WE ESTEEMED HIM SMITTEN BY GOD, Daily Devotional, Monday, February 25, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Isaiah 53:4 "We esteemed him smitten and stricken by God..."

SCRIPTURE READING: ISAIAH 53

4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

REFLECTION:  How like fallen men:  The Savior is crucified and thy rationalize God is responsible!  Standing near the cross outside the city wall, pacing through the Temple downtown, huddling along the streets of Jerusalem in hush conversations, his accusers justified themselves:

It wasn't our fault that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

It wasn't our sin that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

It wasn't our deceit that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

It wasn't our blasphemy that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

It wasn't our hypocrisy that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

It wasn't our blindness to see the truth that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

It wasn't our self-sufficiency that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

It wasn't our self-righteousness that nailed Him to the cross, it was His.

"We don't see things as they are; we see things as we are," the Talmud remarks.  How true.

His accusers justified themselves.  Yet they were the ones who needed to be justified.  So Jesus died, the "just and the justifier." (Romans 3:26).

I like to think that if I had been there I would have seen the Savior for who He was, and is. I like to think that if I had been there I would have resisted the influence of the crowd, even though they were the leaders of the most spiritual church in town. I like to think that if I had been there I would have defended Him, and indicted myself.

But I fear that at best I would have run away with His disciples, and at worst--oh dreadful thought--I would have added my voice to the mob shouting "Crucify Him!"

Jesus was certainly not "stricken, smitten of God and afflicted."  It was my sin--my pride, my folly, my rebellion, my disobedience--that nailed Him to the cross.

Man of Sorrows! what a name

For the Son of God who came,

Ruined sinners to reclaim,

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood,

Hallelujah, What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we,

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

"Full atonement!" can it be?

Hallelujah, What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

"It is finished was His cry;

Now in Heav'n exalted high.

Hallelujah, What a Savior!

When He comes our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we'll sing,

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

            Words and music by Philip Bliss

PRAYER: Our Father, Hallowed be Thy Name.  We confess that we are easily confused.  Too often we accuse when we are at fault.  We recoil from thinking of our sins.  We resist the truth of our sin.  But you, Our Loving Heavenly Father, seeing the whole sorry scene, yet saw in us something of such infinite worth that you sent your only Begotten to redeem us from all iniquity!  How can we say thanks? What can we do to express the depths of our love for you today?  "Here Lord, I give myself away, 'tis all that I can do!"  Humble me. Teach me. Forgive me. Indwell me. Sanctify me. And make of me what you will.  This I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.  Our Father &c.