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July 29th

The bible reading today is in Isaiah chapters 49-53.

Our reading is God using Isaiah to prophesy about the coming Savior...the Messiah...Jesus Christ.

I agree with CH Spurgeon when he said, “There is no greater declaration of the gospel of Christ in the Old Testament than what we find in Isaiah’s writings...especially Isaiah 53.” But before we get there, let’s look in chapter 49 and learn of Christ’s mission, from heaven to earth and back.

“Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver, he hid me away.

Then the Father says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49

Coastlands, land of the Gentile, Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah’s mission would include Jew and Gentile.

The Lord called me from the womb and gave me a name...” remember your new testament reading. The angel to Mary...you will bear a son and you will call his name Jesus...because he will save his people from their sins.” and I will make you a light to the nations that my salvation may reach around the world.

The Virgin Mary, Jesus conceived in the virgin’s womb, and the announcing angel would give Mary the child’s name. Jesus, He would be the Savior of all who believed Him, including people of every tongue and nation in the world.

Now to Isaiah 53 Messiah Savior through suffering...

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:3‬ ‭

Isaiah said that the Messiah Savior God would walk the earth, be despised and rejected by men (who claimed to know the scriptures ). They should have recognized Him but instead, they called Him a liar, a lunatic, a blasphemer, and worthy of death. That was Jesus.

Isaiah said that the Messiah would be a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. That too was Jesus. After all the miracles he performed. After all the lives he changed for good. His own people esteemed him not, but rather cried out, “Crucify him...Crucify him.” Jesus knew sorrow “from people” and “for people” and his grief was so real that he sweat drops of blood in the garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified.

Isaiah was speaking of our Jesus 800 years before he was born in Bethlehem and before he died on Golgatha’s hill outside the gates of Jerusalem.

One more piece of Isaiah’s prophesy of the coming Savior God...“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:5‬ ‭

So many Jews have missed this very clear word picture of the gospel of God. The good news of the Messiah.

So many just couldn't believe that death to the Messiah could be good news to them. The Messiah would be the conquering king, not the suffering servant.

But suffering servant he was, at his first coming. With His wounds, we were healed of our sin condition and given new life. The chastisement for our sins that we rightly deserved was placed on Jesus instead. And by Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice, we could have peace with God forever.

Isaiah said that the Messiah would be pierced snd crushed for our sin, not his own. Remember the spear thrust into his defenseless side while He hung by nails on the cross? Jesus was pierced. And crushed like a worm from the beatings and the suffocating that crucifixion applied to the body. Jesus strained for every breath until his last one...”It is finished!”

Jesus did the work that the Father sent him to do. A saving work. By his death for you and me fellow follower. Praise the Lord...be inspired by the rest of the story now...

Have a great day