Isaiah 53:7-9 THE ATONING LAMB Lambs used for the Passover, had to be kept and watched carefully for three and a half days to make sure there were no defects of any kind on it. For the Day of Atonement, and for all the sacrifices; the lambs that were to take the place of sinful people because of their innocence, also had to be free of any blemishes imposed on it by outside forces. To be carefully watched was a requirement before it could be made an atoning sacrifice for the sinner. Our Lord Jesus Christ was out in the public view for three and a half years, before the “hour was come” that He should be offered as a sinless Substitute for our sins.
Because of God’s love for us, He commended or demonstrated that love unmistakably, in that He sent His only begotten Son into the world to save us, so that we might live through Him. God did not spare His own Son, “but delivered Him up for us all.” In order for that to be done righteously so no charge could ever be laid that sin was overlooked; He first became one of us. He took on Himself, human nature as a perfect man like God wanted us all to be. Then He became a ransom for us all and willingly died in our place as a sinless, perfect sacrifice. Because of that sacrifice, the legal just satisfaction that our Holy God demanded, was received from the price our Lord Jesus paid. “Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with Him” [1st Thessalonians 5:21]. As a result of what our Lord did for us, we are able to be reconciled to God. Now fellowship with God is our privilege and joy. “He made peace through the blood of His cross” [Colossians 1:20]. What blessed freedom we have to enjoy now and forever!
Our Lord Jesus Christ made this possible when like the second sheep. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. Without complaint, without noise or recrimination; He went in holy submission to the cross. There he conquered the suffering for sin that we should have had forever, by absorbing all of sin’s consequences completely Himself on our behalf. Death settles all accounts, and when our Lord was “cut off from the land of the living,” that settled the charges against those who, by faith, have accepted Him and the gift of eternal life which God gives. That wonderful gift was paid for in full by our Lord Jesus when He gave His life for us.
Those who receive Him, are no longer our own, because we have been bought with a price. Therefore, we are to glorify God in our bodies and spirits which are His. We belong to Him as redeemed people. When this happens, and we willingly respond in faith to the grace God gives; we find the joy and satisfaction that life was intended to have. We have a new life, as a new creation in Christ. We are now suited to love God, live for Him, serve Him and enjoy fellowship with Him forever.
All of this blessing from God, comes to us in spite of the injustice of men that was openly demonstrated against our Lord. When he was before the high priests and rulers of the Jews, justice according to the law of God was broken. When He was before Pilate and Herod, the laws of the Roman government were ignored and an innocent man was condemned to die. The government of the land was ignored because of envy, hatred and the exposure of human sin by an innocent, perfect man. As a result of that willful action, judicial murder took place after an unjust trial that was a mockery of what a legal court should be.
Our Lord said when He was on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” None of those people in that generation of rejectors, considered that what He did on the cross was for their transgressions. They did not even consider that punishment for their sin was due to them.
A grave was appointed to Him. In the mind of Old Testament people, often the early death of rich people was considered the consequence of gaining wealth by wicked means. In the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, an honorable wealthy man, named Joseph who was of the city of Arimathea, gave Jesus a honorable burial when He placed His body in his own new tomb. Nicodemus also was there with a wealth of burying spices to give honor to the One who told him how to be born again. He would have been reminded of those words of the Lord to him personally, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have eternal life.” Those acts of love by forgiven men, was a fulfillment of this prophecy given hundreds of years before to Isaiah.
Our Lord Jesus Christ had done no wrong to others, but had rather blessed them. There was nothing He said that was untrue or misleading. However, because of these words, Peter, who had seen the sufferings of Christ, in his first epistle, was able to encourage believers in Christ who were going through similar experiences as their Lord because of their faith in Him. These words establish a principle for us to consider in times of opposition and injustice against us or our fellow-believers.
The Savior suffered for us, and we may be privileged sometimes to suffer for the sake of His people and His kingdom. When we read these verses and consider what He has done for us, what can we say or do as our response to Him? “Let us love, and sing and wonder! Let us praise our Savior’s name!” John Newton continued to write in this hymn: “Let us love the Lord that bought us…” “Let us sing though fierce temptations threaten…” “Let us wonder; grace and justice point” to our Lord’s great mercy toward us.