Going Deeper
by Pat Russell
“The Suffering Servant” – Isaiah 52:13-53:6
Pastor Bruce Spear, January 26, 2020
Pastor Bruce has been focusing on the Servant Songs in
Isaiah. These are messages about the
Servant in the time of the Israelite captivity in Babylon. The songs are meant to give hope to a people
who have lived for decades in captivity under the rule of a nation that did not
understand their needs, sorrows, and desire for “home.” And, for that matter, really did not
care. These were the years of
exile. These were the years of Esther
and Daniel. These were the years of
suffering.
We stand in our present era and look back at this passage,
seeing so clearly the person of Jesus in every verse. So did the Gospel writers in their era. That is why they quote Isaiah more than any
other book of the Old Testament, except for Psalms.
And yet, the people of Isaiah’s time did not know of
Jesus. Try reading this passage from the
perspective of someone who does not know anything about Jesus; someone who is a
captive in another land. Describe the
person in this passage: what is he like;
what was his purpose in life; how does who he is impact you in your captivity?
Look at Pastor Bruce’s translation and pick a phrase from
one of the verses that you would like to meditate on. Remember as best you can some of the thoughts
that Pastor Bruce presented to us.
Picture Jesus. Then simply read
the verse over and over letting the words go down deep into your soul. Become still; take a deep breath; allow the
Spirit to speak to your soul.
Lastly, memorize Philippians 2:6-11. This is another song, but it comes from the
New Testament era. Let the words of this
song become your song. Let this song of
Jesus be your pattern in life.
By Pat Russell in follow-up to the sermon.
Feel free to email me to express your thoughts and
experience with this passage.
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