After the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden God pronounced a curse on the earth; the earth would produce thorns and thistles, in sorrow and the sweat of the brow, man would eat his bread for survival; and death would be the close. When Jesus took on himself human flesh, he took all of the sorrows associated with that flesh. He undertook to remove the curse and he must bear that curse before he removed it. As such, he was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3). Verse 7 tells us that the sufferings of Jesus would be in silence.
The suffering of Christ was Vicarious. He suffered in the place of another, as our substitute. The word “oppressed” means to exact a debt. The word afflicted is used in Exodus 3:7 where the “Lord saw the affliction of his people.” Here the Lord is afflicted for them (Psalm 69:4). Christ entered into our suffering – As our Sacrifice he suffered for us, as our High Priest he suffers with us – He empathizes with us (Hebrews 4:15).
The Suffering of Christ was Voluntary. The trinity in the working out of our salvation was in perfect harmony. In genesis 22 we see this typified in the life of young Isaac. The scripture does not record that Isaac murmured or fought as his father put him on the altar. I suggest to you that the Lord gave Isaac faith to believe as his father had and a peace in the plan of God.
The Suffering of Christ was silent. He opened not his mouth (Matthew 27:14). Why was he silent? He was silent because He was suffering for us, therefore he would not protest. Furthermore, He was suffering voluntarily therefore he could not protest.
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Aaron Dunlop, who is originally from Northern Ireland, graduated from the Geneva Reformed Seminary, SC. He pastored for ten years in Victoria, British Columbia and is currently preparing to move to Kenya with his family to work with the FAME Reformed Theological College.
