Return to Truth
2 April 2021 • Pastor Tim Klein • Good Friday
Bible Passage: Isaiah 53: 1 - 12
+ expandWhat God’s Servant Did for Us
53 Has anyone believed us or seen the mighty power of the Lord in action?
2 Like a young plant or a root that sprouts in dry ground,
the servant grew up obeying the Lord. He wasn’t some handsome king.
Nothing about the way he looked made him attractive to us.
3 He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him. We despised him and said, “He is a nobody!”
4 He suffered and endured great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering was punishment from God.
5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins;
by taking our punishment, he made us completely well.
6 All of us were like sheep that had wandered off.
We had each gone our own way,
but the Lord gave him the punishment we deserved.
7 He was painfully abused, but he did not complain.
He was silent like a lamb being led to the butcher,
as quiet as a sheep having its wool cut off.
8 He was condemned to death without a fair trial.
Who could have imagined what would happen to him?
His life was taken away because of the sinful things my people[a] had done.
9 He wasn’t dishonest or violent,
but he was buried in a tomb of cruel and rich people.[b]
10 The Lord decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice
to take away the sin and guilt of others.
Now the servant will live to see his own descendants.[c]
He did everything the Lord had planned.
11 By suffering, the servant will learn the true meaning of obeying the Lord.
Although he is innocent, he will take the punishment for the sins of others,
so that many of them will no longer be guilty.
12 The Lord will reward him with honor and power for sacrificing his life.
Others thought he was a sinner, but he suffered for our sins and asked God to forgive us.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) - for other versions see BibleGateway.com
