Skip to main content

Lent Day 39

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 52:13-53:12


The fourth and final Servant Song is one that we are most familiar with because it is often quoted in the New Testament. It presents an image of the Servant of God as one who must suffer hardship and persecution and ultimately death. This is contrary to what Israel believed about God and his servant. The Jews were expecting a mighty, majestic Messiah who would come and defeat their enemies and rule with strength and force, but that is not the picture that Isaiah gives us here. 


We learn in this passage that the Servant of the Lord was not really anything special or impressive, he was rejected by men, and he was all too familiar with suffering and pain, and "he poured out his life unto death" (vs. 12). Our Savior suffered and died for us, not just for us, but because of us. Jesus endured the cross because it was the Lord's plan to save the world through the redemptive death of his son. Could God have chosen another way to forgive us and restore us to a right relationship with himself? Yes, but he didn't. He chose to use the cross to point the way home to him. 


The depiction of the servant in Isaiah 53 is also a reminder to us that if we are truly disciples of Christ then we must take up our own cross and follow him. We have believed a lie if we think that living for God is going to be easy, happy, and never have problems. If Christ experienced the things that Isaiah 53 mentions then why do we think that we won't? God is with us when things are good, but he's also with us when things are bad, the same way he was with Jesus. 


Bill Leonard writes, "The life of the living Christ is with us, even in the darkest places of our lives. So let us come once more to the cross and observe with trembling the suffering God-despised, rejected, rejected, wounded, and bruised. And perhaps with him, in the midst of our own suffering, we shall be made whole. Who would ever have believed it? A suffering God! Hallelujah!"


Prayer: Father, thank you for your servant Jesus who suffered and died so that I might have a relationship with you. Help me to see you in the midst of the darkness and suffering of my own life and cry out to you for help.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grieving With Hope

This past week has brought a sense of heaviness in my heart. My oldest child graduated from high school. She has achieved all that I could have possibly dreamed she would up to this point in life. To say I'm proud is an understatement. Completion of high school also means that life in our family is shifting. It won't quite be the same because she will experience a new season of life that will bring fresh experiences and countless life lessons. As I've talked to Cyd the last few days we both agree we feel a sense of sadness while simultaneously finding our hearts filled with hope for what is to come for our graduate.  Truthfully, the heaviness I feel is linked to other factors. For starters, this week marks 11 years since my Dad died from pancreatic cancer. I'm not a big death anniversary kind of person, but reaching a milestone with a child makes you miss a parent even more. The interesting thing about grief is that for most people, not a day goes by that you don't ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lent Day 25

                                                                                         Scripture Reading      Ezekiel 34:1-24 Ezekiel was a prophet who lived during the time when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and thousands of Israelites were taken back to Babylon to live in exile as refugees. In addition to the Jews who had been taken into captivity, other Jews had been scattered throughout the Middle East.  This passage is both a critique of the leaders of Israel for their selfishness and poor leadership of the people of God, and a message of hope in the coming restoration of the people of God. The hope of this passage is that God will place a shepherd over them like David (vs.23). This does...
Post a Comment
Read more

Small Town Funerals

Over the last few days Bulloch county has laid to rest some incredible people. While I didn't get a chance to attend all the funerals, I had the privilege to attend one and officiate at another one. As I reflected on those events yesterday evening, it struck me the way people of faith handle funerals in a small town. Death brings with it all sorts of emotions which means that funerals and memorial services are a mixture of tears and sadness and joy and celebration. You will see and hear the flood of tears that grief brings and the laughter and joy that our hope in the resurrection brings all within a span of minutes if not seconds. We hear warnings of not trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior, while hearing shouts of "amen" and "hallelujah" at moments of affirmation for our lives and faith.  I've never lived anywhere but the south, so I can't speak with authority on how other regions of the country handle these type of events, but most of these occasions ...
Post a Comment
Read more