is Bible truth with what is popular truth instead?
Jesus warns us of the ramifications of doing that (Matthew 7:21-23). What can we learn about ancient Israel’s rejection of Jesus (Matthew 21:42-44)?
If you have or will accept Jesus as your Savior, your Suffering Servant, and choose to let Him be your Lord, your Conquering King who sits on the throne of our heart, then someday soon you will have the joy of seeing Him return as Conquering King and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21). The rewards Jesus has planned for His saints are incredible (2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 2:7,11,17,26; 3:21; Revelation 21 & 22). But the absolute greatest reward is simply to be with Jesus and the Father for eternity.