Read Isaiah 53
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was
led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
silent, so he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7
In this passage, the Servant is compared to a lamb, which is one of the
frequent symbols of the Savior in Scripture. A lamb died for each Jewish
household at Passover, and the Servant died for His people. Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), and
twenty-eight times in the book of Revelation, Jesus is referred to as “the
Lamb.”
Since Jesus Christ was crucified with criminals as a criminal, it was
logical that His dead body would be left unburied, but God had other plans.
The burial of Jesus Christ is as much a part of the gospel as is His death, for the burial is proof that He actually died. The Roman authorities would not have released the body to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus if the victim were not dead (John 19:38–39). A wealthy man like Joseph would never have carved out a tomb for himself so near to a place of execution,
particularly when his home was miles away. He had prepared it for Jesus
and had the spices and grave clothes ready for the burial (Matt. 27:59–60).
How wonderfully God fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy!
Something to Ponder
In what ways is a lamb a good symbol for Jesus? In each case, can you
make the same application to yourself?