Isaiah 53:12 – “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.”
Approximately 750-800 years before Jesus Christ appeared on earth, Isaiah renders a prophecy concerning the suffering of the Messiah that is absolutely astounding in its accurate description of His efficacy. Consider for a moment the depth of His suffering, the effect of His suffering, and the object of His suffering.
Chapter 52 verse 14 tells us that His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness (NIV). Such depth of suffering! Couldn’t there be an easier way? Why would Jesus have to undergo such human distortion, such wreckage of the flesh? I think it is here where we may get a deeper understanding of just how horrible sin is. It mangles, perverts, and twists out of shape the image of God. We were not meant to look like that. Jesus absorbed the full impact of sin and this is what it looks like.
Ah, but the effect of such suffering. It is summarized in verse 5: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Such a price for such a glory! Forgiveness, peace, and healing are acquired through our Savior’s sacrifice.
The text above will suffice for the object of His suffering: “And He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Do you see the love of God here? We pray all the time for good people. But He interceded for the rebellious. He prayed for the sinful. He poured out His soul for you and me while we were far from Him. No wonder they call it Amazing Grace.
When you get a few minutes turn to chapter 53 of Isaiah in today’s Old Testament One Year Bible reading. If you don’t have access to a One Year Bible go to www.lifesourcechurches.com and check out the One Year Bible page and its links. You will be able to read it in its entirety. You will get so much more out of it than I can share in this short devotion today. And I believe you will live today with a grateful heart for all that Jesus accomplished for you.