Sunday, March 23, 2008

Resurrection Day

Today is the best day of the year. Today is the day we celebrate the fulfilling of Isaiah 53.



1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been
revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him , nothing in his appearance that
we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with
suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we
esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him
stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 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.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and
LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like
a lamb to the slaughter, asn as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did
not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his
descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the
transgression of my people he was stricken.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though
he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the
LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his
days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his
knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their
iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils
with the strong, because he poured out his file unto death, and was numbered
with the transgressor. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession
for the transgressors.


This is one of the greatest chapters in all of Scripture! God was pleased to crush His own Son and to number him with the transgressor. That's me!!! And He numbered him with the transgressor so that he could make intercession for the transgressor. That's me too!!! Christ became all of the diseased part of my hardened heart. He became everything that I am so that I could be everything that He is. There is no single thing in this world that deserves a celebration more than that fact! How I trample on this great truth of freedom every day by not living in that truth. However, the fact that I fail to have joy and freedom in this truth every second of my life is over shadowed by another great truth from Scripture. . . "But God."

These two words sum up our helpless state. I am a transgressor, but God has sent His only Son to bare my transgressions and give me a robe of righteousness. I continually transgress His Law, but God raised His Son from the dead to continually make intercession for me. I drift from his word and get carried away by the distractions of life, but God works in my heart, soul, and mind to restore me.

Now that's hope!

Happy Resurrection Day!

2 comments:

Jeri Tanner said...

That really is hope..."but God"!

Thanks Stacy, great article. Happy Resurrection day to you all, too!

Marsha said...

Amen!