The passage in the first reading is part of the so-called fourth or last Servant Song of Israel. In the Church, it has traditionally been seen as a prophecy of the passion of Christ. For many biblical commentators, the Servant symbolises the nation of Israel, which undergoes suffering at the hands of its enemies. This suffering, however, has a positive purpose. It focuses on the transformation of the Servant from extreme humiliation to a state of immense glory. The Servant was given up to be put to death, and although had done nothing wrong, was placed among the wicked. His life was given as a sacrifice for the sins of others. The mission of the Servant was to accept the suffering which he did not deserve, and in doing so, serve as a model for the whole world.

For Christians, the model of the Suffering Servant was exemplified by the person of Jesus, whose suffering and death were also understood as a sacrifice for the sins of others. This is why in the Book of Hebrews, Christ is portrayed as the unique high priest whose one-for-all sacrifice of himself for the sins of humanity accomplishes what the elaborate sacrificial rituals of the ancient Israelites could not. Through his sacrifice, Jesus inaugurates a new covenant of love, accomplished through his suffering and death.