Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors, (53:12).

Oh, the imagery of this chapter, depicting the Holy Sinless Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, the Suffering Servant Who would be pierced for our transgressions and crushed for iniquities; scourged so we could be healed.

The editorial caption for this chapter in the NASB is, “The Suffering Servant.”

So much revealed just in that caption, reminding us of verses about Him emptying Himself to take on the form of a servant, verses that graphically portray His suffering at the hands of sinful men.

But today, as I read, “Because He poured out Himself to death,” I saw His infinite strength and sovereignty. For though His suffering at the hands of men was was excruciating, it was always Him Who held the power and dominion over death.

He Poured Out Himself to Death, it was not done to Him.

He Poured Out Himself to Death, it was His choice.

And “Because He poured out Himself to death,” He would Pour Out His Spirit, His Grace, His Love and His Mercy on all who would place their faith in Him Who Poured Out Himself to Death.

I felt the urge to go back to the beginning of this book, to recall how His message began through His prophet, Isaiah. And He began by calling all of heaven and earth to listen as He laid out the case against His chosen people. They had revolted against Him.

Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the Lord speaks,
“Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me,” (Isaiah 1:2).

This revolution spiraled down into the most detestable behavior, into a vacuum, void of understanding, as they convinced themselves that playing church was enough, only to find themselves buried beneath the weight of their sin that ultimately ushered in the discipline of Holy God.

And in His reproof, He called them to come and reason with Him, to understand their condition before Him and their desperate need to be cleansed

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool,” (Isaiah 1:18).

This call to come and reason was not a call to discuss options, it was not a call to bring the wisdom of man to the table; it was a call to come before the Judge, and to hear His decision on how He would settle the matter.

reason: “3198. יָכַח yāḵaḥ:  A verb meaning to argue, to convince, to convict, to judge, to reprove,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

And today we read exactly how the matter was settled; it was settled when He Poured Out Himself to Death

Consider Him Who Poured Out Himself to Death

It was beyond horrifically gruesome reading about it, facing the unthinkable treatment He received before He Died.

I couldn’t help but think, what if He had been treated like those facing execution on death row today? He would have been fed with three square meals a day, would have even been able to request his final meal. He would have been provided a place to sleep, and He would have been treated with dignity and within the bounds of humane decorum. And finally, He would have been afforded a proper burial.

But not so for the Anointed One Who would come as the Suffering Servant; for before He Poured Out Himself Death He would be despised as He carried the sorrows and griefs of mankind, and He would be stricken with affliction, (53:3-4). He would be pierced and crushed, scourged and abandoned (53:5-6). He would silently bear oppression and judgment, be cut off from the living and assigned a grave amongst the wicked (53:7-9a). And all this He would do for the those who had seemingly been the ones who had done this to Him.

Too much to fathom; unbelievable really.

Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (53:1).

But His Strength for our Salvation would be revealed as He Poured Out Himself to Death.

• He Poured Out Himself to Death, it was Not done to Him.
  • And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit, (Matthew 27:50).
  • And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last, (Mark 15:37).
  • Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit, (John 19:30).

• He Poured Out Himself to Death, it Was His choice.
  • “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep,” (John 10:11).
  • “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father,” (John 10:17-18).
  • So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” ⁵ They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” (John 18:4-5).

• Because He Poured Out Himself to Death, He would Pour Out His Spirit, His Grace, His Love and His Mercy on all who would place their faith in Him Who Poured Out Himself to Death.
  • ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
    ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;
    And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    And your young men shall see visions,
    And your old men shall dream dreams;’ (Acts 2:17).
  • The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus, (1 Timothy 1:4 NIV).
  • He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, (Titus 3:5-7).

• And, Because He Poured  Out Himself to Death, the Father would allot Him His portion with the great.
  • Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
    And He will divide the booty with the strong;
    Because He poured out Himself to death… (53:12).
    
  • Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear, (Acts 2:33).
  • Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (Philippians 2:8-9).

How do we respond to Him Who Poured Out Himself to Death?

Once again, we are reminded, His ways and thoughts are not anything like ours.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

And while it is true that His wisdom and knowledge are nothing like ours and beyond our grasp, the context of this passage points us to His abundant compassion and pardon, revealing His ways of grace, so very different than our own, and His thoughts of mercy that would never have entered our minds. But according to His ways and His thoughts, for those who seek Him, who call upon Him and repent of their sins, He would grant His abundant redemption and forgiveness through Him Who Poured Out Himself to Death.

Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7).

“for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins,” (Matthew 26:28).

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, (Ephesians 1:7).

And in His ways and His thoughts, God determined it would necessitate faith. Faith to believe His message. Faith to believe the way in which He would reveal His arm of strength. Faith to believe that a Babe born in an obscure stable, Who grew up as a tender young Boy with nothing seemingly special about Him, would become the Savior of the World as He Poured Out Himself to Death. Definitely nothing like the way we would have ever thought.

Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. (53:1-2).

But oh, when we believe in Him Who Poured Out Himself to Death, He Pours Out on us His Spirit, His Grace, His Love and His Mercy! May we never get over that truth!

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus, (1 Timothy 1:4 NIV).

Oh let us pray we would never play church, but that His thoughts and ways revealed in His Truth would makes us more like Him. Let us ask Him to grow us in His ways and His thoughts, as He did for His apostle Paul, that we would be willing to be Poured Out for Him through lives of faith as we look forward to the day when we will see the One Who Poured Out Himself to Death as the Living and Righteous Judge Who will Pour Out His rewards on all who have waited in faith for His beloved appearing.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; ⁸ in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing, (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Let’s Grow Together!