Isaiah 53:10-12

Yet It was the will of the Lord to crush him;

    he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

¹¹ Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

    make many to be accounted righteous,

    and he shall bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

    and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

As we continue to look at Isaiah 53, we read more prophesy about Jesus and his suffering and death for our salvation.  This section starts out talking about “the will of the Lord to crush him”.  That is a difficult thing to fathom.  How can it be God’s will to crush Jesus, his only son? When I read this, it reminds me of how great God’s love is for us that his plan of salvation would involve this level of grief and punishment on someone innocent to “make an offering for my guilt".  But we know that Jesus not only died, but he was raised from the dead and he lives!  And because he lives, we, his offspring will prosper spiritually and eternally.  That is part of God’s will, too!  Verse 11 tells us that Jesus shall “see” or know and understand that by his suffering and “anguish of his soul” we are made or accounted to be righteous because he paid the punishment for our sin.  Verse 12 goes on to tell us that not only did Jesus “pour out his soul to death”, but he was crucified with criminals which reminds us that no matter how much we have sinned, he paid the full price for all of it.  And then this section concludes by telling us that Jesus makes “intercession for the transgressors”.  Wow! That is powerful!  Jesus love for us includes praying for us!  If you remember, Jesus prayed for those who were crucifying him when he said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

So how do we apply this? First, it amazes me that this prophesy about Jesus in Isaiah was written 700 years before Jesus was born.  God’s love and promises in His Word for us are always true.  That is a good reminder for us of the value to read the truth and promises in the Bible daily. As I recall how Jesus suffered pain, anguish, and grief for me and took my place and my punishment for my sin, I feel a humble gratitude.  As we walk through lent, I always find it helpful to reflect on what Jesus did for me and reflect on my response.   Am I truly thankful for what Jesus did for me?  And is it reflected in how I live?  It is so easy to take our salvation for granted and live as if we deserved it because of how good we are.  We certainly don’t deserve it!  But it is so easy to become complacent about our faith and forget about the grace shown to us by Jesus.  

I recently read a book called “The Gospel for Real Life” by Jerry Bridges. The author made the point that we need to remember and think about the message of the Gospel every day. That means not just through lent, but every day of our lives.  In this book, the author tells a story about two men who happened to be kneeling side by side at the communion rail of an English church.  One was a former convict who had served time and was now out of prison. The other was the judge who had sentenced him to prison years before.  After the service the minister asked the judge, “Did you recognize the mam kneeling beside you?”  “Yes, I did,” replied the judge.  “That was a miracle of grace.”  “You mean that a man you sentenced to prison should be kneeling beside you?”  “No, not at all,” said the judge.  “The miracle is that I should be kneeling beside him.  You see, that man knew clearly he was a sinner in need of a Savior.  But I was brought up in a religious home, have lived a decent, moral life, and have served my community.  It is much more difficult for someone such as I to recognize his need for a Savior.  I am the miracle of grace!”

We know we are saved by grace.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  But it is so easy to forget about the cross and God’s grace, and drift toward a performance-based relationship with God.  I’m reminded of what it says later in Isaiah chapter 55:

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
    hear, that your soul may live;

The last phrase in today’s Scripture is truly amazing.  Jesus intercedes (prays) for us!  When I don’t know how to pray, Jesus is interceding for me before my Father in heaven. I’m sure Jesus is praying for me in some areas of my life that I don’t even realize I need prayer.  It is comforting to know that Jesus knows me even better than I know myself.  Because he redeemed me and has now adopted me into his family and called me his own, I know he cares about my life. Speaking of prayer….. let’s close today with prayer.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice on the cross for my sin.  Help me to remember the depth of love you have for me by paying the debt for my sin.  Help me to remember this daily and may my life reflect my gratitude. Thank you for praying for me, too.  Help me to be ready to share your grace and love with others when you give me opportunity. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Paul Hoemann