By His Bruises We Are Healed

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:1-6

When we were young, we probably thought we had seen Jesus. After all, His picture was in a lot of places. Guess what? The Bible never gives a description of Jesus. Even the man who saw Him everyday didn’t tell us what He looked like. It seems that Jesus’ human form was deliberately deemphasized. He looked like an ordinary man. People were not drawn to Him because of a regal appearance, but because of what He said and did and because of the message of love He came to give. You can bet that he inspired confidence. You can bet He spoke forcefully.

The next time Jesus comes to earth, it will be different. When our Savior returns, we will recognize Him as the sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords.

To see Jesus will be heaven’s greatest joy.

Our Daily Bread – December 5, 2008