Imagine having a vision of the future. Or having a foretaste of the scene of Jesus’ life and ministry?

This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah (and many others) gave us. The truth is that most people didn’t understand what it meant until after the fact.

And when Jesus did come, He was loved by some, seen as a wonder by many and hated by others.

That’s what generally happens when the truth is brought forth. It is either loved, examined, or scorned. And so, Jesus had to humble Himself and complete the task that was set for Him. As a servant, He felt the needs of man but loved them enough to also realise the enemy had them in bondage to sin.

Jesus would be born through a miraculous birth (Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2)

Isaiah foretold that Jesus would be born of a virgin and be called Immanuel. In Hebrew, it meant “God with us.” Some teachers in Jesus’ day presumed the person would just be born as a normal child and grow to be a mighty human King or conqueror.

But that was not what it meant. The mystery of the incarnation is still being evaluated and discussed. However, somehow, God made His Holy Spirit form a baby in a virgin’s womb to birth the one who would be the King of the Earth. The Bible is so exact that it told us this would be in Bethlehem.

Importantly, this would be a divine being, God incarnate. God wrapped up in flesh. A human form would hold the very essence of the One who created everything. It is both mysterious and also shocking to think that God would do such a thing.



Jesus would die a horrible death (Isaiah 53)

Isaiah spoke of a time when someone would come who would be stricken with sorrow and afflicted. He would be wounded, bruised, and given the stripes. It would be for a good reason though.

God would make “His soul an offering for sin” (verse 10).

Because he bore the “sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors,” His life would become a substitute for ours (verse 12).

His death would be a humble sacrifice. Yet, like sheep, many would go astray and miss the beauty of His offering.


Jesus would be filled with wisdom and grace (Isaiah 9:6-7, John 1:14)

Jesus fulfilled His mandate with a servant’s death. However, His display of wisdom far exceeded that of Moses and Solomon before Him.

Isaiah described that “his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.”

His truth and grace shone out not only in His rhetoric but with his healings, dealings with the common people, and teaching of even the leaders of the law.

Jesus’ wisdom is of all things, and one of His last messages to His disciples was to discuss what being a leader was really like. His description of leadership was counter-culture. It described the one who would be exalted as the one who was last and looked at leaders as servants (John 13:2-20).

And we will miss Jesus if we miss this. He came to be a humble servant. But hidden beneath the layers of His meekness was the form of a true King, the One who would die for the entire world.


This was part 1 of a 3-part series about “The meaning of salvation.” Join our weekly newsletter to get a notice when “Part 2 – Death and Resurrection” drops.