Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. 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 mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53 says it all, the whole Easter story in a prophesy.

Jesus came to earth as a humble and simple man. A man of no standing, born to a family of no privilege. And he came to earth destined to be killed.

I think the story of Easter is as much about the process as it is about the final conclusion. Jesus was persecuted, he was tempted in every way. He was rejected by many in his hometown. He had a virtual death threat on his head for a good portion of his ministry. Leaders were threatened by him. Crowds flocked to him to listen and also because of what he could do for them.

His disciples whom he invested in and trained left him. One denied him and another betrayed him. And to cap it all off, his own Father rejected him for a time.

Jesus went through this gauntlet of human pain and suffering, and he did it all with love, truth, and purpose. His purpose was to perfectly live, so he could completely save all of mankind.

Then he was crucified, died, and rose again.

This Easter, we are all (those of us who are living and following Jesus) in the process of being perfected. We are living for God under sometimes challenging circumstances and in an evil world. And we are called to embrace the process, as well as look forward to the future.

The process is tough. But we have help. God is on our side. Jesus advocates for us. The true followers of Jesus who have gone before us, cheer us on (somehow from a sort of heavenly grandstands). And the Holy Spirit fills our hearts and compels us on to the good works God has prepared for us in advance.

All of this is for God’s glory, just like Jesus lived for God’s glory. We live as mini lights to reflect the true light of life, Jesus Christ! And we serve as local servants of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He loves us. We love him. He loves others. We love others.

And at some point, we will be called home. May my life be a life submitted to my King, my heart be filled with compassion for the lost, and my feet ready to act in love — to help rescue the lost.

Lord, thank you for coming to earth on a rescue mission, bent on death to give me a second chance. You died so I can be done with sin and live. And you live now, so as we live we can shine your light in life! I Praise you! I Thank you! I Exalt you!