NOTES for Isa 50:4-9
Today we once again read about the obedience of the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah. If we read this passage carefully, we may notice that the connection between verses four and five and verse six is not obvious: “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to sustain the weary with a word; God has opened My ear,” and then, “I gave My back to those who struck Me”... It turns out that the blows, spitting and insults are the direct consequence of the Messiah's listening to the Father and sustaining the weary with His word. It might seem a paradoxical idea, but we already know that this is exactly what happened to Jesus. His words about the Father, words of comfort, light and truth, aroused the hatred of many, for in Christ's light it becomes clear what darkness reigns in our hearts. Of course, it is easier to destroy the source of light than to struggle against the darkness.
But the Son of God knows how this mechanism works. He understands how powerful sin is, and that is precisely why He endures insults and death, not impassively but in love, knowing that He will not be put to shame.