Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
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.
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
***************************************************
I am currently reading "Living the cross centered life" by C. J. Mahaney. Mahaney pointed out that even though we can watch "The Passion Of The Christ" we can never quite see and really feel what Christ did for us. I believe as I think C. J. does the closest we can get to seeing Christ as He was on that cross is by reading this passage of Scripture. I read it for the first time and was taken aback with the word phrasing and the reality of what my Savior did for me! Sin, forgiveness, Christ for that matter, after reading this should make everyone take what Christ did more real. Sin is nothing funny, Christ went through ALL this for US to SAVE us from that sin. This is a picture of TRUE love.
It makes me think how dare I deny Christ for whatever reason. How dare I only give half of my heart. My friend in youth group gave an illustration that I will NEVER forget! She said picture Christ holding you in His arms. Covering us. Now picture demons and distractions and sins around us. When we listen and obey those evil things in this life, it's like we are taking a knife and stabbing our Savior all over again! Yet, Jesus STILL holds us! AMAZING!
Hopefully this passage from Scripture will change your life. If it doesn't make you feel something, I honestly do not know what will.
In Christ,
Natalie Joy
