SALT & LIGHT Jesus, the Suffering Servant: The Suffering Servant chose to become the lowest of the low

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. MAR 6:3

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ISA 53:2-3

13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ACT 3:13-15

John Gill

And you killed the Author of life—Author of life, natural, spiritual, and eternal; who not only is the living God, and has life in himself; and as man, had such a power over his own life, as no man ever had; but he is the author of a spiritual resurrection from the death of sin, to a life of grace, and has procured eternal life for his people, and gives it to them. Now this Lord of life and glory they crucified. His death is laid to them because it was at their request, and through their instigation, and at their earnest solicitations, that Pilate condemned him, and delivered, him to his soldiers to crucify him.

Whom God raised from the dead—Notwithstanding all their spite and malice; so that they had not their whole will, and all their end, not being able to retain him under the power of death, and under the shame and reproach of the cross; and this the apostle the rather mentions, as being the reason why such gifts, and such power were bestowed on them to do the miracles they did.

To this we are witnesses—Either of Christ, for it may be rendered, “whose witnesses we are”; they testifying of his person, office, grace, and righteousness; or of the resurrection of Christ, of which they were eyewitnesses; and of which they had the fullest proof, and were capable of bearing a sufficient testimony, and for which they were chosen and appointed.

Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and was described as lowly, despised, without beauty, and rejected. Taking on human form was already difficult and a far cry from being a deity. But to become acquainted with grief and identify with the lowest of the low speaks of the great compassion and love that Christ had for us, that he would go so low to save us from our sins and heal us. What does Php 2:3-8 say about how Christ’s demonstration and example of humility affect our view and treatment of others?

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

By insolence comes nothing but strife,

but with those who take advice is wisdom. PRO 13:10

Rashi

By insolence comes nothing but strife—Heb. מצה, controversy.

But with those who take advice is wisdom—But wisdom lies with those who behave with advice.

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

John Gill

This is not the wisdom that comes down from above—If it must be called wisdom, as it ought not; an envious, quarrelsome, and contentious spirit, does not deserve such a name; yet if any will call it so, or can think that a man of such a disposition is a man possessed of wisdom; it is such wisdom as does not come from above, from heaven, from the Father of lights, from Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and from the spirit of wisdom and revelation: what the Jews say of the wisdom of Egypt, may be said of this, that it is “wisdom from below,” or inferior wisdom, as it follows:

But is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic—It is “earthly,” or of the earth, and springs from thence; and it is only conversant about earthly things, and is only suitable to earthly minds: it is sensual, or natural; what a natural man, one destitute of the Spirit of God, and without the knowledge of the things of the Spirit, may have; it is what is acquired by the mere strength of nature, and only relates to natural things; and is only agreeable to corrupt nature, or to a natural and unregenerate man: yea, it is demonic, or such as the devil himself has; and which comes from him, and being used, serves only his kingdom and interest.

16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. JAS 3:14-16

John Gill

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist—Where these are cherished in the heart, and especially where they break out into action, in families, neighbourhoods, states, or churches:

There will be disorder and every vile practice—These occasion disturbances, raise uneasiness, make disquietude, and cause tumults whenever they appear; and put persons upon doing everything that is wicked, to gratify such insatiable lusts.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

John Gill

Let no one seek his own—His carnal pleasure and private advantage in eating things sacrificed to “idols,” to the hurt and disadvantage of his brethren; otherwise it is lawful for a man to seek his own good, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, to seek for the necessaries of life, his spiritual peace and comfort, and his everlasting welfare and happiness; but then he should not only seek his own,

But the good of his neighbor—The apostle’s meaning is, that a man, in the use of things indifferent, should not seek the gratifying of his sensual appetite or other passions, what may be pleasing or profitable to himself; but should consult the profit and edification of others.

32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,

John Gill

Give no offense—Avoid everything that may be the occasion of offense, of the stumbling and falling of others; whether things indifferent, when they are offensive to weak minds, and grieve, and wound, and stumble them; especially things sinful, which as they offend God, and are therefore called “offences,” so they are offensive to the churches of Christ, and are cognizable by them; they are staggering and stumbling to weak believers, when committed by professors of religion; are the means of inducing others to sin, and of hardening profane sinners in their iniquities, and give occasion to the enemy to blaspheme: but things that are good, and are made our incumbent duty, are not to be avoided, though persons may be offended; such as the pure preaching of the gospel, the profession of it, and submission to the ordinances thereof; for an offense is either taken or given; to give offense is one thing, which we should carefully avoid; and to take it, when there is no just reason for it, is another, and not to be regarded:

To Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God—Which may be considered as having a peculiar respect to the people of God: the two first of these, namely, Jews and Greeks, being what constituted the first churches, and this at Corinth, so that they may be thought to be the parts, and the church the whole; and the apostle first mentions the one, and then the other, signifying, that they were not to give offense neither to single persons, nor to the whole church; and particularly in the case of eating things offered to idols, care was to be taken that neither Jews nor Greeks were offended, being both members of the church. Or these may be considered as including all sorts of persons; for Jews and Greeks include the whole world, and may here mean all that are without, that have no true faith in Christ, nor any spiritual knowledge of him; and “the church,” all such as know him, believe in him, and profess his name: so that the apostle’s sense is, that care should be taken that no offence be given to any sort of men, neither to the men of the world, of whatever character, nor to professors of religion, and more especially the latter; since offending one of the least of them that believe in Christ, is displeasing to him; and since he was so careful to guard against the offense of them, and will, by his angels, at the last day, gather out of his kingdom all such as offend; and has ordered his churches to mark them which cause offences and divisions; and since it is so hard a thing to reconcile an offended brother, who is harder to be won than a strong castle; though that is not his excellency, yet as it makes the case so difficult, it should be guarded against.

33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. 1CO 10:24, 32-33

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ISA 7:14

Rashi

The Lord himself will give you a sign—He will give you a sign by himself, against your will.

A virgin—My wife will conceive this year. This was the fourth year of Ahaz.

Shall conceive—This is actually the future, as we find concerning Manoah’s wife, that the angel said to her (Jdg 13:3): “But you shall conceive and bear a son,” and it is written, “Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son.”

And shall call his name—Divine inspiration will rest upon her.

Immanuel—Lit. God is with us. That is to say that our rock shall be with us, and this is the sign, for she is a young girl, and she never prophesied, yet in this instance, divine inspiration shall rest upon her. This is what is stated below (8:3): “And I went to the prophetess, etc.,” and we do not find a prophet’s wife called a prophetess unless she prophesied. Some interpret this as being said about Hezekiah, but it is impossible, because, when you count his years, you find that Hezekiah was born nine years before his father’s reign. And some interpret that this is the sign, that she was a young girl and incapable of giving birth.

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people. PSA 22:7

Chullin 89a:6

I granted greatness to Abraham, yet he said before me: “And I am but dust and ashes” (Gen 18:27). I granted greatness to Moses and Aaron, yet Moses said of the two of them: “For what are we” (Exo 16:7). I granted greatness to David, yet he said: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psa 22:7).

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. PHP 2:3-8

his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. DEU 21:23

Rashi

For a hanged man is cursed by God—This is a degradation of the divine King, for man is made in his image and the Israelites are his children. It may be compared to the case of two twin brothers who very closely resembled each other: one became king and the other was arrested for robbery and was hanged. Whoever saw him on the gallows thought that the king was hanged (Sanhedrin 46b).

Sanhedrin 46a:14

The dead man hangs there for only a very short time, and then they immediately untie him. And if he was left hanging overnight, a prohibition is transgressed, as it is stated: “His body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for he that is hung is a curse by God” (Deu 21:23). That is to say: Were the body left hanging all night on the tree, people would ask: For what reason was this one hung after he was put to death? They would be answered: Because he blessed God, a euphemism for blasphemy. And therefore the name of heaven would be desecrated were the dead man’s body to remain hanging, reminding everybody of his transgression.