#350 - Kyle Thompson // The King No One Expected

A conquering king with an army feels like the obvious answer but Isaiah 53 says the Savior won’t look like that at all. We open the chapter and let it collide with our instincts: the servant grows like a young plant out of dry ground, with no outward majesty to draw crowds, and he is despised, rejected, and marked by sorrow. If you’ve ever equated strength with spectacle, this passage is a jolt. 

We walk through why that disconnect mattered so much in the world Jesus entered. In the Second Temple period, many expected a son of David to drive out Rome, restore the throne, and establish Israel’s dominance through force. Then Jesus arrives as a baby in a manger, raised in an unremarkable town, with no political clout and no military backing. His ministry centers on people society writes off, and even his hometown takes offense. We connect those reactions to John 12, where John quotes Isaiah to show that disbelief and rejection are not random, they fulfill the prophecy. 

We also slow down on a phrase that’s easy to skim: “acquainted with grief.” This isn’t theoretical suffering. We talk about Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb and the crushing turmoil of Gethsemane to show a King who knows pain from the inside and chooses to bear it rather than dodge it. The result is a clearer picture of the Messiah God sends, and a direct challenge to what we demand from leadership and power. 

If this encouraged or challenged you, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a five-star rating and review so more men can get equipped for the fight.

Support the show

Want to connect? Email [email protected]