Who believes what we've heard and seen?
Who would have thought
God's saving power would look like this?

The servant grew up before God—
a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.

He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.

But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.

We're all like sheep
who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing,
gone our own way.

And God has piled all our sins,
everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.

He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.

Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?

He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn't true.
Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.

The plan was that he give himself
as an offering for sin
so that he'd see life come from it—
life, life, and more life.

And God's plan
will deeply prosper through him.
Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many "righteous ones,"
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
the best of everything, the highest honors—

Because he looked death in the face
and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders
the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

Isaiah 53
Message Bible

Faith Expressed In Love

“For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus,
it makes no difference to God
whether we are circumcised or not circumcised.
What is important is
faith expressing itself in love.”
Galatians 5:6 NLT
(emphasis added)


The cross . . .
the ultimate expression
of faith and love!

Jesus
seeing the end result
expressed His faith
in love

mocked
spit on
beaten beyond recognition
a crown of thorns
spikes driven through His wrists
and His feet
He died
to pay the price
the sacrifice without blemish
for me
for you
all without a word

Jesus expressed His faith
in love
How can I not?

“This is my command: I loved you.
This is the very best way to love.
Put your life on the line for your friends.
You are my friends
when you do the things I command you.”
John 15:13 Message Bible


“This is how we've come to understand
and experience love:
Christ sacrificed his life for us.
This is why we ought to live sacrificially
for our fellow believers,
and not just be out for ourselves.”
1 John 3:16 Message Bible

Loved . . . Chosen . . . Adopted

“Long before
he laid down earth's foundations,
he had us in mind,
had settled on us
as the focus of his love,
to be made whole
and holy by his love.
Long, long ago he decided
to adopt us
into his family
through Jesus Christ.
(What pleasure he took in planning this!)”
Ephesians 1:4-5
Message Bible


Long before . . .
God loved me
you

Long before . . .
God decided to adopt me
you
into His family

as His
very own
valuable
eternal person

whole

holy

through Jesus’
death
burial
and resurrection

“And this
gave Him (God)
great
pleasure.”
NLT

Think about this!

How great a love is this
that God
would sacrifice
His only Son, Jesus
for me
for you

and it gave Him
great pleasure!?!