When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he referred to him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The prophet Isaiah foretold what this sacrificial lamb or suffering servant would do for us. The message of the manger always leads to the cross of Christ. Jesus did not remain a baby; he came to fulfill the Father’s plan by living a perfect life and dying for our sin to reconcile us to God. Reconcile means to bring back together on right terms.
Isaiah 53
53 Who has believed what he has 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 pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds 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 guilt,
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.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
What would the servant of the Lord look like? (2)
How would people treat him? (3) What would happen to him? (4-5)
How would he respond to the things that were done to him? (7)
What would be the result of his suffering?(10-12)
THOUGHT QUESTIONS:
Why would God’s servant be rejected and despised?
Would you be willing to suffer and die for people who rejected and despised you?
Explain.
Why was Christ willing to suffer for sinful people?
What have we gained through Christ’s willingness to suffer and die? (Romans 5:6-11)
PRAYER:
Thank Jesus for having such a great love for you and all people that he was willing to suffer and die. Thank him for taking your sins on himself that you might be forgiven and find peace.
FOCUS VERSE: Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.