Day 53

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10)

Isaiah is such a unique book. Isaiah is one of the most commonly quoted prophets in the New Testament. There have been times while I was reading Isaiah this past week that I thought I had slipped into the epistle to the Romans! But here, in chapter 53, we see the vivid crucifixion of the coming messiah. A picture of future hope is painted and our faith is increased.

But what matters most? Look at verse ten and you see that it pleased God to make his soul an offering for sin. II Corinthians 5:21 declares "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Jesus became sin by bearing on himself the wickedness of the world. In doing this God poured out the full cup of his wrath on his own Son Jesus. It was the only way for us to be saved. Someone had to carry that burden. But God took responsibility for what had become of his own creation: He loved us; he died for us.

Christian, this is your hope.

Jay Silvas