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 53:5
Christ Crucified – Isaiah 53:1-6
As we get closer and closer to Easter, I thought it might be really cool to look at where the Old Testament prophets spoke of Christ’s passion. The suffering He experienced on His way to the cross. The pain of Christ’s sacrifice is recorded in several places in the Old Testament. A couple of the most descriptive include Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
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 by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
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. Isaiah 53:1-6
Pain with a Purpose
Jesus was pierced and crushed for our benefit. He knew what was coming and yet He endured it because He could see beyond the pain of the cross to the joy of its purpose – our salvation!
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
He experienced our pain
He bore our griefs and sorrows (Is. 53:4). Jesus took on our pain and punishment. He knows what it is like to be betrayed, suffer, experience heartbreak and loss, and even die at the hands of evil men who were serving their own desires. When we are going through pain, we can seek solace in the arms of Christ, who has experienced our pain and sorrow. He can comfort us like no one else can.
Peace after in the middle of pain
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 53:5
Jesus paid for our peace. When we go through pain, we don’t have to surrender our peace. It is bought and paid for. Peace in the middle of pain demonstrates our trust in the Savior who was wounded that we might be healed and restored to relationship with God.
Action Step:
Read through Isaiah 53 again and look for the events and descriptions of the Passion Week. Long before it happened, God spoke to His prophet Isaiah and showed what the Messiah would endure. Thousands of years before we were born, God knew we would need Jesus to pay the price for our sin. He saw our pain and separation from Himself and made a way for us to be restored. Let’s thank Him today for all He has done!
What did you think about Isaiah 53? Share your thoughts about today’s devotional or post a pic of your journaling under Lent for God’s Love Week 6 or post on Instagram and tag me @devoinaction!
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you for sending Your Son for us. Thank You for being willing for Him to experience such incredible suffering for our good. Help us never to take it for granted. Help us not surrender the hard-earned peace that Jesus paid for so we might live in it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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