“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.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

If you have ever thought about how the Old Testament can relate to the New Testament, then recall that this verse was recorded in Isaiah roughly 700 years before Christ Jesus walked the Earth. Each segment of this messianic prophecy clearly describes a truth realized by the Son of God. Jesus was nailed to a cross, His hands and feet pierced for the sins of all mankind. Our transgressions required a sacrifice, but unlike the atonement accomplished through the sacrificial offerings of the Law, Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God put to death making all other sacrifices unnecessary. The wounds of Jesus on the cross brought healing and peace into the world; for His death covered all sin for all times. And the sad truth that we have today is not unlike that of what was described by Isaiah, which is that we still turn from God, miss the mark and suffer from the stronghold of sin. Yet, God sent His Son to die for mankind when we did not deserve it. Jesus won the battle against sin when the nation chosen by God was so entangled in sin that they killed the Messiah sent to save them. Although this was always the plan, it still strengthens the prophecy foretold by Isaiah that “each of us has turned to our own way.” But still, God sent His Son for a single mission – to save us all. And indeed Jesus completed His mission, Amen!