30 Day Challenge - Day 18

Isaiah 53:1-3

Today I want to take us back to where our unity and source of life comes from - the cross.

Isaiah 53:1-3 The Passion Translation

1. Who has truly believed our revelation? To whom will Yahweh reveal his mighty arm?

2. He sprouted up like a tender plant before the Lord like a root in parched soil. He possessed no distinguishing beauty or outward splendor to catch our attention – nothing special in his appearance to make us desire him. .

In these verses “him” and “he” and “his” is Jesus. “We” is humanity - you me. As we take a closer look at these few verses let them be alive and personal to your body, soul and spirit.

Verse 1. The questions: “to whom will Yahweh reveal his mighty arm?” And “Who has truly believed our revelation ( unveiling)” mean the same thing. The arm of the Lord is a metaphor for His great power. The word for revealed means to unveil.

Where are there true believers? They will see the unveiling of God’s great power!

Verse 2. Jesus is the root of David that sprouted. We know that in the natural it would be a miraculous event for a root to sprout up in parched soil. His birth was also a miraculous event.

Jesus in his humanity did not, at first glance, appear to be anything more than ordinary. Most people failed to see God in him.

It was behind the veil of His “plainness “ that He hid His glory.

Ultimately it was the veil of the temple that was torn so that His glory would be revealed. When that veil, separating us from the Holy of Holies, was torn in two we were invited into His presence. The place where His beauty is revealed!

Verse 3. Rejection and deep sorrow came from many places. Through the deaths of his earthly father Joseph and his cousin John, rejection by his hometown, betrayal by Judas, the denial of Peter and the knowledge of what would be required of him at his death.

It was us, the ones He suffered to redeem, who hid our faces from him. In our sin we did not consider him worthy of respect.

When we receive forgiveness, we also receive healing from rejection and deep sorrow. Jesus carried our pain to the cross so we wouldn’t need to carry it.

As you receive communion, be reminded of the miracle of Jesus coming to earth, willing to be the sacrifice for our sin. Ask Holy Spirit to reveal the beauty of Jesus to you. Thank Him for His great power revealed in your life.