Tuesday, March 2
In Isaiah 52:13 God’s Servant is highly exalted, but without warning, the next verse describes His appearance as so disfigured He cannot be recognized as one of the “sons of men.” The New Testament describes the factors that marred Jesus’ appearance, including scourging, a crown of thorns, crucifixion, but, above all, bearing the sins of the human race. Sin was never intended to be natural for humans; bearing it made the “Son of Man” appear inhuman.
Compare this with the story of Job, who suddenly plummeted from a position of great wealth, honor, and power to a miserable wretch sitting among ashes on the ground and scraping his painful sores with a potsherd (Job 1, 2). The contrast was so great that not even Job’s friends recognized him at first (Job 2:12). The question is: Why does Job suffer? Why must God’s Messiah suffer? Neither deserve it. Both are innocent. Why, then, the suffering?
Read through the verses for today and write down the places where the theme of the innocent suffering for the guilty appears. What is the essential message there for us?
Look at the questions in Isaiah 53:1. These questions emphasize the challenge of believing the unbelievable (compare with John 12:37-41) and warn us to sit down for the rest of the story. But the questions also imply an appeal. In this context, the parallel between the two questions implies that the Lord’s arm/power of salvation (compare with Isaiah 52:10) is revealed to those who believe the report. Do you want to experience God’s saving power? Then believe the report.
Look carefully at Isaiah 53:6. What is the specific message there? What is that text saying to you, personally, that should give you hope despite your past sins and failures?
