Isaiah 53:6- 

"All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." (v6)

Here is raw truth. The truth that each of us must admit and we must confess..  We have that sin nature.. handed down from Adam.. and we are all guilty.  We want it OUR way.  We want to live life on our own terms. We want to make our decisions, even if they are terrible..  We " all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Yet the God who created heaven and earth, Who has knit each of us together in our mothers' wombs, God who is altogether Holy.... chose to send His Son:

To cause "the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." (Isaiah 53:6b)

Jesus was "oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth." 

As the song goes.. "He could have called 10.000 angels.."  He could have opened up the earth to swallow those who beat Him. He could have destroyed every enemy.  But, He didn't. In obedience to the Father, Jesus "poured out Himself to death".  So that He could "justify the many".. so He could bear our iniquity. 

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." ( Romans 5:6)

Precious truths that give us hope and peace and life. 

Father in heaven, Your will be done.. on earth as it is in heaven.  You know every one of Your sheep.. even those who are lost. You sent Jesus to seek and save those dear ones. Thank You for the Word. Thank You for the gospel "for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."  Help us all to believe in our hearts and confess with our lips, that Jesus Christ is Lord. May many more have their eyes opened to see Your glory.. today, I pray.. in Jesus' name . Amen. 

 Isaiah 53:1-5

  "Who has believed out message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"  The apostle John quotes this passage saying.. "that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke... These things Isaiah said, because he saw His glory and he spoke of Him." ( John 12:38-41) 

"the arm of the Lord"  was revealed.. in Jesus.  His strength.. His help.. His mighty power.. has been revealed.. but who will believe?  Jesus "performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him; " John wrote.. for their eyes were blinded, their hearts were hardened.. " Lest they see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.." ( v40) 

Jesus came " as light into the world that everyone who believes in [Him] may not remain in darkness."  He "came to save the world".  He came that we might have life. Eternal life.  He came to be "the arm of the Lord".. revealed to us.. 

He was the "tender shoot" who came from the root of Judah. 

He had no "stately form or majesty" 

"He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised and we did not esteem Him." 

The arm of the Lord - the might, strength, power, and help of the Lord, Creator of heaven and earth - was revealed in a despised, forsaken, man of sorrows... in Jesus. 

"In fact, it was our diseases (griefs) he bore, our pains from which He suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed." (v4-5 CJB)

The might of the Lord our God.. revealed in Christ who suffered and died for us.. What a powerful, beautiful, wonderful Name .. the Name of Jesus. 

Oh Father, no greater love can ever be known, no greater grace can ever be shown.. than what happened that day, when Jesus laid down His life that we might live.  How can we ever thank You enough?  Our praises rise up to You forever and ever.  You have revealed Your might to us, You have opened our blinded eyes.. You have healed our stubborn hearts.. You have forgiven our sin.   Thank You Father..  All praise and glory to our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit..  Amen. 

 Isaiah 52  The Lord calls for His people to wake up and get ready.. for He will provide redemption. "Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, 'Here I am.' " (v6)

Good News! Redemption came to Israel and it comes to us.. news of "peace and .. happiness."  News that "Your God reigns!" (v7)

God would restore Zion then and He will restore Zion again. (v8)

God comforted His people then.. and He will comfort all of us again!

God "bared His holy arm".. "That all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God." (v10) 

God declared Himself their leader and their "rear guard". ( v12)  And He has not changed!

God's Servant came. But, in a way they failed to recognize.. even though He declared it plainly here in the words of Isaiah.  " So His appearance was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men. thus He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand."  ( v15)

As we reflect on yesterday, Palm Sunday.. and anticipate Good Friday.. it is fitting to read these words, to think about the sacrifice of our Savior... marred.. pierced.. scourged.. crushed.. poured out as a "guilt offering".. "Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sins of many and interceded for the transgressors." ( 53:12)

Father in heaven, Holy God, who bared Your arm.. Who sent Your Son.. to redeem, to restore, to take all of our sins on a cross.. for us. We exalt and lift high the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Lord, You reign and we rejoice! Thank You for the cross. Thank You that in the crucifixion of Jesus, we are crucified to the rule of sin, self, and satan.. forever and ever. Amen!  Draw us nearer. Fill us with Your love and grace. May we hear and understand, may we see clearly Your glory and majesty.  In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Isaiah 51  Although Judah has "drunk from the Lord's hand the cup of His wrath.. "  He is not finished with His people.  He reminds them of who they are and of Who He is. 

"Look to the rock from which you were hewn.. "  They needed to remember that they came from Abraham and Sarah. That, God had promised Abraham, to multiply his descendants and to bless them.  God would do everything He said He would do.  They needed to "pay attention"!

"My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples."  God has provided all that He promised. In Jesus Christ we find salvation. In Him we are made righteous. He drank the cup of God's wrath for us.  He will judge the nations.  He is a perfect Savior! Hallelujah!

"Lift up your eyes to the sky, then look to the earth beneath; for the sky will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die in like manner, but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not wane.  ( v 6) 

He made a way for Israel to cross the sea.  He made a way for us to cross from death into life. When all else is gone.. including the sky above us and the ground beneath our feet... still there will be God.  

"I, even I am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who is made like grass; that you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth..." (v12-13)

"I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name). and I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'" ( v15-16) 

Father in heaven, Holy and Righteous God, You alone made the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.  One day, You will destroy it all and only those who are in Christ will remain, for salvation in Him is forever.  By Your love You sent Your Son so that we would not perish but have everlasting Life. Thank You gracious Lord! Help us to pay attention. Help us to put away fear of those things that are only temporary. Help us to not put our hope in anything except Your eternal Word. We are comforted in Your Truth. Praise and honor and glory to our God and to the Son in whom we have life.  Amen. 

 Isaiah 50  The Word of God brings us hope.. and like the psalmist I am clinging to its Truth.. "I put my hope in your word." ( Psalm 119:74, 81, and 114).  

Here in Isaiah 50 are words that bring me precious hope:

".. Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver?" (v2b) The answer is no, never.. there is nothing that our God cannot do! He has the power to save! Hallelujah!

"Behold, the Lord God helps me; who is he who condemns me?" ( v9) No one.  We are safe in the arms of our Father in heaven who will never leave us or forsake us.. who does not condemn, but saves. 

The Lord sent His Servant, Jesus, to save us from our sins.  Jesus was perfect in obedience to the will of the Father.. "I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting." (v6)  He gave His life.. willingly.. for us. 

Jesus has brought to us - hope.  Paul wrote.. "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end." (Romans 6:11)   "... In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." ( 6:17-20)

We have a "better hope".. a "living hope"  because Jesus is our Hope. 

Father in heaven, I put my hope in You and in Jesus Christ my Redeemer.  You are the God of grace and salvation. You can redeem us and You can deliver us.. from all sin, from death, and from the lies and deceptions of our enemy.  My prayers rest in Your Word.. unchangeable and an anchor for my soul.  I pray that You would bring hope to my loved ones who are in desperate need.. deliver them, save them, I pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Isaiah 49  Written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, the Lord God, presents His Servant.  He would be brought from His mother's womb, named by His Heavenly Father, given a "mouth like a sharp sword" and made like "a select arrow".  His words and actions would be precise and would display the glory of God. 

Jesus is "a light of the nations". He came so that His salvation would "reach to the end of the earth".  But, when He came, He was despised by His own people.  The Redeemer was "abhorred by the nation".  Yet, even this achieved God's purpose, for His death on a cross paid the ransom for all who sin.. for us all who will put our trust in Him. 

A day is coming, when Jesus will return.  This time "Kings shall see and arise, princes shall also bow down.."  

"Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted." ( v13)

God's promises will be fulfilled.  This is our comfort.  When Israel speaks in verse 14, she thinks she has been forsaken and forgotten, but the Lord comforts her and us... "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;"

He will not forget us. He will be our God and our Savior forever.  We can know Him and wait on Him with confidence and hope.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior. 

Father in heaven, I needed to hear Your voice this morning, to know You have not forgotten or forsaken me.  I need to know Your Presence and compassion, Your love and power today.  "You are my hiding place and shield".  Please keep me in Your perfect peace as my mind is stayed on You.  Thank You that there is nothing impossible for You. Thank You that You hear our cries and bring hope. I will trust in You, wait on You, and worship You today and every day.  Lord help me to be faithful always.  In Christ... I live and pray. amen. 

 Isaiah 48  Israel is the personification of stubbornness.  They used God's name but "not in truth nor in righteousness".   The Lord said this about them... "... I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead bronze.. ."   Hard-headed and stiff necked!  I know a few people like that, don't you? 

Because of their stubbornness the Lord told them what was going to happen, so that when it did, they couldn't deny that it was from Him.  He did the unexpected, the unpredictable, and the miraculous things so that they would see His glory.  He did it when He redeemed Israel out of Babylon.. and He did it when He gave His Son, Jesus. 

Because of their stubbornness, they were tested but not cut off.. "I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory, I will not give to another." (v10-11)

The Lord desires His people to obey His Word.  He desires to bless them with righteousness, to redeem them, and to give them joy. That is His desire for all of His creation. 

Why are we.. all of us.. so stubborn?  Why do we refuse the grace that God is willing to give?  Why is it so hard to trust in the God who created us?  Why do people choose wickedness, when they find no hope and no peace?  We need to look to Him and trust in His Word.  Lord, help us!

Father in heaven,  You are the Lord of hosts, the Holy One... the Lord my God and I bow before You. "Let my heart be pure in your laws; so that I won't be put to shame. I am dying to know your salvation; my hope is in your word." ( Psalm 119:80-81 CJB)   My hope is in You.  Forgive us our trespasses.. our stubbornness and sin. Forgive our unbelief and pour out your grace and mercy on us.  How great is the glory of God, the Lord who is my God and Father. Thank You for all that You have done and all that You have promised.  I will trust in You. Lord, by Your Hand, will You change hearts and minds so that more people.. my loved ones too...  will come to know You, worship You and love You with all their hearts?  In Jesus'  name I ask this, amen.