Lamb Of God

This is a re-post of something I did back in November of 2010-it is very appropriate for this week. 

Today I am thankful that God put the book of Isaiah in the Bible-but I am particularly thankful for Isaiah 53. In our Bible Study we women have been studying the book of Isaiah for the fall session. Last evening we finished our study and will be taking a break for the holidays. We ended our study of Isaiah with a long and deep look at chapter 53. I am very familiar with this chapter-and most of you who have been Christians for any length of time are too. Sometimes I am amazed at how some familiar passage of scripture that I have read and studied over the years will just "blow my mind" when it is turned and tossed and meditated upon at length and in depth. Isaiah 53 contains some of the most precise and clear language ever written about the Lamb of God-the Lord Jesus Christ. The Suffering Servant who would bear the iniquity of His people. It was written about 700 years before He was born. EVERYTHING about His life and his death is capsulized in these 12 amazing verses.

Isa 53:1-12

1 Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.   

3  He was despised and rejected by men;a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;  when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

ESV

Here are a few of the riches that we were  able to glean from our study last night.
1. We noted that the verb tenses constantly changed from past-present and future.

2. We saw that the Lord was an ordinary looking man in his appearance. vs. 2

3. We saw the doctrine of the total depravity of the human race. vs 6

6. We saw the doctrine of Particular Redemption. vs. 10-12-note that His offering atoned for Many

7. We discovered that the doctrine of election is there in vs. 10-11(note also Jn. 6:37)

8. We noted that some of the key words in the passage give us a deeper understanding of what Jesus suffered for His people. Words like despised- afflicted-wounded-crushed-oppressed. He was despised and oppressed by men and wounded-crushed and afflicted by God!

9. We noted that after his work of redemption was accomplished for his people His soul was satisfied. We discussed this in some depth but just meditate in your heart on the fact of Jesus looking at all He has accomplished and being SATISFIED! Heb. 12:2

10. We came to the conclusion that no human on the face of the earth has ever suffered more than our Savior. Rejected by man-rejected by God as He took the full cup of God's wrath for sinners. We came to the understanding that we have a great High Priest seated at the right hand of the Father who is there making intercession for us 24/7(Heb. 7:25). We saw in our study that He understands  every suffering and heartache we will ever have to endure in this life. Our suffering can NEVER be compared to His--but He is with us, and sympathizes  and keeps us in ours. 

Isaiah 53 is an excellent meditation for Easter week.


1 Cor15:3-4