The Suffering Messiah

Isa 53:3-5
He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 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.

When we look at this prophetic utterance regarding the death of Jesus on the cross, we see a man who is rejected, despised, stricken, and afflicted.  These are the sufferings of Jesus Christ on that day some two thousand years ago.  But the question often comes up, “Why did Jesus have to suffer?”  I did an internet search on the question; and got 342,000 results!

But after looking through about 100,000 of the answers (OK, I’m joking – I only looked at five!), something became clear:  All of the reasons that Jesus had to suffer boil down to one thing – US.  You and I.  Look at the words of the scripture in Isaiah:

• He has borne our griefs
• carried our sorrows
• He was wounded for our transgressions,
• He was bruised for our iniquities;
• The chastisement for our peace was upon Him
• by His stripes we are healed

Jesus Christ suffered the cross for you and I, that through His suffering and death, we would be reconciled to God, and have eternal life!

Phil 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Join us Sunday as we look to the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross.

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay