SATURDAY, AUGUST 27
Isaiah 53:7-10
Psalm 28:1-9

"Unto thee will I cry,
O LORD my rock…"

STEP BY STEP TO HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Here is a marvellous description of how the Suffering Servant was led to His death step by step. Isaiah 53:8 : "He was taken from prison and from judgment…" MacRae renders it "an oppressive judgment" which gives the sense Jesus was the victim of judicial murder. We have Pilate’s triple declaration: "…I find in him no fault at all" (John 18:38;19:4, 6). It is by such unjust judgment that we are released from condemnation. In order to achieve our release, He allowed Himself to be accused without a murmur (Isa 53:7).

"…who shall declare his generation?…" (Isa 53:8) is a rhetorical question on His having no posterity, for was He not cut off at such a young age? For our sakes, He was cut out of the land of the living. For our transgressions He was stricken. His substitutionary atonement! Isaiah 53:10 reveals that the Servant’s suffering in the above manner is according to God’s plan. This truth is expressed in Revelation 13:8 : "…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." His sacrifice was a sin (guilt) offering for our sakes, which once again emphasizes the sinfulness of sin. No one can cure this spiritual cancer except this Suffering Servant by the shedding of His precious blood. The generations and generations of His spiritual descendants are here declared of all who will come to trust in Him. The seed of the Christ are the Christians!

"…he shall prolong his days…" (Isa 53:10) refers to continuing life in Him, that He would not die like men, but will rise from the dead, i.e. the Resurrection! This was given infallible proof by His appearances to the disciples for forty days before He ascended on high.

THOUGHT: "Hallelujah, Christ’s ascended, Seated now on God’s right hand: Salvation by Him perfected, From the dead He rose in triumph!" (Chia Yu Ming)
PRAYER: May I always remember Thy sufferings and death for me.

Posted in Adult RPG