Life, Life, and More Life
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Isaiah 53
Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him. He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. Justice miscarried, and he was led off—and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man. Even though he’d never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn’t true. Still, it’s what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him. Out of that terrible travail of soul, he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many “righteous ones,” and he himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore, I’ll reward him extravagantly—the best of everything, the highest honors—Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of the black sheep.
This version of scripture today is from “The Message” translation. I received this bible version for my birthday and I’m just thrilled! It’s pretty far from the King James version, but the worship leader at Lake Junaluska this summer used this translation and I really like it. I would not use it as a primary source of scripture, but as another perspective, another way of gaining insight into “the Word.” Especially in the Old Testament, this translation is helpful. So I used it this morning, for a change.
Are there times you’ve experienced” terrible travail of soul”? Most of us have if we’re committed Christians. We face situations in our lives that seem just impossible to deal with, unbearable. When we’re in the midst of it all we can’t imagine being glad OR certain that “it’s worth it.” So how do we do it? How do we do what’s right and not falter? How do we do what’s hard and not turn back in retreat? How do we see it all to its conclusion? The answer is within these words today. We give it to Jesus. We know he will take it, because he already demonstrated his willingness to do so. We believe he’ll be there with us because he sent the Holy Spirit. We trust that we’ll not only survive, but thrive and come out the other side stronger, surer, and even more committed in our faith.
And through our own suffering, we become better servants and ministers to others who suffer. Through our pain, we can comfort others. Through our struggle, we can support and encourage those in difficulty. Through God’s love and the gift of his son, we are strong enough and wise enough to be there for the others in this world who need to feel that love and bask in the glow of salvation and healing only possible to achieve in one way.
Like Jesus, no . . . because of Jesus, we too will be rewarded extravagantly! He bought us heaven with his obedience. He purchased eternity with his pain. He won us freedom from sin and unloosed the chains of our human-ness. So how do we “do it?” How do we make it when we don’t see any way out? How do we get up and live our lives and do what we need to do even when we don’t feel like it? Look to the cross. That’s the only way. It’s the only way we need! Look to that cross. And remember the empty grave.
I hope you spend your day today in the shadow of the cross, empowered and comforted by the gift of God’s son, and the promise of the empty grave.
Mary
