When you think of humility, you might picture someone quiet or unassuming—but Isaiah 53 paints a far deeper, more powerful image of humility than we often imagine. Written hundreds of years before Christ’s birth, this prophetic passage reveals the heart of our Savior: the suffering servant who would lay aside all glory to bring salvation to mankind.
In this message, Pastor JD Howell draws our attention to Isaiah 53:1–3, where we see Jesus described not as a conquering king, but as a “tender plant” and a “root out of a dry ground.” These verses remind us that while the world often overlooks or despises what seems small and weak, God’s greatest work is done through humility. Isaiah opens with a haunting question:
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1)
Just as in Isaiah’s day, the world was too distracted to notice what God was doing. People missed the message. When Jesus finally came, most rejected Him. The crowds loved His miracles but ignored His message. Even at the cross, soldiers gambled at His feet while the Son of God died for their sins. And yet, through that rejection, God displayed the ultimate example of humility and love.
Isaiah’s prophecy reminds us that humility is not weakness—it’s strength under control. Jesus Christ willingly stepped into obscurity and rejection to accomplish our redemption. His humility is not only a model for us to follow but a mirror revealing our own pride and busyness. Like those in Isaiah’s day, we too can be guilty of rushing past what truly matters.
Let’s look at three lessons from Christ’s example of humility in Isaiah 53:2.
1. Our Circumstances Don’t Dictate Our Standing
Isaiah wrote, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground.” (Isaiah 53:2a)
Jesus’ life began in the most humble circumstances imaginable—born in Bethlehem to a poor couple, raised in the obscure town of Nazareth, a place so small that Nathanael once asked, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Yet the Son of God was not defined by His surroundings.
The village of Nazareth had no reputation, no wealth, no prestige. It was a forgotten town—but it was chosen by God. The humility of Christ’s beginnings was no accident. It was a divine design. God delights to bring greatness out of smallness, beauty out of barrenness, and glory out of what the world calls insignificant.
Just as the dirt of the mine didn’t lessen the worth of the world’s largest diamond, the “mud” of Nazareth didn’t diminish the worth of Christ. In the same way, the humble place where God has planted you doesn’t define your value. Whether you’re serving in obscurity, struggling financially, or walking through a dry season, your standing is not determined by your situation—it’s determined by your Savior.
2. Our Situation Doesn’t Reflect Our Heritage
Though Jesus lived in Nazareth, He was never truly “of” Nazareth. His heritage was from heaven. So often, believers long for recognition or fight to prove their worth. But Jesus never demanded acknowledgment or defended His reputation. He didn’t correct the crowd when they mocked His humble background. He simply continued His mission with quiet strength.
Our world teaches us to build an image—to present the best version of ourselves. Yet humility teaches us to rest in who we are in Christ. Just as Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret remained daughters of the king even when living simply during wartime, we too remain children of the King regardless of our surroundings.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” (John 1:12)
Your worth doesn’t come from your title, your income, or your reputation. It comes from your relationship with Jesus Christ.
3. Humility Reflects God’s Heart
From the manger to the cross, everything about Jesus’ life radiated humility. He was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). Yet through His humility, God’s power and love were revealed to the world.
The same is true for us. The seasons of dryness, difficulty, or insignificance are often the soil where God’s greatest work begins to grow. The quiet seasons, the times when you feel life is the driest, are often the times when His plan takes root.”
Christ’s humility calls us to a higher way of living—to set aside pride, slow down, and sit at His feet like Mary did. It’s there, in stillness and surrender, that we see who He truly is and who we are in Him.
Conclusion
Isaiah 53 shows us that humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself—it’s about thinking of yourself less and Christ more. Jesus’ life began in poverty, continued in rejection, and ended in sacrifice, yet it fulfilled the perfect plan of God.
Just as God planted His Son in the humble soil of Nazareth, He often places us in humble seasons to grow something eternal.
Reflection Question:When was the last time you slowed down to truly reflect on the humility of Christ—and how can you display that same humility in your life this week?
