Isaiah 53:3-5 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Ah Friends, how sad that one without sin, had to pay our sin debt. But Isaiah’s prophecy was made long before Jesus was born. God foreshadowed it; planted the idea centuries before it happened. That’s why Israel kept looking for the Messiah to come and deliver them from their oppression. But they had it all wrong. They expected a mighty warrior King, decked out in full regalia. Instead, they got a lowly, humble carpenter’s son, facing life as an itinerant preacher. Possibly that’s why many never believed when He did show up; their expectations were off course. They expected physical relief, when God intended spiritual rebirth. How could the great Messiah be a simple joe-blow with a bunch of ne’er do wells hanging on to his frock tails eh? Consequently, as Isaiah prophesied, ‘He is despised and rejected of men;’ scorned and abandoned. ‘A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.’ Oh Friends, that was so true of Jesus’ earthly life. He bore much pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally. As Bruh Paul says,’…but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:15) ‘And we hid, as it were, our faces from him: he was despised and we esteemed him not.’ What a crying shame people! Isaiah must have had a real good chat with God on this, because so far, he’s perfect in foretelling the dire circumstances that our Saviour would suffer. Like many of us do, people must have turned their heads, or passed by on the other side of the road when they saw Him coming. So just imagine the hurt Jesus must have felt nuh people. You know how we feel about ingrates. The same ones He came to save, vilifying and literally abusing Him. ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.’ Yes Friends, He did bear our spiritual wickedness. ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.’ (1 Pet.2:24) ‘Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.’ We were so stupid and arrogant, we figured He’d been judged, struck down by God for His own wrongdoing. Ah Friends, what a mistake, what a lie! ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions,’ nailed and speared for our sins. ‘He was bruised for our iniquities.’ Yes, it’s for our immoral and evil ways that He suffered such utter humiliation, not His own, for He was God’s Son, perfect in every way. ‘The chastisement of our peace was upon him.’ For sure people! Our peace with God was procured by Jesus undergoing disciplinary action for us. ‘And with his stripes we are healed.’ Oh Friends, those are possibly the saddest, but also the most joyous words ever spoken: It’s surely sad that Christ had to pay for our sins, but it’s certainly wonderful that He did. And it’s only because He was willing to be our scapegoat, by the shedding of His Holy blood, ‘who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification,’ (Rom.4:25) that we can talk about things like salvation and eternal life. So please, please Friends, let’s not forget all that Jesus has done for us. Let’s show some gratitude nuh; shower Him with thanks and praise, and walk humbly in His footsteps. That’s all he asks of us. Much LOVE!…compared to what He’s done for us…Jesus asks very little in return…
Ah Friends, how sad that one without sin, had to pay our sin debt. But Isaiah’s prophecy was made long before Jesus was born. God foreshadowed it; planted the idea centuries before it happened. That’s why Israel kept looking for the Messiah to come and deliver them from their oppression. But they had it all wrong. They expected a mighty warrior King, decked out in full regalia. Instead, they got a lowly, humble carpenter’s son, facing life as an itinerant preacher. Possibly that’s why many never believed when He did show up; their expectations were off course. They expected physical relief, when God intended spiritual rebirth. How could the great Messiah be a simple joe-blow with a bunch of ne’er do wells hanging on to his frock tails eh? Consequently, as Isaiah prophesied, ‘He is despised and rejected of men;’ scorned and abandoned. ‘A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.’ Oh Friends, that was so true of Jesus’ earthly life. He bore much pain and suffering, both physically and emotionally. As Bruh Paul says,’…but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ (Heb.4:15) ‘And we hid, as it were, our faces from him: he was despised and we esteemed him not.’ What a crying shame people! Isaiah must have had a real good chat with God on this, because so far, he’s perfect in foretelling the dire circumstances that our Saviour would suffer. Like many of us do, people must have turned their heads, or passed by on the other side of the road when they saw Him coming. So just imagine the hurt Jesus must have felt nuh people. You know how we feel about ingrates. The same ones He came to save, vilifying and literally abusing Him. ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.’ Yes Friends, He did bear our spiritual wickedness. ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.’ (1 Pet.2:24) ‘Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.’ We were so stupid and arrogant, we figured He’d been judged, struck down by God for His own wrongdoing. Ah Friends, what a mistake, what a lie! ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions,’ nailed and speared for our sins. ‘He was bruised for our iniquities.’ Yes, it’s for our immoral and evil ways that He suffered such utter humiliation, not His own, for He was God’s Son, perfect in every way. ‘The chastisement of our peace was upon him.’ For sure people! Our peace with God was procured by Jesus undergoing disciplinary action for us. ‘And with his stripes we are healed.’ Oh Friends, those are possibly the saddest, but also the most joyous words ever spoken: It’s surely sad that Christ had to pay for our sins, but it’s certainly wonderful that He did. And it’s only because He was willing to be our scapegoat, by the shedding of His Holy blood, ‘who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification,’ (Rom.4:25) that we can talk about things like salvation and eternal life. So please, please Friends, let’s not forget all that Jesus has done for us. Let’s show some gratitude nuh; shower Him with thanks and praise, and walk humbly in His footsteps. That’s all he asks of us. Much LOVE!…compared to what He’s done for us…Jesus asks very little in return…
SCRIP-BITS 