God's Word for Me Today
Monday, December 31, 2001
Unwrapping a Christ-Centered Christmas!
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for this new day of life! As I turn in Your Word to the words of Isaiah the prophet, promising that Your Servant, Your Son Jesus, would come one day, to take the sins of the world—and my sins—upon Himself, I thank You that Jesus did exactly that. I thank You that He was willing to set aside His comfort, His blessing, in order for me to be blessed. I can never express my gratitude for Your great love and mercy, that caused Jesus to die so that Your justice could be satisfied regarding my sin, but THANK YOU, for Your faithfulness. Fill me with the Holy Spirit this day, that I, too, my put Your love and justice, your holiness and mercy into action in all that I am and all that I do this day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God's Word for Me Today: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
13 See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 Many were amazed when they saw him– beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person. 15 And he will again startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not previously been told about; they will understand what they had not heard about.
1 Who has believed our message? To whom will the LORD reveal his saving power? 2 My servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! 5 But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! 6 All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins – that he was suffering their punishment? 9 He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave.
10 But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.
Questions for Reflection
What is the most loving, self-sacrificing thing you have ever done? For whom did you do it?
When you think of a “king” what attributes come to your mind?
Questions for Exploration
In Isaiah’s prophecy what is it about God’s servant that will surprise people? (52:13-15)
How will the people treat God’s servant? (53:1-9)
Questions for Understanding
How does Jesus fulfill the role of the “suffering Servant” as portrayed in today’s Scripture?
What is the ultimate result of the suffering Servant’s faithfulness to God?
Questions for Application
How can you demonstrate your gratitude for God’s action in his suffering Servant, Jesus?
Take ten minutes and reflect on 2001what one thing are you the most grateful for in the past year? What one thing do you most need to turn over to good for renewal or redirection?
The "Suffering Servant"!
The passage we read today is often called “The Suffering Servant Song,” of Isaiah. Isaiah portrays God’s servant who will come and suffer to the point of death in order to take away the sins of the people. The description of the servant’s features being distorted through the punishment He receives, and the lack of respect demonstrated by those around Him, remind us of the terrible beating and mocking Jesus received prior to His crucifixion. While Isaiah’s portrayal of Jesus’ terrible death, which was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, are confirmation to us, who bear the name Christian, that Jesus, is indeed, the suffering Servant, every verse of this Scripture remind us of some aspect of Jesus’ life, death in our place, and of his resurrection to glory. This text above all texts in the Old Testament points the way to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
As we come to the end of 2001, each of us has much for which to be grateful to God, but there is nothing for which we owe God greater thanks than for freely offering Jesus to die in our place, to take away our sins, and to give us a new life that is not only for this life, but for eternity. As the Apostle Paul put it in his letter to the Romans, “God shows his great love for us in this that while we were still dead in sin, God sent Christ Jesus to die for the ungodly. Let’s all take some time on this New Year’s Eve to thank God for His great and indescribable gift to us—JESUS!
To view the studies for other days, visit the God's Word for Me Today calendar.