Isaiah – Page 4 – Be Still…

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Our Suffering Servant

This is a difficult passage to read. We have discovered so far during our Discovering the Bible Challenge that Jesus is the Messiah, and he came to serve. Today’s reading shows us Jesus also came to suffer for us. What love!

The words of John 3:16 ring out to me, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” The suffering and agony had a purpose and was part of God’s plan. Let’s unpack these verses a little bit.

Epiphany of our Lord We Three Kings of Orient Are

3 wise men silhouettes with a star in the sky

January 6 is traditionally the day Christians celebrate Epiphany. Its significance is to celebrate when the wise men visited our Lord Jesus as a young child. We’ve experienced Epiphany in new ways since moving to Mexico in 2016. Having a king’s cake with hidden figurines from the nativity has been a special treat for us! Read Matthew 2:1-12 for a Biblical account.

You’ll probably note that the text doesn’t say these men were kings, nor does it say there were three of them. Details like that should not keep us from seeing the beauty and wisdom of what is happening here. There is much to celebrate. These men saw a star. They were wise enough to know that it meant something significant had happened, and they were curious.

December 21 Immanuel (Isaiah 7:10-16)

Read Isaiah 7:10-16

Immanuel means “God with us.” It’s one of the names we use for Jesus, especially at this time of year. Just let that little nugget resonate with you for a moment. In just a few short days we’ll be celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Immanuel. Because of Jesus, we have God with us. Do you believe that?

This prophecy from God through Isaiah may have a double fulfillment. We are most familiar with Matthew’s quoting the portion that refers to Jesus’ mother. “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” From our perspective, Jesus fulfills this without question.

December 19 Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:2-7)

Read Isaiah 9:2-7

peace sign made out of pink and white flowers with a wacky design as background

Peace. What does that mean to you? I know that’s a big question. When is the last time you really felt peace? I mean, really felt it?

This is one of my favorite passages from Isaiah. There is so much to cling to here, one could get lost in these words for days. Perhaps, if you haven’t felt full of peace or peaceful recently, you can spend some extra time with these verses and just let the breadth of each word strengthen you, refresh you, and bring you peace.

December 17 The New Branch (Isaiah 11:1-10)

Read Isaiah 11:1-10

Looking up view of a large tree with many branches

What beautiful images of peace and freedom! God will bring new life to the stump of David. Just as he promised in 2 Samuel 7, a descendant of David will rule forever. The Messiah will come and bring justice and salvation.

If you’ve ever watched new branches sprout from a tree, you know the beauty of seeing life continue, expand, and grow. This new Branch will be so much more fruitful than any branch ever before. This Branch is our promised king, and he will be the fair judge we long for today.