SOUTHAVEN,MS.- The Suffering Servant.

On our last night of the tour, and we joined together this afternoon for our final tour devotional- a Communion service with Mac leading us in a few worship songs. Finishing off our studies in Isaiah we concentrated on The Suffering Servant passage- Isaiah 52.13-53.12.
This is the 4th of the servant songs in Isaiah and depicts Jesus as the 'man of sorrows' and the 'suffering servant'. This passage is quoted in the New Testament more than any other and has been called the Gospel in the Old Testament.
Here's the gist of my thoughts on the passage;
FAITH IN JESUS IS GOOD NEWS!
Focusing on Christmas helps us understand the Incarnation.
Focusing on the Cross helps us understand the Atonement.
Focusing on the Resurrection helps us understand the Spirit empowered life.
If we only concentrate on one aspect of the life of Jesus we'll miss out on the others and our understanding will become unbalanced. We can't just take the Christmas message in isolation, and must realise that Jesus was born as a baby to fulfil the Easter story and to bring about the Kingdom of God.
The Suffering Servant passage graphically describes the agony of the substitutionary sacrifice that Jesus made, and reminds us that because of Jesus we receive:
REMISSION FROM OUR SIN-our punishment is cancelled, our guilt is removed.
RECONCILIATION WITH GOD- our relationship with our creator is restored.
REDEMPTION AND FREEDOM-our price has been paid and we can live in freedom and enjoy new life.
That's why Immanuel is GOD WITH US.

Comments

[Sharon]

I've been following this and it's great stuff Sir Nigel.

Christmas always reminds me that that little baby was born to die and that's why, when the angels were announcing His birth with glad tidings and joy, I still think it was tinged with a little sadness for they knew what was to come.

[Joan Young/Godgrl Gomer]

Its bittersweet to have the Christmas tour come to an end.
I hope you all have something special to take away from this time together of remembrance and celebration.

[Teresa (auntie gomer)]

Couldn't you persuade them to nip over here next year for a quickie 3 day Christmas tour? :)

[Wendy]

This passage is also the very one that the Jewish people will not read and believe. I traveled to Israel in October and my heart broke to see how blind and lost the people are there. We don't want a suffering servant Messiah but that's what we have....thank you Lord that You came!

Thank you for this study Nigel. It has been great learning from you. May 2008 be a blessed year for you and I hope to see you on the road with Third Day again!!!!

[N8]

God is so cool ... I have found that often when I feel like He's talking to me, others confirm it as so by relaying the same or a similar message. The day before this post, I posted something with a similar theme on my blog: http://thaniel9.blogspot.com/2007/12/white-elephants-121507.html Imannuel - God IS indeed with us all!