God's Plan

Holy Scripture: Isaiah 53:1-12, Luke 24:25-25:27

It's easy to look at the events leading up to Jesus' Crucifixion and conclude that things went horribly wrong, that Jesus wandered into Satan's trap and died as a result. The Bible tells a very different story. Jesus' death and Resurrection were part of the plan all along.

Receive

After His Resurrection, Luke records a conversation between Jesus and two men on the road to Emmaus. "And he [Jesus] said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:25-27, ESV).

Moses was most known to the Jews as the man to whom God gave the Law. Moses and his brother established the sacrificial system at God's direction. The author of the Book Hebrews would later explain how the imperfect sacrifice of animals to atone for sins was a foreshadowing of a perfect future sacrifice: the sacrifice of Jesus.

Old Testament Scripture, like the following verse from Isaiah, includes descriptive prophecies to describe Jesus' suffering and the redemptive nature of His sacrifice.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, ESV).

Let's look further at what Isaiah 53 has to say about Jesus.

Reflect

As you read through Isaiah 53, think about the following questions:

1. Why is it important to understand that Jesus' death was part of the plan?

2. How has His sacrifice brought "peace" to your life?

3. How has He brought "healing" into your life?

4. When you think of His sacrifice, do you feel amazed? Humbled? Grateful? Write down 2 or 3 adjectives to describe how you feel.

Respond

Of all the Gospel writers, Matthew seems most concerned with showing Jesus as the One foretold in the prophecies. Over the next week read through the Book of Matthew and find all the places where Matthew quotes an Old Testament author. A good study Bible will help you find these verses.