“For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 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. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:2-6 NAS)
It is so easy for human beings to discount the report about Jesus of Calvary fame. He appeared “like a tender shoot” (a baby in a manger). He grew “like a root out of parched ground” (unique and unexplainable). He neither looked like a ruler — nothing about him that would catch your eye — nor attracted others to him. Yet, during his ministry, multitudes followed him.
Not everyone despised him, not everyone rejected him, but the majority did. While we all recognize the realities of life, no one wants to be around someone who constantly lives under the burdens of sorrow and grief. Such realities vividly remind us of our own weaknesses. Naturally, we want to be around those who are positive and excited about life, not someone who is crying all the time. So, despite their reasons for sorrow, we do not choose such people as our leaders.
Yet, it was our sorrows and griefs that burdened him. All the death and destruction of ordinary life on earth resulting from Eden’s deception, he carried on his shoulders. The Jewish people, his family, considered his Crucifixion on Calvary to be punishment from God, but it wasn’t. Rather, Calvary was God’s mercy on mankind. All our sin — the entire load of human iniquity — crushed him. Like arrows our individual sins pierced his soul. God allowed his Son to be beaten by human beings so that human beings wouldn’t have to be punished. And the marks left on his body from those beatings produced healing for all who desire it.
A fantasy? Many claim just that. But the simple fact is this: Every human being, including you and me, have strayed away following our own path. And it is impossible for us to find the way back on our own because of our sinful natures. So, our heavenly Father “caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” and He took it away from us (i.e., removed it as an obstacle). And our freedom is activated by faith in him. No it is not auto automatic. You must believe that He is and that He rewards those who come to him.
Dear Father, thank you for Calvary’s sacrifice on our behalf. Forgive us and empower our faith in Christ. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today in Calvary’s sacrifice,