Isaiah 53:1–6 // The suffering servant // Joe Valenti
During my years in youth ministry, I collected a handful of icebreaker questions that could be pulled out when needed. One of the most reliable was, “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” I’ve heard plenty of answers over the years—strength, speed, invisibility, flight—but no one has ever described anything remotely close to the way Jesus is described in Isaiah 53.
Superheroes are admired, not despised. They are powerful, not acquainted with grief. They are celebrated, not ignored. And they certainly don’t suffer quietly, much less die… or do they?
Isaiah tells us that the Servant of the Lord was “despised and rejected,” a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. There is nothing flashy or impressive about Him by the world’s standards. No spectacle. No applause. Just quiet faithfulness and costly obedience.
In just a few days, we will gather together for our Good Friday service. Over the past several years, we’ve adopted the practice of a Tenebrae service. Tenebrae is an ancient tradition—its name comes from the Latin word for “darkness” or “shadows.” It is a simple, reflective service where we read, pray, and sing as we walk slowly through the night Jesus was betrayed, scourged, and crucified.
Each year, as we sit with these texts, I find myself overwhelmed by a strange mixture of grief and gratitude. Grief, as we hear again what was done to our Lord. Gratitude, as we remember why He endured it. Jesus did not resist. He did not retaliate. He did not turn away. He bore suffering calmly and courageously in order to purchase our redemption.
It is in those moments that my definition of a hero begins to change.
Isaiah 53 invites us to see strength differently—not as dominance, but as love that absorbs pain for the sake of others. It calls us to reconsider what faithfulness looks like when it costs something. Lent gives us space to linger here, to resist the urge to hurry past suffering toward resolution, and to remain with Jesus in the shadows.
Matt Redman captures this mystery beautifully:
“Blood and tears, how can it be
That there’s a God who weeps,
That there’s a God who bleeds?
Oh, praise the One who would reach for me.Hallelujah to the Son of Suffering!”
Question to Consider
How does Isaiah’s picture of Jesus challenge the way you tend to think about strength, success, or faithfulness?
Prayer Prompt
Spend a few moments with Jesus as the Man of Sorrows. Bring Him your grief, your gratitude, or your unfinished thoughts. You don’t need to explain or resolve anything—simply remain with Him and let His presence meet you there.
