Introduction : When people meet with a nonsensical or exorbitant accident that is something far beyond the imagination of humankind, they say, "Who is going to believe this?" Isaiah was in blank amazement with a sigh of grief when he received the message of Jesus´ birth and his life. "Who has believed our message?" The birth of Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God was a tragedy from the very beginning. Isaiah said, "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." Jesus was born as a weak baby through the body of the poor virgin Mary in a slum in Nazareth on dry ground, and He didn´t receive praise from many people, because He was not born in a rich family or in a house of a high official. He was sadly born as an ordinary baby. This is what Isaiah said about the entire life of Jesus, "He was despised and rejected by men." Jesus really was despised and rejected by the leaders of Judaism, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, lawyers and many leaders of society. Isaiah called him, "a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering." Jesus slept in the open, faced many hardships, and His heart was grieved about the infirmities of humankind. Jesus is the second person of the triune God. Who would possibly know that Jesus came as humankind and got a cold reception? Prophet Isaiah shook his head and said, "Unbelievable things have happened." When we hear about this, we would also open our mouth and say, "That is unjust."
* The meaning of Jesus´ suffering on the cross 1. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. (Isa 53:3-4) 1) Jesus spent 2/3 of His ministry in healing. (Mt 4:23-24) 2) Jesus asked 12 disciples, 70 disciples, and all believers to heal the sick. (Mt 10:1, Lk 10:1, 19, Mk 16:17-18) 3) Jesus always had a heavy heart because of the sickness of humankind, and He participated in the sorrow of infirmities. (Mt 9:35-36, 14:14) 4) Jesus´ body was beaten and torn, and He paid our torment of sickness. (Isa 53:5, 1Pe 2:24)
2. He was pierced for our transgressions, and he was crushed for our iniquities. 1) His external wounds for our physical transgressions. (Heb 9:22, 13:12) 2) His heart grieved for our iniquities. (Isa 52:14, Ps 22:14) 3) Responsibility for creation of humankind, because of divine love for humankind - Participated in the suffering of children, because of responsibility for giving birth and love. (Isa 53:6, Ps 103:13)
3. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. - The punishment means receiving suffering for wrongdoing. 1) 33 years of Jesus´ life on earth was a life of punishment for humankind (Php 2:8) Adam was driven out from the Garden of Eden and made a world, and God embraced this cursed world. (Ro 5:19, Mk 10:45) 2) Poor Jesus who carried the cross to Golgotha, forsaken and hung on the cross - My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Mk 15:34, Ps 22:6) 3) Jesus paid the sin for treason by taking this punishment, and He brought peace and reconciliation between God and men. (2Co 5:21, 1Jn 2:2, 4:10, Col 1:20)
Conclusion : God clearly told His will to Joshua, the successor to Moses (Jos 1:1-4). He said that where there was His will, certainly there was a way, but there would be trials and troubles. However, since His will would surely be accomplished, He said, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged" (Jos 1:9).
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