Thursday, September 27

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018


"Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)


Isaiah 53 represents the clearest and most complete prophecy regarding the Messiah's crucifixion, written at least 600-plus years before His appearance. The specificity and rawness of these words jolt us on reading them, even if we have considered them before. The depth of suffering that Jesus would endure on our behalf compels us to worship and to give thanks for His tremendous love.

The text suggests that, even though we were not present at the time of His crucifixion, we substantively joined with the crowd: "... we considered him punished by God,/ stricken by him, and afflicted." As a result of our sinful nature -- just as the crowd in Jerusalem exhibited such a nature -- we may have echoed and amplified their cries of "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" This reality brings to mind Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The crucifixion emerged only from God's tremendous love and compassion.

While Isaiah 53 does focus on the crucifixion, it also suggests a Resurrection:

"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:10,11)


Through His suffering, Jesus guaranteed victory. Rising from the dead, He showed His vanquishing of death and sin. He had answered His calling and fulfilled God's promises to His children, the faithful of every tribe, tongue, and language. As Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 1:20, God's promises are real in Christ: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God."


Lord God, thank You for completing Your promises to us through Your Son's suffering on the cross. Thank You for solidifying these promises through the continuous sermon of the empty tomb. Give us hearts and courage to proclaim this truth today and to live honorably and reverently before You today. Help us to remember that Your victory is complete and assured. We love You and worship You today. In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.


"Death Was Arrested": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMsMiluCUUI


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