Behold the Lamb of God who Takes Away the Sin of the World
Isaiah 53
Who had believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him as a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not.
Surely has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement of our peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned– every one— to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgement he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and their was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities...
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that who ever believes on Him will not perish but have eternal life— Merry Christmas.
