To Read: Isaiah 53:2-6
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.
If you would like to see a purpose statement for all of this suffering from the Messiah, go down to v. 10. It says – “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him.” That’s a tough phrase, but a crucial one. This is God’s plan in saving the world. It starts at Christmas with the incarnation – God with us, Immanuel. But he has come to die – and we will see that portrayed symbolically in the gifts of the Magi that we’ll explore later in the devotional. You cannot separate his birth from his death, and vice versa – because it is all one saving act. His perfect record in obeying God’s will is now credited to you, the believer, so it is important that Jesus has lived a full life. He didn’t just swoop down in the 11th hour and die for you – he lived for you as well.
But this is the purpose of his coming – that he would bear our iniquities, all those who like sheep have gone astray – all humanity. Isaiah’s prophecies span over several decades, and in between the prophecies of the birth of the Messiah, and the Suffering Servant prophecies that encompass the end of his book are many historical interludes, warning to God’s people in Israel and to the enemies of Israel. But it many ways reflects the timeline of the life of the Christ – birth prophecies in the early books, and his death at the end. It’s the same Messiah that is being proclaimed, and both his birth and death are in view. It’s certainly ok to think of Christmas in somewhat of a “gritty” way. Too often we sanitize Christmas – like, isn’t this cute that God would be born to mankind? Remember his suffering from day one, born in a cattle stall, his family’s flight to Egypt, and hardest to take in – the death of those children at the hands of Herod, who was trying to kill baby Jesus. It’s not a Hallmark movie, not even close. Jesus was born into the mess of this life in order to redeem it. It isn’t helpful to think Christ came just to “make things better,” or to “make the world a better place.” This world needs saving – and we individually need saving. He was willing to be that Suffering Servant for you.
Song to Sing: In the Bleak Midwinter
Jamie Cullum recorded a version of this song that is marvelous – give it a listen. This is a song written by the great hymn writer, Christina Rossetti. The lyrics are tremendous – but my favorite is the last verse. It goes like this:
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am? —
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part, —
Yet what I can I give Him, —
Give my heart.
Prayer: Lord, help me to remember this Christmas the magnitude of your coming; it wasn’t just because you were interested in what we’re doing down here – it’s because you see our suffering, our sinfulness, and you say – I will fix it. We thank you for that, Jesus. We thank you for planning our salvation, Lord, and we thank you, Jesus, for obeying the Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Echoes of Eden: Popcorn Balls. Just make ’em; and drop off one at my house.