Seven hundred years before Jesus appeared on earth, the prophet Isaiah painted a picture of the Suffering Servant. In Jesus’ day, the Roman government adopted crucifixion from the Persians as a terrifying means of putting down rebellion in the Empire.
On different occasions, the Romans crucified thousands of people who opposed their rule. Jesus was more than a simple rebel, and His crucifixion was the most horrific of all.
In His death on the cross, Jesus suffered the punishment for every sin that has ever been committed on earth. His experience opened the door for the forgiveness of sins for all of humanity.
The Purposeful Agony
The Gospels tell the story of different reactions to Jesus. Some people acknowledged God’s work through His Son and placed their full trust behind His agenda. At other times, religious authorities, governmental officials, and even the devil himself opposed God’s purpose in sending His Son.
On one hand, the death of Jesus on the cross is the culmination of all the forces that opposed what the Father was doing through Him. Yet, as strange as it may seem, Jesus’ crucifixion was part of God’s purpose all along.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with affliction.
When you make his life an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring and shall prolong his days;
through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.Out of his anguish he shall see;
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10-11)
I appreciate insights from Rudy Ross about iniquity. This twisted part of our inner self is at the root of all sinful behavior. God wants to be at home in our hearts, but iniquity pushes God out and substitutes self-will.
A guilt offering is required to cleanse humans of iniquities. God’s plan was for Jesus to be crushed, make His life an offering for sin, and bear our iniquities.
Today, the Spirit of God can freely dwell in our hearts because Jesus’ death was the guilt offering for the twisted places in our inner self.
The biggest gift we can give to ourselves is to respond positively to Paul’s counsel:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).
The Great Exchange and Victory
Jesus took our place on the cross and suffered humiliation and pain beyond human comprehension. The majority of witnesses to His crucifixion thought it good riddance to a dangerous rebel.
God’s opinion was quite different from the crowd of onlookers. He declared victory over sin and Satan in the death of His Son.
Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out himself to death
and was numbered with the transgressors,
yet he bore the sin of many
and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)
When Jesus made intercession for us, He took our place. That is the central message of this verse.
I have another picture of Jesus’ intercession. The author of Hebrews wrote: “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
I imagine myself kneeling beside Jesus and trying to pray as Jesus continues to pray for a world that is abundantly loved by the Trinity. I can ask Him, “Lord, what are you praying about today? How can I best join you?”
I don’t know if this is the best way to pray, but it helps me join in what I sense the Lord is doing.
No matter how we approach this passage in our prayers, one thing should be clear to us. Let’s focus on Jesus’ sacrifice for us on a regular basis and give Him praise and thanks for His amazing gift.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 