“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)
Yesterday when you read through the verses above, did you see how many times the word “our”, “we” and “us” are mentioned? These verses written almost 800 years before Jesus are not only a prophesy about the Messiah and His “inconvenient” act of sacrifice; they also describe the human condition as the sole reason for it. In other words, this Scripture is talking about Jesus and…you. The true impact of the crucifixion cannot be experienced unless we realize our personal involvement in the death of our Savior. It is only when we embrace that it was “for our sake” that we can see the power of the cross.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
The Lenten season not only reminds us of our mortality but it also reminds us of our need for supernatural intervention. It is when we realize our desperate situation that we run to the cross as our only hope. It was our pain that He took. It was our sufferings that He bore. It was for our transgressions that He was pierced. It was for our iniquities that He was crushed. We are to blame. It is because of our sin that Jesus died. “All we, like sheep…” No one is exempt.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23,24)
Today take time to reflect on your part in the crucifixion of Jesus. Humble yourself before the Lord who gave Himself up for you. Thank Him for taking the consequences of your sin in your place so that you might have peace and healing. Allow His forgiveness to encourage you this day. Sing or speak the words to this hymn written by John Newton in the late 1700’s:
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.