Daily Dose of the Word of God - Isaiah 53: 1-6

Kelly Day, Director of Coffee Break Bible Study

Transcript

Kelly Day  0:09 

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the Word of God. It's Tuesday, December 17. Today's reading is from Isaiah 53, 1 through 6.

Kelly Day  0:20
 
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.

Kelly Day  1:27  

Thinking back 22 years ago, I had just had my first born son. I remember that first Christmas being so special. My husband and I were so in love with this cute little baby boy and dreamed of all the amazing things he had to come in his life: first words, first steps, school, sports, college, marriage and maybe even babies of his own. I wonder what Mary was thinking when she had her baby boy. Did she recall these words written? When I looked up the title to these verses, it said: "the suffering and glory of the servant." Words prophesied long before Jesus birth, Isaiah talks about no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. "Despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace by his wounds, we are healed." 

Kelly Day  2:33  

This is not the typical list a new mom might dream of. Jesus was born with a purpose, not to have a normal suburban life or the usual route to being a king. He was born to be a servant. His joy and highlight reel was found in different things than we typically measure. He bore the weight of those around him and ultimately the sin of us all. This Christmas, I want to celebrate the birth of the greatest servant to ever live: Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. 

Kelly Day  3:08  

Let's pray. Dear Lord our Father in heaven, we praise your Holy and mighty name. You are the greatest king and servant to all. I confess that I so often consume my thoughts and efforts in worldly ways. I ask that Your Holy Spirit reveal bigger purposes in us - ways of imitating Jesus Christ in humble servanthood. Make it less about beauty, likes and acquiring of stuff, and more about lifting up others in your name. Thank you for your perfect life here on Earth. Thank you for the peace we may now have because of your sacrificial gift of life and death for us. Amen.