I believe that the Holy Spirit is bringing about new revelation from His Word like never before and although most of us are familiar with Isaiah 53, I’d like for us to study some of these verses. As we all know, these verses speak about Jesus coming and His purpose.
I recently heard a minister speak specifically about Verse 4 which in The New King James version of the Bible reads as follows:
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.”
I don’t know how many times I’ve read this verse and even heard this verse taught, but the revelation that this minister brought forth bears repeating.
He connected griefs and sorrows with our trials and tribulations. This is what caused me to sit up and take notice. Griefs and sorrows includes every kind of negative emotion such as depression, fear, family troubles, financial troubles that cause us to worry. It includes anything that would normally cause us to worry.
Because if Jesus bore those things that bring us grief and sorrow, then why do we sometimes act like God doesn’t seem to understand WHAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH?
The words bore our griefs is saying He “took on” our griefs. It goes on to say that He carried our sorrows, so if he carried our sorrows, why are we carrying them?
The testimony this minister gave on the revelation that God had given him is as follows:
He worked for a large Airline company and someone had accused him of something and his supervisor was threatening that he was going to fire him. This man really loved his job and immediately he went into great emotional turmoil, as anyone would. But because of the revelation that God had given him, he went to his office and “spoke out” something like this: “Jesus told me you were coming and He’s already defeated you. I already have the peace of God in me. I’m not having you.” He said peace came upon him.
This situation continued for the next several days, but God’s peace remained upon him. He said to himself “I don’t care what anybody says, I’m going to live in peace and joy, not depressed, worried or stressed. And everything turned around.
He got exhonorated as far as his job was concerned, as he released the worry to God and confessed Jesus’ victory was already his.
Isaiah 53 is called the REDEMPTION CHAPTER!
By the way, when he said “Jesus told me you were coming” he was referring to John 16:33 where Jesus stated “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This man says worry is nothing but a “perverted emotion”. He also said that when he followed God’s instructions by speaking to those emotions, he felt God’s peace and protection.
Jesus faced all those emotions on the cross when he carried our sins and bore them for us, so that we could live free from them.
But let’s read Verse 5 now:
“But He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him. And by His stipes we are healed.”
In other words Jesus was wounded for our sins, he was bruised for our wickedness, for our evil deeds. And that wickedness, that sinfulness in us was supposed to steal our peace, but he took those wrongs upon himself, so that we could retain and remain in PEACE! EVERYTHING THAT COULD STEAL OUR PEACE was upon Him when He went to the cross.
It has been proven that the peace of God has even changed physical ailments in people’s bodies. As peace replaces stress and worry, people are healed.
It was said that worry never empties tomorrow’s problems, it just empties us of strength today.
It was even said that if we don’t cast our cares upon the Lord, you’re not humbling yourself, but that you’re actually taking Jesus off his throne and making yourself Lord of your life. (Ouch)
We truly have not understood the MAGNITUDE, the INTENSITY, the SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CROSS and of His sufferings. What His Word is saying is “That everything that could ever steal our peace in this world, was upon Him, upon Jesus.”
One of the fruits of the Spirit identified in Galatians 5:22 is peace. I think it worthwhile to go ahead and read Galatians 5:22-23. It reads: “but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The Lord told this man that HIS FRUIT IS NOT SEASONAL, His fruit is always available to us, but that we must speak His promises out of our mouth and then KNOW that His promises are Yea and Amen!
Which brings me to another point that God personally pointed out to me as I began to read from Verse One:
“Who has believed our report? What the Lord spoke to me is that “We should all ask ourselves this question: Do I believe?”
The second part of this verse says: And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Again, this is what I heard: “The arm of the Lord IS ONLY revealed to those who believe.”
We must all ask ourselves this question: Do I believe? And if I do, why isn’t the Word of God operating in my life the way that He promises?
Jesus said on the Cross: It is finished!
Why do so many of us walk around like “Something isn’t working!” God is perfect so He has not failed and He will never fail.
I believe that we have not fully understood the scriptures. Why? I don’t have all the answers. I do know that the devil is a deceiver! I feel that somehow the Word of the Lord has been reduced in power throughout the years since the Apostles walked the earth. This is just my theory!
But putting all of that aside, the point is, something is now happening that the Spirit of God is bringing His Word to life because His Word is alive!
I don’t know about you, but when I heard this revelation that Jesus had taken upon Himself every trouble that I will ever come across, just as much as He has already forgiven me for every sin that I will ever commit that I repent for, it made my heart beat faster.
I had never associated the words griefs and sorrows with trials and tribulations. But I do have a real understanding of what trials and tribulations are, as I know that you do also!
Understanding that He took all my griefs and sorrows (trials and tribulations) upon Himself – gives me assurance that I AM SUPPOSED TO WALK IN PEACE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE – as long as I approach my trials and tribulations from God’s perspective and not from a human perspective that would cause me to worry and make me feel that it’s hopeless.
His Word just finished telling us that THAT WHICH COULD STEAL OUR PEACE was placed upon Him so that we can RETAIN PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM. This frame of mind explains why Jesus could speak to the storm and simply say "Peace, be still", and it did! His mind and heart were at peace and so therefore, out of that mindset, He was able to speak peace to the storm and it had to obey! Wonder what would have happened if Jesus himself had been as troubled as the apostles were at that moment? Probably nothing!
Now mind you, this is only one small aspect of God’s glorious Word!
If anyone has any doubt, let us remember how Jesus won the victory over Satan when he was tempting him after Jesus’ 40 days of fasting. He said “It is written.”
God is and always has wanted to share His Victory with us! He left us His book of instructions. Is there something of His Word that does not seem to be operating in our lives? I seriously doubt that anyone of us could say that all of God’s Word is operating in our lives.
But let us not forget the BASIC REQUIREMENT: We must believe! If we believe, we will speak and if we speak, we will believe!
So what are you facing today? What is stealing your peace? That peace that God has so graciously purchased for you and I.
Can we practice? We are to led by the Spirit, but for practice purposes, we’ll use the following words:
For example, if you have trouble with your finances you might say:
“You spirit of lack, you spirits holding back my blessings, Jesus told me you were coming and He’s already defeated you in my life. I already have the Peace of God in me, I’m not having you. Jehova Jira is my provider. IT IS WRITTEN, God shall provide all my needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.”
What about healing: We read in Verse 5 that “by His stripes we are healed.”
“You spirit of infirmity, of sickness and disease Jesus told me you were coming and He’s already defeated you in my life. I already have the PEACE of God in me, I’m not having you. Jesus was afflicted in my behalf, I am blessed coming in and going out, in the city and in the field. I am fearfully and wonderfully made AS IT IS WRITTEN. I have been healed by His stripes. ”
What about trouble with our kids:
“You spirits of disunity and division attempting to destroy my family, Jesus told me you were coming but He also told me that He had already overcome the world for me, therefore you have been defeated and I have the PEACE of God in me, as does my family.”
Why was Jesus able to go through so much suffering? The Bible says “For the joy set before him”. Why can we walk through the fire, "for the joy set before us"!
The joy of seeing the victory of our King! In other words we don’t look at our circumstances as impossible, but we NOT ONLY recognize that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD, but WE STAND AND BELIEVE, WE DECLARE AND WE RECEIVE HIS PEACE WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE ANSWER.
Wouldn’t life be easier if we lived it KNOWING that the answer has REALLY ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED BY HEAVEN?
Wouldn’t life be easier if we lived it KNOWING that JESUS didn’t miss ONE ANGLE, that He COVERED EVERYTHING THROUGH HIS SUFFERINGS?
Wouldn’t life be easier if we lived it IN PEACE while still in the storm? What a concept, Halleluiah!
Wouldn’t we be more pleasing to God, if we lived life LIKE WE BELIEVE HIM? What if we
lived life IN FAITH IN GOD AND IN WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS?
-What a concept, that God really has our BACK COVERED!
-THAT HIS VICTORY IS OUR VICTORY.
-That we can’t miss, that we can’t fail because He has never failed!
Now in all of this, let us not forget that it is going to take ACTION on our part. It is going to take confessing and confronting that confusion, that unbelief, AND DECLARING HIS VICTORY AND HIS PEACE WHICH IS ALREADY OURS!
Let me ask you a question:
Does your spirit man confirm what I am saying? Is faith rising up on the inside of you.
Are you getting a glimpse of the fullness of the victory of the Cross?
Study Isaiah 53, all of it! And study it not only for the wondrous promises of peace and of healing like we pointed out tonight, but look intently at the Cross that you may understand why ALL OF HIS PROMISES ARE REALLY POSSIBLE. Read the details of His sufferings and even of His virtues that are identified in Isaiah 53, so that you may understand the WHY He is able to promise us so much! Perhaps it is time to again watch the movie "The Passion", just to drive the point home into the depths of our heart!
This is not a story book, it is Jesus Himself being REVEALED TO US!