Isaiah 53 is sometimes referred to as the gospel of God. This gospel begins at Isaiah 52:13, describing our suffering servant and continuing through chapter 53; it was written 700 years before Christ was born, yet accurately describes every detail! The crowd watching the crucifixion thought Jesus was dying for his sins but he was dying for OUR sins. For three excruciating hours, God’s wrath was poured out on him and the earth went dark as night. He didn’t deserve it; we did! He was our propitiation; he took the penalty for our sin. His payment took away our guilt and the power of sin over us who believe, so that we could heal from the effects of sin. We didn’t have the ability to become like Christ so God became like us, paid for our sins through his death and resurrection so that through the power of His Holy Spirit we could become like Him.
