June 19, 2021
What does it say?
God’s Servant brought healing and peace by taking the punishment of the wicked for their transgressions. After suffering, He will justify and make intercession for many.
What does it mean?
This passage prophesies the rejection, suffering, and glorification of the Lord’s Servant. His sacrifice, although a future event, is stated in past tense. God’s work of salvation was already complete. According to God’s will, His Servant took the brutal punishment for every sin. No one is without guilt in His death because “all have gone astray” from God like sheep wandering from their shepherd. The Servant’s death and resurrection made peace with God possible, ending the need for further sacrifice. The Lord’s Servant will no longer be despised and rejected, but glorified and highly exalted.
How should I respond?
We often shy away from passages in Scripture that describe the brutality associated with the death of Jesus. Today’s passage causes us to pause and consider the cost He paid for the sins of the entire world. Each of us played a part in His death. It was as much our own sin that caused Jesus’ suffering as it was those there the day He was crucified. What is your reaction to the death and resurrection of Christ? Have you made peace with God through His sacrifice? You are accepted because He was rejected. Who do you need to tell today about salvation through the suffering Servant, Jesus?