Further Study: “Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree. … What must sin be, if no finite being could make atonement? What must its curse be if Deity alone could exhaust it? The cross of Christ testifies to every man that the penalty of sin is death. … Oh, must there … Continue reading –>
Isa: 53:10-12 What does it mean that the Servant’s life is “an offering for sin” (Isa: 53:10, NRSV)? The Hebrew word refers to a “guilt/reparation offering” (Lev: 5:14-6:7, Lev: 7:1-7), which could atone for deliberate wrongs against other people ( Leviticus 6:2-3). Such sins were singled out by Isaiah ( Isaiah 1:1-3:26; Isaiah 10.1-2; Isaiah 58:1-14). Also, the sinner must restore … Continue reading –>
Isa: 53:3-9 Like a vulnerable plant, apparently of no special value, and despised ( Isaiah 53.2-3)—that’s the depiction we are given here of the Suffering Servant. Isaiah has quickly brought us through innocent youth to the brink of the abyss. Even with the background provided earlier, we are not prepared in the sense that we are … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 In Isaiah 52:13 God’s Servant is highly exalted, but without warning, the next verse describes His appearance as so disfigured He cannot be recognized as one of the “sons of men.” The New Testament describes the factors that marred Jesus’ appearance, including scourging, a crown of thorns, crucifixion, but, above all, bearing the sins of … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 52:13-53:12, known as the “Suffering Servant Poem,” confirms Isaiah’s reputation as “the gospel prophet.” In harmony with the excellence of the gospel, the poem towers above other literature. Though breathtakingly short, every phrase is packed with profound meaning that reveals the core of God’s unthinkable quest to save a race steeped and lost in … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 50:4-10 If Isaiah intended to convey only information, he would lay out all the details regarding the Messiah at once. But in order to teach, persuade, and give his audience an encounter with the Servant of the Lord, he develops a rich fabric of recurring themes in symphonic fashion. He unfolds God’s message in … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Isa: 50:4-10, Isa: 52:13-53:12, Isa: 53:3-9, Isa: 53:10-12. Memory Text: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Lough Fook, a Chinese Christian, was moved with compassion for those of his compatriots … Continue reading –>
Garage Church By Andrew Mcchesney, Adventist Mission Ten-year-old Luis moved with his parents to La Apartada, a town without a Seventh-day Adventist church in northern Colombia. Father and Mother wanted Luis to go to church on Sabbath. Luis wanted to go to church. But the nearest Adventist church was located far away in another town. … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Read Ellen G. White’s description of Jesus’ healing and teaching ministry in “At Capernaum,” The Desire of Ages, pages 252-261. “In the work of soul winning, great tact and wisdom are needed. The Savior never suppressed the truth, but He uttered it always in love. In His [dealings] with others, He exercised the greatest tact, … Continue reading –>
Isaiah 49:1-12 Who is God’s servant in Isaiah 49:1-12? God calls and names him before he is born, makes his mouth like a sword, and will be glorified in him. God uses the servant to bring the nation of Israel back to Himself, to be a light of salvation to all the world, to be a covenant, … Continue reading –>
