Isaiah 52-53 {The Suffering Servant}
by Chris Nikkel
Have you ever been offered an easy way out? We all know what it is like when we thought something would be difficult and then at the last minute we have a way that is much less painful and stressful and we say “thank God!”. And rightly so, after all God is good to us and his mercy shows up in our lives in a multitude of ways. However, often times the things that God leads us into will be just the opposite. It will be tough. It will be hard. It will be nothing but difficult. And the easy ways out are not what they seem to be.
The way of the cross is a hard one. God, in his sovereignty, has planned it this way and would not ask us to walk a path that he himself would not go down. He was offered alternative routes to a lower, temporary glory by Satan while in the wilderness for 40 days. To each of these offers He quoted scripture and remained focused.
Surrender is the heartbeat of a servant. Before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus went to a garden to pray. We read in Matthew 26 that he was troubled and his soul was “very sorrowful, even to death”. What he was facing was obviously difficult, troubling, and horrible. Then we read this in verse 39: “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” It would be through Christ’s suffering on the cross that salvation would come to us and there was no other way. May we remember the cost and give Him thanks this Advent season.