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1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?[a]
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[b] by men,
a man of sorrows[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e]
and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]
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 wounds 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.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;[g]
when his soul makes[h] 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[i] 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,[j]
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[k]
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. |
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A Free Salvation that Cost God Everything
Darin Hoffmire
Most of us can relate to the difficulty of patiently waiting on some expected or anticipated event in our lives. Remember with me the excitement you felt waiting on the arrival of a special mail ordered package…or for the gardener/farmer, the thrill of a ripening crop after much tender preparation, planting, watering and weeding… or the patient waiting on results from medical tests in order to determine the extent of a health concern? You see, the nature of the event we are anticipating greatly shapes our perspective while we wait.
Advent is a season of “expectant waiting” and a time of filling our hearts with anticipation for the birth of our Messiah. It’s a season for being mindful of God’s many promises both fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. As we await the celebration of Christmas, we are also longing for the day Christ will return to the earth once again.
Isaiah 53 is a prophetic passage well suited for the Advent season and well suited to shape our perspective as we wait. It provides for us a photo or a picture of the substitutionary death of Christ some 700 years before it happened. We’re familiar with the idea that a “picture is worth a thousand words” and we all know it to be true. In this case, the prophet Isaiah uses words to paint a painfully real picture of the future suffering of Christ on our behalf. Although there are many valuable truths to be extracted from this passage, what stands out the most to me is the horrific price that was paid by our loving God, in order to atone for our sins. Isaiah writes that Christ was “despised and rejected” (v3), “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities” (v5). “He was oppressed and afflicted”, “chastised”, “wounded” and “oppressed”. Why all of this pain, humiliation, and suffering? According to verse 11, the Son of God endured much in order to credit the believer’s account with “righteousness” and intercede for our transgressions (v12). |
As you read this chapter, consider your responses to these three questions:
- Has your debt been paid? If so, who in your life might you share this good news with? If not, why not make this Advent season the one that causes you to accept the gift of the substitutionary death of Christ?
- As you ponder Isaiah 53, consider the depth of sacrifice our Lord made on your behalf and the warm radiance of His love for you. What will be your response? How might you be led to adjust your perspective, your priorities and your attitudes?
- Verse 6 tells us that all of us have gone “astray – every one – to his own way”. In what ways are you most tempted to "go your own way”? In light of this Advent season, how do you plan to bring yourself into a greater submission to Christ?
In light of the suffering of Christ, prophetically shared in Isaiah 53, develop a prayer expressing gratitude for the depth of God’s love for you. Confess any tendency you have to go your own way, to be a “wandering sheep.” Ask God to strengthen your desire to be wholly devoted to Him. |
