I. The Word: Isaiah 53:4-6
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.
Isaiah 53:11
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.
Luke 24:1-8
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
II. Reflection Questions:
1. Do I believe with my whole mind and heart, that Jesus lived a completely sinless life?
2. Does God have the right to be offended by sin, and hence to require payment of a penalty for the guilt of sin?
3. Does God have the right to place the punishment for sin on His own Son?
4. How can I have my debt of sin settled (satisfied; paid for) with God?
By Jason Schezer
Only 20 years after the resurrection, Paul wrote these words: “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel, you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). Twenty years is not a long time with respect to retelling a historical event. The events of the resurrection were still very fresh to Paul, and the historical reality of the events underpinned everything that Paul did.
In Isaiah, God foretells the future concerning Messiah, who is called “my righteous servant” in chapter 53, and also “a tender shoot,” also “man of suffering”. God reveals His plans that He has set from eternity past to provide a sacrifice for sin by himself. Before He created the world, God knew that our race would rebel against Him, disobeying and isolating ourselves from Him permanently and completely.
Isaiah 53 shows Jesus as the sinless Lamb of God, though the title “Lamb of God” does not appear. Isaiah 53:7 says, “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.” Jesus’ actions and demeanor when the religious leaders and the Romans fraudulently placed Him on trial are not natural human behavior. A common human response would dictate that a person fights back, but Jesus did not. He held more than enough authority to call down legions of angels to stop the injustice, but He did not. He laid down His life of His own accord. He did this because He knew it was the only way to pay for our sin and bring us peace with God, thereby perfectly restoring the relationship between God and us.
Isaiah 53:11 shows that although God’s “righteous servant” suffers to the point of death, He takes up His life again; He sees the “light of life” and is satisfied. In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Light is his very nature – He is light, and we can see again and again that just His presence dispels darkness and causes the devil, Satan to flee.
In Luke 24 (and other gospel accounts), the women Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James (who is Mary the mother of Jesus), and others with them, visit the empty tomb on the first day of the week. They did not know exactly what they would see and certainly did not expect to be greeted by two angels. However, they were in some real sense exercising some faith. The natural reaction to the events surrounding the cross of Jesus would be to run and hide, not to investigate and seek out. For that, we have to commend these women, who are an example to us of taking Jesus at his word.
God is offended by our sin; deeply offended beyond our comprehension. He is a holy God, and sin offends Him. He is also the only one with the right to determine the punishment for sin. We ought not to make excuses for sin, not even for the “smallest” sin that you or I imagine to be small. God doesn’t see the matter in this way. Yet He is not interested in remaining angry at our sin, and He provided the perfect solution.
Be sure that you respond to His offer of salvation in Jesus by showing faith, repentance, and obedience to Him. Faith means that I trust only He can save me, and He has the power and authority to save me from my sin. Repentance means that I turn away from my lifestyle of sin and turn towards Him.
IV. Prayer:
Thank you, Lord for meeting our greatest need – forgiveness of sin. Thank you for the new life in Christ. Empower me to live out my new life in Christ and to give others reason for the hope that I have, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
City Life Starter 
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