Isaiah 53:3-5 - LOVE AND SACRIFICE SUPREME.
Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV) He is despised and
rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from
him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV) He was despised and
rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar
with pain. Like one from whom people hide their
faces he was despised, and we held him in low
esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our
suffering, yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken 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 on
him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:3-5 (NLT) He was despised and
rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest
grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the
other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our
sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his
troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for
his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our
rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we
could be whole. He was whipped so we could be
healed.
INTRODUCTION
How could an Old Testament person understand
the idea of Christ dying for our sins (our
transgressions and iniquities) - actually bearing the
punishment that we deserved? The sacrifices suggested
this idea, but it is one thing to kill a lamb,
and something quite different to think of God's
chosen servant as that Lamb. But God was pulling
aside the curtain of time to let the people of
Isaiah's day look ahead to the suffering of the
future Messiah and the resulting forgiveness made
available to all mankind. [Life Application SB]
It was to redeem us that Jesus lived and
suffered and died. He became a Man of Sorrows,
that we might be made partakers of everlasting
joy. God permitted His beloved Son, full of grace
and truth, to come from a world of indescribable
glory, to a world marred and blighted with sin,
darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. He
permitted Him to leave the bosom of His love, the
adoration of the angels, to suffer shame, insult,
humiliation, hatred, and death. The chastisement of
our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we
are healed. Isaiah 53:5. Behold Him in the
wilderness, in Gethsemane, upon the cross! The spotless
Son of God took upon Himself the burden of sin.
He who had been one with God, felt in His soul
the awful separation that sin makes between God
and man. This wrung from His lips the anguished
cry, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken
Me? Matthew 27:46. It was the burden of sin, the
sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation
of the soul from God - it was this that broke
the heart of the Son of God.
But this great sacrifice was not made in
order to create in the Fathers heart a love for
man, not to make Him willing to save. No, no!
God so loved the world, that He gave His
only-begotten Son. John 3:16. The Father loves us, not
because of the great propitiation, but He provided
the propitiation because He loves us. SC13
COMMENTARY PEARL
He Bore It All
Then the soldiers bowed before Jesus and
made fun of him, saying, Hail, King of the
Jews! They spat on Jesus. (Matt. 27:26"31)
The soldiers assignment was simple:
Take the Nazarene to the hill and kill him. But
they had another idea. They wanted to have some
fun first. Strong, rested, armed soldiers
encircled an exhausted, nearly dead, Galilean
carpenter and beat up on him. The scourging was
commanded. The crucifixion was ordered. But who would
draw pleasure out of spitting on a half-dead
man?
Spitting isnt intended to hurt the
body - it cant. Spitting is intended to
degrade the soul, and it does. What were the
soldiers doing? Were they not elevating themselves at
the expense of another? They felt big by making
Christ look small.
Ever done that? Maybe youve never spit
on anyone, but have you gossiped? Slandered?
Have you ever raised your hand in anger or rolled
your eyes in arrogance? Have you ever blasted
your high beams in someones rearview mirror?
Ever made someone feel bad so you would feel
good?
Thats what the soldiers did to Jesus.
When you and I do the same, we do it to Jesus
too. I assure you, when you did it to one of
the least of these my brothers and sisters, you
were doing it to me! (Matt. 25:40 NLT). How we
treat others is how we treat Jesus.
Oh, Max, I dont like to hear
that, you protest. Believe me, I dont like to
say it. But we must face the fact that there is
something beastly within each and every one of us.
Something beastly that makes us do things that
surprise even us. Havent you surprised yourself?
Havent you reflected on an act and wondered,
What got into me?
The Bible has a three-letter answer for
that question: S-I-N.
Allow the spit of the soldiers to
symbolize the filth in our hearts. And then observe
what Jesus does with our filth. He carries it to
the cross.
Through the prophet he said, I did not
hide my face from mocking and spitting (Isa.
50:6 NIV). Mingled with his blood and sweat was
the essence of our sin.
God could have deemed otherwise. In
Gods plan, Jesus was offered wine for his throat,
so why not a towel for his face? Simon carried
the cross of Jesus, but he didnt mop the
cheek of Jesus. Angels were a prayer away.
Couldnt they have taken the spittle away?
They could have, but Jesus never
commanded them to. For some reason, the One who chose
the nails also chose the saliva. Along with the
spear and the sponge of man, he bore the spit of
man. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
COMMENTARY
The Blackest, Darkest Friday of All
The term Black Friday originated in the
financial markets of the United States when two
speculators were trying to manipulate the market for
their own benefit. It worked. They were
artificially inflating the price of a respected commodity
until the government came in and stabilized the
situation.
That started a tumble that took no
prisoners, and people lost millions of dollars. The
date was September 24, 1869, and the commodity
was gold. History remembers that day of infamy
as Black Friday.
But the blackest Friday wasnt
September 24, 1869. The blackest, darkest Friday of
all took place in the first century. It was the
day that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the
sins of all humanity.
We call this day Good Friday, and it is
good because of the potential changes that can
come as a result of it - if we put our faith in
the One who died there for us.
The Bible tells us, But He was wounded
for our transgressions, He was bruised for our
iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5
NKJV).
All of our sins were transferred to
Jesus, so we wouldnt have to bear them. And why
did He do that? Because He loves us.
Hebrews 12 gives us insight into what
kept Jesus going as He faced the horrors of the
cross: Because of the joy awaiting him, he
endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is
seated in the place of honor beside Gods
throne (verse 2 NLT).
What was the joy awaiting him? You were
that joy. I was that joy. We were the reason that
He went to the cross of Calvary. Jesus paid a
debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we
could not pay. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
The God Who Suffers
When we think of God, we usually consider
the fact that He is righteous, holy, loving, and
good. But here is something else to consider about
God: He is the God who has suffered. We dont
tend to think that a perfect Creator would
experience such a human trait as human pain and
suffering. After all, why would you suffer if you did
not have to?
But God has suffered, and more deeply
than any of us could ever imagine. In his book
The Cross of Christ, John Stott said, Our God
is a suffering God. And I think he is
right.
Listen to Isaiahs description of what
Jesus (who was God) went through at Calvary:
He is despised and rejected by men, a
Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
Surely He has borne our grief and carried our
sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by
God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His
stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3"5)
A man of suffering. That was Jesus.
But why did God suffer? Because He loved and
loves. That means He also enters into our suffering
as well.
Hebrews 2:17"18 tells us:
Therefore, it was necessary for him to
be made in every respect like us, his brothers
and sisters, so that he could be our merciful
and faithful High Priest before God. Then he
could offer a sacrifice that would take away the
sins of the people. Since he himself has gone
through suffering and temptation, he is able to help
us when we are being tempted (nlt).
You are not alone in your suffering
today. Jesus has been there and walked in your
shoes and He is here for you right now. Call out
to Him. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
A Suffering Savior
Why did Jesus have to suffer as He did?
We understand that He had to be nailed to a
cross because the Bible prophesied this. But why
did He suffer?
We follow a suffering Savior. In fact,
Isaiah 53 gives this description of what Christ
went through: He is despised and rejected by
men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; ...
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our
sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by
God, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:3-4 NKJV).
Then Isaiah gives us the reason Jesus
suffered: But He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His
stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV).
You see, Jesus voluntarily suffered in
our place. Its hard for us to think of a
perfect Creator going through something as human as
pain and suffering. But God has suffered more
deeply than anyone could imagine. Thats why the
Bible calls Jesus a Man of sorrows. He
suffered because He loves us.
This also means that He can enter into
your suffering as well. Maybe youre in a state
of personal anguish today. Theres something
that is causing you a great deal of pain. Jesus
has been there. He has walked in your shoes.
Hebrews 2:17 tells us, It was
necessary for him to be made in every respect like us,
his brothers and sisters, so that he could be
our merciful and faithful High Priest before
God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would
take away the sins of the people (NLT).
Don't think that God is disconnected from
what youre facing. Jesus has faced it. He has
experienced it. He understands. Youre not alone in
your suffering today. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Perplexities
Ravaged by a degenerative nerve disease,
my friend John is no longer able to sit up. Not
long ago, on his bed in the middle of the night,
he got some unexpected visitors. An ant found
him. Then others. Then thousands, fanning out
over his body... and he was too weak to call out.
The next morning the nurse threw back his
blanket and gasped. His entire body was red and
badly bitten. Those of who know John were shocked
and aghast. How could God allow this to happen
to one of His children?
To be honest, I have wondered the same on
many occasions. We ask, "Why God?" But clear-cut
answers aren't always easy to discern. When we
honestly ask God the "why" question, he doesn't give
us answers as much as he gives us himself. If
you are the One at the center of the universe,
holding it together so it doesn't split apart at the
seams, if everything that lives, breathes, and has
its being in you, you can do no more than give
yourself. And God has done that! In order to defuse
our anger over the suffering of loved ones, we
must focus on a greater suffering - Jesus on the
cross.
Some people look at John's life with all
he suffers and think, How does God get off the
hook on this one? But John knows the answer. He
keeps pointing people to Jesus. As someone once
said, Jesus is God on the hook.
Have you been asking the "why" question
lately? Instead of allowing the question to push you
away from God, let it push you deeper into his
arms. The God who gave the greatest Gift delights
to give more and more of himself.
Father, you know and understand the
perplexities of my heart. When my mind can't trace your
ways, may my heart simply trust in your love.
[Joni Eareckson Tada Daily Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
He Carried Our Sorrows
Nobody likes to be sad. No Christian
welcomes grief. So aren't you glad that Jesus carried
our sorrows when he went to the cross?! But
sorrow did not cease with the death and
resurrection of Christ. Think of the apostle Paul who
confessed to "great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my
heart" over the spiritual lostness of his race. He
also described Christ's apostles as "sorrowful,
yet always rejoicing." Jesus' death did not
hinder him from saying, "Blessed are you who weep
now." It did not hinder James from advising us to
"grieve, mourn and wail" when we sin. Sorrow and
tears, disappointment and grief are written into
God's plan for you and me. To be sure, he lightens
and brightens our days with glimpses of
Paradise; he ladles out foretastes of bliss through a
thousand blessings large and small. But they are all
just that - glimpses and foretastes. We are not
in heaven yet. We are destined to experience
earth's sorrow.
But when tears and sorrow come, we look
to Jesus - he bore to the cross the very tears
you cry. He blamed no one when he felt the
weight of grief and disappointment. He did not
shrink from sorrow, nor sink under the burden of
sadness. The load was heavy and the way was long, but
he persevered. And he gives you power to do the
same.
When we grieve and feel deep sorrow, we
must look to Jesus who endured a greater grief
and sorrow. There's a reason Jesus says "Blessed
are those who mourn" - sorrow forces you and I
to identify more deeply with the Savior when he
carried his cross. If you are experiencing sorrow,
if your tears seem to flow endlessly over a
deep disappointment, remember the Savior. He
persevered. That means you can, too.
When I grieve, thank you, Lord God, for
supporting me with your presence and consolation. My
tears help me to know you better. They drive me
into your comforting arms. Thank you for that.
[Joni Eareckson Tada Daily Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
Living Under the Curse
It is true that disease flows from the
curse God pronounced on us after Adam's rebellion.
It is also true that Jesus came to reverse this
curse. But does this mean Christians shouldn't have
to put up with cancer, Down syndrome, Lyme
disease or Alzheimer's? We'd like to think that
since Jesus came to take up our diseases, there
should be healing for everything from migraines to
menopausal sweats. But that's akin to saying: "There's
an oak in every acorn - so take this acorn and
start sawing planks for picnic tables." Or it's
like saying, "Congress just passed a Clean Water
Act, so tomorrow morning Manhattan residents can
start drinking from the East River." Forty years
will pass before that oak is ready for lumbering.
Purging industrial ooze out of a river will take
decades.
And so it is with Jesus' reversal of
sin's curse (and the suffering that goes with it).
What Jesus began doing to sin and its results
won't be complete until the Second Coming. The
purchase of salvation was complete and the outcome
was settled with certainty. But the application
of salvation to God's people was anything but
finished. God "has saved" us, yet we are still "being
saved" (I Corinthians 1:18). We are still on
earth.., this means we're still going to feel the
influence of that old curse. At least until heaven!
First Corinthians 15:45 calls Jesus "the
last Adam" who came to undo the curse triggered
in the Garden of Eden - but this summer you'll
still be wrestling with weeds in your backyard, as
well as a backache from all that hoeing. Only in
Paradise will it be said, "No longer will there be
any curse" (Revelation 22:3).
Jesus, thank you that you saved me... and
that I am still being saved. I look to that day
in heaven when there will be no more sorrow,
sickness, disease or death! [Joni Eareckson Tada Daily
Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
ONE LINER
When we see Jesus, a Man of Sorrows and
acquainted with grief, working to save the lost,
slighted, scorned, derided, driven from city to city
till His mission was accomplished; when we behold
Him in Gethsemane, sweating great drops of
blood, and on the cross dying in agony, - when we
see this, self will no longer clamor to be
recognized. DA439
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
John 3:16 - LOVE SUPREME!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211206-0816.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
