In the midst of their exile, Israel is reminded that they are like sheep that have gone astray, but that there will come One who will go like a lamb to the slaughter for their transgressions.
Isaiah
53
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 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.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our 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 its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
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 an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
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.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
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.
At the outset of Jesus’s ministry, John the Baptist utters these profound words “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29. Those who were paying attention at the time would have realised the reference to this section of Isaiah’s prophecy. It never ceases to amaze me how this prophecy was so absolutely fulfilled in Jesus. Some sections that stand out:
tender shoot – God could have chosen to appear among us as a fully grown adult, but Jesus came as a baby and went through the same stages of life that we do.
no beauty or majesty – Joseph and Mary’s home couldn’t have been less majestic, the bulk of Jesus’s life was spent as a humble carpenter.
despised and rejected – His enemies gathered against Him, and even His closest friends, the disciples, ran away. Others mocked and spat on Him.
he did not open his mouth – Jesus did not retort to the accusations of His enemies. He did not call down armies of angels to save him. He offered up His life.
our pain.. our suffering.. stricken.. afflicted.. pierced.. crushed.. – The Cross. What more can one say!
The light of life – His resurrection, our hope, our victory over death.
Will justify many – His righteousness makes us righteous, God the just, makes us just.
Made intercession – Jesus is our great advocate and pleads on our behalf. He continues to intercede for us by the presence of His Spirit.
Head: Find other sections of today’s passage that really “get to you”. Have a go at making a mind map or word cloud by writing the phrases in the middle of the page and then around them, write things from the life of Jesus that fulfil that phrase.
Heart: Work your way through your map or cloud and give thanks for the Lamb of God who endured all things that we may become children of God.
Hands: Find somebody to share your map or cloud with, maybe over a cup of tea or coffee. Help them to Behold the Lamb.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for so perfectly fulfilling this prophecy. Thank you for pouring out Your life for our transgressions, thank you for being the Lamb of God. I pray that I will live today remembering that You have justified me, that You make intercession for me, and that You shine the light of life on me. Thank You! Amen.
A song to listen to: Man of Sorrows
Nicole Davenport
This Grow Daily was originally posted as part of the Bible in 10 series in 2017. During the School Holidays we take the opportunity to look back at the best of Grow Dailys over the years.
