5 But because of our sins he was wounded,
beaten because of the evil we did.
We are healed by the punishment he suffered,
made whole by the blows he received.
6 All of us were like sheep that were lost,
each of us going his own way.
But the Lord made the punishment fall on him,
the punishment all of us deserved.
7 “He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly;
he never said a word.
Like a lamb about to be slaughtered,
like a sheep about to be sheared,
he never said a word.
8He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die,
and no one cared about his fate.
He was put to death for the sins of our people.
9 He was placed in a grave with those who are evil,
he was buried with the rich,
even though he had never committed a crime
or ever told a lie.”
Reflection: The shocking suffering and death of the servant is foretold in this passage. He was crushed, struck down, oppressed and cut down. And this passage makes it clear that it is all for our sake – with the result being our healing and wholeness. He has borne our infirmities, carried our diseases, was crushed for our iniquities, and has taken our punishment. It is also clear that the Servant was undeserving of this treatment – in silence and ‘although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his
mouth’. Our passage describes what happened to the Servant as a ‘perversion of justice’; it’s exactly the opposite of the kind of Kingdom he’s establishing.
Question: How does Jesus’ experience, as described in the Gospels, echo this passage?
Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your death on the cross for us. Isaiah foreshadows your death so powerfully in our passage today. Thank you for bearing our infirmities and for the healing you bring. Thank you that your Kingdom will not allow for perversions of justice, but will be characterised by true righteousness, justice and peace. Amen.
We are reading
the Bible with Jessica Smith until 24th March.
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