April 3, 2022
This week we read Isaiah 40-53. Remember, the first 39 chapters of Isaiah talked about Judah’s rebellion and judgement as a result of their action. In the last 27 chapters, Isaiah shows us how God loved us so much that he was going to send a Servant to die on a cross so that we have forgiveness for our sin.
Before we discuss Isaiah 53, let’s go back to Genesis to discuss the first prophecy about Christ. In Genesis, man sinned against God by eating fruit from the forbidden tree. Because of this, God put a curse on man, woman, and serpent. Genesis 3:15 describes the curse God gave to Satan, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers; he will crush[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.” What we learn from this is that from the moment man sinned, God had a plan for redemption. You see, “her offspring” was Jesus Christ. Jesus’ heel would be struck by Satan, but Jesus would crush Satan’s head. Jesus’ heel was struck by the affliction he had during the crucifixion. Jesus crushed Satan’s head by raising from the dead and having victory over sin and death. This was the first prophecy of Christ.
Isaiah also has several prophecies about Christ. Isaiah 53 is very specific about Christ’s crucifixion. Here it is,
“Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.“
Isaiah goes into great detail about Christ’s crucifixion over 700 years prior to the actual event. It was as if Isaiah was there. And Christ fulfills His purpose. 1 John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
As we head into the Easter season, remember the real reason we celebrate. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Christ not only died for our sins, but rose from the grave so we could have eternal life with Him.
What can you do this Easter season to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ? Going to church is great way to celebrate. Is there anything else you could do? Share different ways you celebrate Christ during the Easter season.
Here are a few fun celebration we have done. When our kids were young, we read the Easter Story and had the kids find the Eggs that represented Christ. The final egg was empty to represent the empty tomb. We have celebrated Passover by having our own Messianic Passover meal with friends and family. We have had Easter meals with family and friends.
Next week we will finish the book of Isaiah by reading chapters 54-66.
Diving into the Bible 