March 29, 2026

Isaiah 53:3-7

3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 

"To the Jewish people, the idea of a crucified Messiah was absurd, ridiculous, and incomprehensible. They expected the messiah to be a conquering king, who would defeat Israel’s enemies and establish his kingdom. They were looking for a coronation, not a crucifixion; for a messiah who killed his enemies, not one who was killed by his own people. The cross was foolishness to them (1 Cor. 1:18); a massive stumbling block that they could not get past (v. 23)."