The Gospel of IsaiahShembull

Somebody Paid For Your Sin

The book of Isaiah is sometimes referred to as the Fifth Gospel because it contains so many passages about Jesus Christ, the coming Savior. Among them, one of the greatest chapters is Isaiah 53, which is a powerful portrait of the events surrounding the cross, penned seven centuries before Christ came.

In Isaiah 53, the central verse is verse 6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

The first two lines underscore our sin problem. We see the universality of sin; “All we like sheep have gone astray.” We also see that the essence of sin is when we go our way rather than God’s way. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way.” This is the essence of sin: independence from God, rebelling against God, or seeking to please oneself rather than God.

If the first two lines describe our sin problem, the last two lines give God’s solution to it. God took our sin, all our sin, and laid it on Christ. When Christ hung on the cross, God took all our sin and placed it on Christ so He could die in our place. So here, in the middle of Isaiah 53, is a powerful statement. First, man’s basic sin problem is stated to be going our way rather than God’s way. Then there’s God’s solution: a Substitute who will bear our sin.

It’s amazing when you think of it—all your sin and rebellion paid for by another, who died for you. Amazing grace.