Messiah the Suffering Servant (12)—The Spoils of Victory - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:12 NKJV

Messiah the Suffering Servant (12)—The Spoils of Victory
In the concluding verse of this marvelous prophecy, we see that, though the work was His alone, the Victor will share the spoils of His victory with the “great” and with the “strong.” This is referring to those who have believed in Him down through the ages. God will “assign Him a portion with the great” (jnd), and “He shall divide the spoil with the strong.” As believers, we certainly do not feel “great” or “strong,” but the prophecy is looking beyond our present time to the time of the kingdom, when He will share with us the spoils of His victory.

Isaiah looks at the cross for a final time in the chapter. The reason Messiah could “divide the spoil with the strong” was because He had “poured out His soul unto death.” He “bore the sin of many,” He paid the price, and we reap the rewards.

Truly, this chapter has been called, “The Gospel of Isaiah.” It is predicted that Messiah would be “numbered with the transgressors,” and this is exactly what happened (Lk. 22:37). “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” were His words to a repentant thief who hung beside Him. And “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” was His prayer for His persecutors. Though the prophecy appears to end abruptly, it ends appropriately on the note of grace. He is still the Great Intercessor. Put your trust in Him.

-- Brian Reynolds

Alone He bore the cross, alone its grief sustained;
His was the shame and loss, and He the victory gained;
The mighty work was all His own,
Though we shall share His glorious throne.

-- Joseph Swain