What does "the LORD was pleased to crush Him" reveal about God's plan? Setting the Scene Isaiah 53 paints the portrait of the Suffering Servant—fulfilled in Jesus—long before the cross became a historical event. Verse 10 stands at the heart of that portrait: “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when He has made His soul a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.” (Isaiah 53:10) Unpacking “the LORD was pleased to crush Him” • “The LORD’s will” (or “pleased”) points to divine initiative, not human accident. • “Crush” underscores real, physical, and spiritual anguish, not mere symbolism. • “Guilt offering” ties Jesus’ suffering to the sacrificial system (Leviticus 6:6-7), showing substitution in plain terms. What This Reveals About God’s Plan 1. Sovereign Purpose • Acts 2:23—“This Man was handed over to you by God’s set plan and foreknowledge.” • God’s sovereignty orchestrated the cross without negating human responsibility (cf. Isaiah 53:4). 2. Substitutionary Atonement • 2 Corinthians 5:21—“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.” • The guilt offering is not figurative; Jesus literally bore wrath we deserved (Romans 3:25-26). 3. Supreme Love • John 3:16 affirms that love motivated the plan. The same Father who “crushed” the Son did so to save many sons and daughters (Hebrews 2:10). 4. Vindicated Outcome • “He will see His offspring” points to resurrection life producing a redeemed family (Hebrews 12:2). • “He will prolong His days” confirms that death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). • “The good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand” guarantees the success of redemption’s mission (Ephesians 1:7-10). How This Truth Shapes Our Walk • Assurance—Salvation rests on God’s settled purpose, not shifting human effort. • Gratitude—The costliness of redemption fuels worship and obedience (1 Peter 1:18-19). • Confidence in Evangelism—If God planned the cross, He also plans its fruit; the gospel will bear results (Romans 1:16). • Endurance—Suffering believers can trust that God weaves even pain into His perfect plan (Romans 8:28-32), just as He did at Calvary. Key Takeaways • The cross was not Plan B but the centerpiece of God’s eternal design. • Divine justice and divine love meet in the deliberate suffering of the Son. • Resurrection and mission prove that the “crushing” was never the end of the story, but the means to an indestructible redemption. |
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