Meditation: Isaiah 53 Video provided by: Westside Church
Hundreds of years before Jesus came to Earth, the prophecies of Isaiah foretold his coming in stunning detail. Meditate on the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning our glorious savior in this new video message. The text of the passage read in the video is below:
Further study: Go deeper to learn about the Christ who was prophesied by exploring our “Portraits of the Christ” series of online interactive studies
Isaiah 52:13-53:12: The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
so he will sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
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.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
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.
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered,
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.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Further study: Go deeper to learn about the Christ who was prophesied by exploring our “Portraits of the Christ” series of online interactive studies
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Music by Trifonic
Isaiah 53 is my favorite Scripture passage, and as I watched this video and listened to the meditation being read, many different thoughts went through my mind: Who is the young man in the video? Is he suffering? Does he believe in Jesus? Is his faith strong? Has he chosen to walk a straight and narrow path in following Christ, as the rails represented to me, or has he chosen to go his own way, as the people in the “rat race” rushing to and fro seemed to suggest?
I could not help but ask myself, “What about my own faith? Do I take the sacrifice of Jesus seriously enough? Or do I take God’s mercy and grace for granted? Do I really hear the message that Jesus was CRUSHED as a sin offering for me? What am I willing to change to become a more serious follower of Jesus? How does Jesus see my faith? Am I comfortable with the level, the depth of my faith? Would I answer the same way if I knew Jesus were coming back tonight? Do I care about the ‘stranger’ on the train, the bus, the sidewalk, sleeping in the street? What am I willing to do to bear Jesus’ burden?” All of these thoughts go through my mind as I meditate on Isaiah 53, and I have to confess that I do not get a passing grade on my answers to the self-questions. I need a faith tune-up and a spark from the Holy Spirit. I need deeper prayer time with my Saviour.
Thanks so much for this meditation.