4Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
This section of Isaiah is one of the great prophecies of the Scriptures. It was written about 400 years before they were fulfilled in Jesus on the Cross. For four hundred years the details were there for all to see. This passage starts in 52:13 and continues through this chapter. In minute detail the death of Jesus is outlined, not just the physical details, but the reason for His death as well. It is not simply that His death was foretold. Billions of people have died. Death is no big event. But it is Emmanuel, God with us, who dies. He dies, not simply as a falsely accused and condemned man, but He dies in our place. And as He is carrying our curse to the Cross, we look at Him with distain and disgust. We think He should be scraped off the bottom of our shoes. And yet He still died for all our wickedness and disgusting attitudes and actions. Just because we rejected Him does not mean He rejected us. On the contrary, He fully accepts us. He removed the barrier between us, but taking in Himself the sin that kept us apart. I want you to read this section again, slowly. Look for the details that are outlined and ask yourself this question, “Am I living a life worth all this sacrifice?” His beatings, crucifixion, silence, burial, and resurrection; they are all here, four hundred years before they happened. He bore my sin. What am I bearing for Him? Do I reflect His character at all, or am I just like everyone else?
The Arnold Journey 