December 17

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. 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.” Isaiah 53: 4-5 ESV

This is one of four Suffering Servant Songs that prophesied the coming Messiah. It explains how the Holy One will suffer and die for our sins but triumph over death, fulfilling the promises of God.

Isaiah’s words in this passage are shocking. Take a moment to consider each part:

*Isaiah says that the Messiah wouldn’t look majestic or beautiful—so don’t think of Jesus looking like the artistic renderings seen in museums

*The Messiah would be despised and rejected—and one from whom men would hide their faces; he would not be held in high regard

*He would carry our griefs and sorrows—we would think he was punished because of his sins and not ours

* He would be pierced for our transgressions and it would bring us peace and healing

*He wouldn’t cry out in his affliction at death

*He would die next to actual criminals though he had done no violence

Knowing what he would go through here on this earth, Jesus came and suffered for us. He fulfilled every prophecy. He took the rejection, sorrow, and grief so that we could live. He rose after three days in the tomb, was seen by many witnesses before going to the right hand of the Father in heaven. Praise God!

This Advent, look to the one who has already won the fight over sin and death, and prepare yourself the his second coming. Our God fulfills his promises.

Prayer for today:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the words of Isaiah and how they show us that Jesus was the awaited Messiah. We pray for more opportunities to share the good news with people and that our joy of salvation is evident to everyone we encounter. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.