Foolish Things Christians Believe: My Pain Is Not Fruitless Day 1
I Am the Fruit of His Suffering
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 he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3–5 ESV
Pain is something we all prefer to observe from afar, and even then we prefer to look away. That’s why painful experiences; sickness, loss, death, mourning are usually experienced in isolation. Scan through today’s text and note the aloneness of the suffering servant.
The foolish base of the Christian faith is also found in this text. This person’s suffering affects others as an act of redemption. Take note, it isn’t the one who suffers who works out their own redemption, rather suffering brings a redemptive change for others.
After experiencing the first Easter, the disciples read this Isaiah text and said, “That’s Jesus! It was for us!” Jesus was so concerned about humanity that he entered our world as one of us. He knew our true value and potential as children of God and moved us past the pain and loss of death. His suffering bears the fruit of peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and joy in my life. In prayer, reflect on this truth and the eternal perspective it gives to your living.
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