Through the Deep Waters -- March 17th

Isaiah 53

This passage clearly points us to Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer. It begins with a question, actually two questions. The first question is: Who has believed the report about Christ, who is the only way out of sin and into right-standing with God. The passage tells us several clear things about Christ as the Suffering Savior...

1. Jesus Died FOR OUR SINS. Do you believe this Report? The passage says that he was wounded for our transgressions. That he received the "Whoopin" that brought us peace with God. It also tells us that the Lord laid on Christ the iniquity of all who believe. This is the testimony of scripture that God sent Jesus to save his people by dying in their place.

2. GOD PUNISHED Jesus as the Sacrifice for Our Sins. The passage also teaches us that the Lord was pleased to punish, bruise, and crush Christ. Sinful men carried out the plan of almighty God. It was God who put Christ through the misery and grief of the cross. It was God who put him on the altar as a sacrificial lamb to atone for the sins of his people. Do you believe this Report?

And the second question is: To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. The second question actually answers the first question. The one who believes this report is the one to whom the arm, which means the saving power of God in Christ, has been revealed. Those who believe have witnessed something that others have not as of yet. They've been made to see the truth. The text speaks of our blindness in this way:

To the natural mind without spiritual illumination, Christ has no beauty or natural appeal that would attract us to him. Without divine light the bible says that regardless of what he has done for us we will never esteem him as we should. Without revelation we'll never give him the glory and the honor he deserves. We, if left to ourselves are prone to think great thoughts about our careers and academic achievements, our cars and houses, our friends and families, our bank accounts and investments, our plans and dreams and only small and even despising thoughts about Jesus as our Savior.

Prayer: Father help us to see the beauty of Christ and to know the weight of what he has done for us more and more. Left alone we esteem him not, but with your light shining in us we see him as he is: Our Hope and Redeemer...