The Light of Resurrection - Pt 7

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 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. 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. (Isaiah 53:4-6 ESV).

There should only be two of the seven candles lit as you begin this devotional. Our reading today is from one of the great passages in Isaiah that refer to the “Suffering Servant.” This was Jesus’ life and ministry. All he did was on our behalf and for our sakes. Take a few moments and listen to the song by Mercy Me, I Can Only Imagine. It can be found at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lrrq_opng). This is the incredible ending to our life because of God’s gift of grace through Jesus. I really cannot imagine how wonderful it will be. It must go well beyond my capacity or it simply wouldn’t have been God doing the work. Today as our devotion gets a bit darker, we must remember the Light that is coming. In order to reinforce this truth, extinguish one more candle. Only one remains. Look at it for a moment. Watch the way it precariously flickers. Feel the loneliness of that small bit of flame in the darkness. It fights to maintain as much light as it can; however, the darkness seems stronger. Can’t you feel how the disciples must have felt that day when Jesus was scourged to near death and parading through the streets of Jerusalem to his certain death? Shouldn’t this be the moment that the angels would come to his rescue? Shouldn’t this be the time that he calls down the full power and might of God to stop this horrible injustice? After all, he did nothing to deserve this. He fed the hungry, healed the infirmed, raised the dead. None of those things should bring this evil to bear in his life. And they shouldn’t. However, those were not the things that made Jesus’ death necessary. He went to the cross for our sins, our failures. Perhaps the first verse children learn in Bible School is John 3:16. We always seem to underscore the love of God in the verse. Spend a moment and look again at what the love cost God. John says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son.” Can you imagine what it will be like when we finally see him in glory? I can’t. I really don’t know whether I will stand awestruck in His presence, or fall to my knees in gratitude; however, I do know that I will be there. I will be there because of Him!