Isaiah’s wonderful Picture – Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Let us stand before this portrait of our Saviour on the cross and lovingly and reverently note what is set before us.

We are more privileged than those who actually stood at Calvary. They did not fully understand what was happening, Luke 24:15-17, but here we have God’s explanation of those dark and sombre events.

A very clear statement. “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted,” Isaiah 53:4. He was the sin-bearer smitten of God.

A detailed explanation. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed,” Isaiah 53:5. The sufferings were His. The benefits were ours.

Wounded, bruised, chastised, stripes. His sufferings were severe and many. Mixture of words which denote the great and unknowable pain, the shame, the grief He bore when He became ‘sin for us’.

The benefits we obtained were likewise immeasurable and innumerable.

A telling illustration. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,” Isaiah 53:6.

All – There is no exception to the sinfulness of mankind.

Like sheep have gone astray. We habitually, deliberately sinned. We left the paths of God’s law and the fields of obedience.

Turned every one to his own way. Rejected God and became our own gods and kings. Like the Prodigal son we left the ‘Father’s house’ and went into the far country away from His rule and presence.

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others,” Eph 2:2-3.

Where are you today? In the safety of the Saviour’s fold or out on the mountains amidst great danger?