Throughout 208 years, under 38 kings, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah repeatedly turned their backs on God and “did evil in the eyes of the Lord”. It was time for God to act and He did- decisively. He chose the pagan nations of Assyria and Babylon to take the nations captive. The northern kingdom of Israel, never returned, they ceased to exist and God was left with the tiny kingdom of Judah.
God continued to send prophets to Judah exhorting the people to turn back to God. God spoke powerfully through the prophet Isaiah. He told the people of Judah that they would be captured and deported to Babylon but afterward he would bring them back home. The purpose? “Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed. Then the whole human race will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:23).
700 years before Jesus walked the earth Isaiah tells us what kind of Messiah to look for. In Isaiah 53 the prophet depicts the coming Messiah. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (Isaiah 53: 2, 3). He would take the punishment for our sin; he would be “pierced for our transgressions”; he would “be crushed for our iniquities”. He would not open his mouth to defend himself, he would hang on a tree, executed with criminals as a criminal; buried in the borrowed grave of a rich man. He would die in our place for our sin. 700 years before Jesus came, died, and was resurrected God told us what to watch for. God did not want the people to miss him. But they
did. And many still do. Don’t miss God’s greatest gift- the gift of His Son.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Because of His great love God could not stand idly by and watch you perish. He loves you and wants to do life with you, and it begins with forgiveness.
Forgiveness purchased by His one and only Son- His death was the payment for your debt; He sacrificed His life in your place. Only One sacrifice was worthy enough to die for all sin, for all people for all time- the eternal, sinless Son of God- Jesus. He offers His life for all who will believe- believe that Jesus died for you; that God is satisfied with His death and your sin debt has been cancelled by His death in your place. God promises eternal life to all who will believe- and He keeps His promise. His death on the cross pays for your sin and His resurrection provides your eternal life.
700 years before Jesus walked the earth Isaiah told us what kind of Messiah to look for, don’t miss Him.
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