Isaiah 53 has always been a favorite passage of mine. From the moment I first read it, I was captivated by the description of my Lord. Since my discovery, the text has been my go-to during the Lord’s Supper, as it helps focus my mind on the excruciating nature of my Savior’s death. It is a horrible account, expressing the agony Jesus faced as He was held between heaven and earth, writhing in a pain that should have been experienced by me.
This past Sunday, I was reading this passage and thinking about my Lord. I already have circled all of the words like “our” and “we” in my Bible so that I am forced to focus on the fact that it was my sin that put Him through all of that. However, I had never really taken note of the end of the passage. Usually, my attention is held by the first seven verses, but I was able to continue reading and came to verse 12. I am so glad this verse caught my eye, because it makes my Savior all the more precious to me.
‘Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.”
In a passage that focuses entirely on the Son of God, it ends with me. Jesus went through all that the chapter describes —being forsaken, smitten, mocked, wounded— for me. He did all of that, suffered all the shame and pain, to be able to make intercession for me.
What’s poignant about this thought is that no one interceded for Him. No one came to Jesus’ defense during His illegal trial. No one came to His defense when a murderer was set free so that He would die. Still, He intercedes for us. Before God’s almighty throne, Jesus pleads our case. He is our advocate (1 John 2:1), going before God expressing our need for salvation, understanding all that we go through here on this sinful earth.
Why would He do that? Why, after being put through all that He was by the very ones He created, why would He choose to be our defender? Why would He choose to give us a mansion (John 14:2)? Why would He ever allow me, a sinful, lowly human, to live with Him eternally?
Isaiah 53:12 shows me the immense love that my Jesus has for me. Not only me, though, but for you, too. He loves us so much that He not only died for us, but also now makes intercession for us before the Almighty God. If that isn’t love!
So what will that love produce in my life? When I recognize all that Jesus went through just so that I could be saved – the one whose sin put Him there in the first place – what will that do in my life? Surely it will render me completely obedient to His will! I cut His life short, so now I will dedicate my time on earth as time for Him. His life will become my life (Gal. 2:20). I will give my entire self as a living sacrifice, conforming my will to God’s will, and not to the culture around me (Rom. 12:1-2).
I pray that you will contemplate all of Isaiah 53, noting all that Jesus has done and stands ready to do for you. If you are not living your life as an extension of Him, I beg that you will give your life to Him. It was your place – my place – on that cross. The very least we can do is devote our earthly existence to accomplishing His will. If you are interested in learning more about how to do that, please contact me. I would love to talk to you about Jesus’ will for us!
