Please read this chapter of the Old Testament:
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Questions: Who is the person being described in this chapter?
There is something amazing about this.
It may not be clear until it is explained a bit further.
This is Isaiah chapter 53.
It was written in the 6th. Century B.C.
It was written aprox. 600 years before Jesus was born.
This has been scrutinized to death by experts both Christian and non-Christian.
this is proof that God has given us His word. There are hundreds of more examples. This is what separates the Bible from all other holy books. Prophecy that has been fulfilled hundreds of times. This book answers what life is for and what God has done for us and what we are to do in life.
Sin has separated us from God, the lies we have told, hateful thoughts of others, lust, theft, etc. etc. etc. , we have no ability to make an offering to God to make payment. A sacrifice is only as valuable as what is being offered.
God offered his beloved and only Son who died a humiliating, brutal, bloody, horrifying death on the cross. He was beaten and spit on, mocked and was broken for our transgressions.
The Father has shown us how awful sin is. And how much He loves us.
For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD.
Jesus paid in full our debts, and on the third day He rose from death.
He had joy looking to the cross to save us.
All other religious leaders are DEAD, rotting in the ground.
Jesus lives and loves us.
But, knowing of Him is not enough. Satan knows Him, this does satan no good. James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
We must repent of our sins, realize we have offended God and cannot pay back for our sins in any way.
We must cry out to Him for salvation and forgiveness.
Repentance is a gift from God, ask Him to help you.
He is faithful and just to forgive us.
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
