“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:4-6

God’s encouragement…

Throughout His ministry, Jesus was sought out by multitudes who clamored to be healed by Him and to hear Him teach about God’s kingdom. In joyful anticipation, He received a triumphal reception in Jerusalem when He arrived to celebrate the Passover. “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest,” the crowd shouted (Matthew 21:9). Yet a few short days later He hung on the cross, beaten, mocked and pierced. He had been rejected by all but a few who looked on from a distance. How could this be?

Isaiah’s prophesy explains what happened­—every one turned to their own way. The Pharisees refused to receive Him as the King of kings (Luke 19:39). His followers wanted Jesus to be an earthly King (Matthew 20:21). I want Jesus to consider me a pretty good person on my own merit, not someone who has sinned against God so grievously that I need Jesus to die for me. But the truth is I have sinned against God in thought, word and deed and I am responsible for the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.

Praise be to God, He knows this. It is out of His love for us that He shifts our focus from our sins to Jesus Christ His Son. This is where encouragement flows! Jesus has borne my grief. Jesus has carried my sorrows. Jesus was pierced for my transgressions and, because of Jesus, I am healed. As a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God indwells me and calls me to receive His grace and surrender my life to Him. His Spirit teaches me how to listen to Him and trust Him. It gives me the deepest desire to obey Him. Because of Jesus, my life has been transformed from one without hope, to one filled with hope. Thank You, Jesus, my Savior.

To assemble a list to link to other posts from a category, click the category tag at the top of the page, or visit the Posts page.

To learn more about my journey with God, visit these pages: Robin’s Journey for an overview |  my first season: Baptized and Taught  |  my second season: Loss & Lost  |  my third season: Pursued & Awakened  |  my fourth season: Welcomed & Transforming |  my fifth season: Proclaiming

Image: original water color by Tom Lybeck