The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.
Isaiah 53:1-6 (MSG)
The eastern divisional youth meeting at Mitcham tonight was excellent. It's been a while since I have seen so many young people confronted by the cross, and challenged to respond in the light of Jesus' sacrifice. Matt Kean delivered a prophetic word from God about the reality of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Using the example of Peter, he concluded that we are not a true follower unless we are prepared to stand in for Jesus on the cross, and join with him in His suffering. Then, what an amazing time as the choir sang words like, "...the wonderful cross bids me come and die..." and "...love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all...". Simultaneously, youth from the division all but drowned out the singing with the hammering of their own polaroid photo to a large cross - to signify their willingness to be a true disciple. It was so great to be there - praise God for being able to reveal something new every time I revisit the story of the cross!
Cheers - Nath
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