Our scripture this morning is Isaiah 53:5-6 (NLT).
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
The prophet Isaiah points to the Messiah in many passages. He writes the sad truth “all of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We read “the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all”, a prophecy Jesus would fulfill for us.
After Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection, faithful disciples went into the world to tell us “Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live” (Galatians 1:4). Paul, a former persecutor of the church, became its most famous missionary. We may not be called to far flung places as he was, but we are all called to share the story of Jesus.
Peter writes “For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Jesus told us we would face opposition from the world, which wants its own way rather than God’s way. He promised to be with us through it all, and we know His promises never fail.
Loving Lord, we are amazed at what You have done to rescue us from our sin. Bless us to be the disciples of today, bringing Your word and Your love to all. Amen.
