Saturday, October 24, 2026

Opening Scripture

Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn – and I would heal them.” Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. John 12:37-41

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, I praise You for all that You are and all that You’ve done. I praise You for Your abundant blessings to me in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Your Son. I praise You for Your Spirit, who lives in me, comforting, counseling, and guiding each day. Thank you for adopting me into Your eternal family. I offer myself to You this day, through Jesus Christ, who rules and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever more. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Isaiah 53

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.

Reflection  

Chapter 53 is arguably the most important section in the book of Isaiah because it so clearly describes the LORD’s plan of redemption: the substitutionary death of His Servant. Even though Isaiah has repeatedly announced that God would forgive His people’s sin while maintaining His holiness, the basis for that forgiveness has not been revealed . . . until now.

God’s Servant is seen here in a fuller light. The description of Him begins in Isaiah 52. The servant will act wisely, and He will be highly exalted. He was disfigured and his appearance was marred, but He will “sprinkle many nations,” cleansing them from their sin. Though the Servant was previously disregarded by earthly rulers, they will “shut their mouths” when they realize His true identity.

So, “to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, the LORD’s forgiveness and saving power will come through the death of His Servant. “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.” Almighty God chose to make His life “an offering for sin.”

We now see that God’s Servant is “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” He is the Suffering Servant. Those who understand realize that the One who was despised and rejected – unattractive and ordinary, easily ignored and unappreciated – is, in fact, the Savior of the world.

When Jesus was crucified, the religious leaders in Jerusalem believed His punishment was well deserved. They assumed “it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer” because of His blasphemy. They did not realize Jesus was faithfully bearing the judgment that their wickedness required and that God was making His life “an offering for sin.”

The Servant was pierced, crushed, and wounded for our forgiveness, peace, and healing. Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf made possible our cleansing from sin, peace with God, and spiritual healing. Though we are all sinful by nature and choice, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Like sheep, all of us, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way, but the LORD laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah declares that the Servant will complete His God-given mission by pouring out His life unto death, and being numbered with the transgressors, bearing their sins and making intercession for them. Yet, death is not the end! God’s Servant “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.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

In Acts 10, Peter has been invited to the home of the Roman centurion, Cornelius. As he shares the good news about Jesus with the group, he realizes that it is even better news than he imagined because it is for everyone, not just Jews. Peter begins by saying to the Gentile crowd, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts people from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

As Peter explains the Gospel to his audience, he says, “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

All the prophets – including Isaiah – testify about Jesus, and everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.

In the first half of Isaiah, God’s people were called to declare that idols are nothing and there is no God but Yahweh. In the second half of Isaiah, God’s people are being called to declare that Almighty God has provided complete and eternal forgiveness of sin through the death of His Suffering Servant.

The prophet Isaiah is carefully developing God’s great plan of redemption before our very eyes.

This week’s collective prayer: God, deepen my understanding of the Gospel. Amen.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!