Isaiah 53 (2)

Father God, thank you for this is the day that You have made and we shall be glad and rejoice in it in the name of Jesus, Amen. Thank you LORD.

This chapter is one of the most profound chapters in the Bible as it speaks of the Son of God's earthly experience here on earth that ultimately redeemed us from the power of sin and death. In previous chapters, we see the LORD God through the prophet Isaiah referring to Jesus Christ, as His Servant (Isaiah 52:13). Chapter 53 starts off with the question, "Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1 NKJV). I believe this question is an invitation to God's salvation because the LORD draws us to Him by invitation and not by coercion.

In Isaiah 53:2, we see the Lord Jesus described as One with no beauty that we would not desire Him. Furthermore, Isaiah 53:3-4 shares more about Jesus' earthly experience, "He is despised and rejected by men, a man of many sorrows and acquainted with grief...He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted."

You may notice that the words 'despised' and 'afflicted' recurr in this chapter. We also see that Jesus fully man and yet fully God, clearly did not have the most amazing human experience. This was expected because this world is not His home. But consider friend, what kind of love would willingly endure the shame, despising, the affliction, the painful death on the cross all so you can experience freedom from the bondage of sin and have eternal life at home with Him and God, the Father in heaven.

Isaiah 53:5 tells us that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and by His stripes we were healed. Isaiah 52:14 expresses the brutality that Jesus endured while on the cross dying for our sins and he says, "...So His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men;". Can you imagine experiencing excruciating pain to the point of no recognition. I'm sure you cannot imagine it and this is the whole point. God in His expression of love sent someone, and not just anyone but God, sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ so that He would bear every sin of mankind so that all who receive the free gift of salvation would be saved and reconciled to relationship with the Father and redeemed from the power of sin, death, hell and the grave.

Isaiah 53:10-11 (NKJV) tells us, "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities."

The same way Jesus bore our sin in His body on the cross is the same way He bore our sickness in His body so we can live whole and healthy lives. The same way Jesus bore our sin in His body is the same way He bore our griefs and sorrows so that we may experience joy. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV), we also see that the "Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." Ultimately, friend, there is nothing you are experiencing that Jesus never experienced in His earthly body. This is what makes Jesus a faithful High Priest who is always interceding on our behalf and willing to offer grace and help to those who approach Him in their times of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Personally, I'm always humbled by the truth that Jesus willingly died for the sin of the world. Hebrews 10:6-7 (NKJV) demonstrates the willingness of Christ "In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come in the volume of the book it is written of Me - to do Your will, O God."

Jesus' will to die for the sin of the world was not coerced, but His will was completely born out of love and obedience to the LORD God so that mankind could experience eternal life and be one with God, the Father again as God's original intention when He created the first man in the garden of Eden.

I'll end with this Word found in John 16:33 (NKJV)

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

AMEN, thank you LORD.

Invitation to salvation: The blessings found in Isaiah are for God's children who are a part of His family and in case, you would like to join God's family by receiving His gift found in His precious One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. Please say this prayer;

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever. Thank you Father that because the Son has made me free, I am now free indeed." AMEN.

NOW REJOICE, THE LORD HAS REDEEMED YOU!- Amen.

In case, you have received God's free gift of salvation, join a church community and get water baptized.