#DailyDevotion Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted by God
Good Friday
Isaiah 52:13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.
53:3He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
It’s like Isaiah was there watching the crucifixion of the King of the Jews, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. From early on in Jesus’ ministry speaking with Nicodemas, Jesus had been predicting that this word from Isaiah would come to pass; he would be lifted up. So, on Good Friday this comes to pass; Jesus is lifted high up upon the cross and is exalted by God the Father though not by men.
No, as Isaiah says, Jesus is despised and rejected by men. Jesus has come to know sorrow as one abandoned by his disciples and friends. He knows sorrow as one who has been rejected by his people who should love him. Jesus is acquainted with grief as one who has gone through a kangaroo court, mocked, beaten and spit upon. He knows grief as his own people turn against and say all sorts of false things against him. He knows grief as one beaten, mocked, and crucified by the Roman soldiers.
Yet Jesus goes and does this willingly. It is the Father’s will he go through this. For in this suffering and death Jesus had borne our griefs and our sorrows. There is nothing so negative you have experienced in your life that Jesus hasn’t undergone in his suffering. He is the one person who knows exactly what you are going through. While God used evil men to accomplish this God was pleased to do it.
Men at the time would think nothing of it. They looked at Jesus as one stricken, smitten and afflicted by God, and he was. Jesus was receiving in himself what was due to us so we would not have to undergo it at death. What we by one sin deserved Jesus takes upon himself so you may have peace with God and be reconciled to him.
Jesus is wounded for our transgressions. Jesus is crushed for our iniquities. Jesus is chastised to bring us peace. O tale of woe. You will never see anything more pitiful than our Lord Jesus Christ in his suffering and death. Yet in his suffering and death, Jesus enters his glory. His wounds bring us peace, joy, a clear conscience before God and the guarantee of our healing in our souls first and then our bodies at the resurrection. Surely this man is the Son of God.
Heavenly Father, it pleased you to crush your Son Jesus Christ so that we may have peace, joy and life with you. Grant us ever to cherish his innocent suffering and death that we may turn from all sin and love our neighbor. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.