Isaiah 53:1-6

Isaiah 53:1-6  "¹Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? ² For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground, he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. ³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised ,and we esteemed him not. ⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. ⁶ All, we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all! 

Wow, what a text! Written approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus and yet so accurate is the description of the Passion of Christ! We need look no further to determine that the Bible is inspired by God! Who else could have predicted these events so accurately! 

Verse three speaks of a man of sorrows despised, rejected and acquainted with grief. There is a song by Hillsong that says:  "by His own betrayed, The sin of man and wrath of God Has been on Jesus laid. Silent as he stood accused, beaten mocked and scorned, bowing to the Father’s will, He took a crown of thorns!"

When I was a young lad I always questioned my dad about these verses and the events they foretold. I always thought it was so unfair what our Jesus had to endure. I was like the

defiant Peter who cut off the high priests ear. I wanted to stand up for Jesus. My father patiently explained that Jesus HAD to endure this to pay the price for our sins and the sins of the whole world, and even the sins of those past like Adam and Eve in yesterday’s blog.

Alas, all we like sheep have gone astray and it still happens to each of us every day, a thought, alteration of the truth, an eye gone astray. But Jesus paid it all! His blood on that cursed tree was sufficient for every misdeed of every person who ever lived!!

A later verse of the before referenced song says: "Now the curse of sin has no hold on me, whom the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed!" Did you catch that? We are free indeed; free from the penalty of sin; now we can enjoy the peace that passes all understanding; we can worship and praise our Lord with all we are and have, because Jesus paid it all!

My prayer is that all at Alive In Christ know this Jesus and trust Him for their salvation!

Man of Sorrows, Song by Hillsong

Elder, Gary Riedel