Many of us go through very painful moments of our lives. And today I want to reflect on the pain inside that is so strong that it can feel like physical pain – when your body starts to react to that inner pain. I was walking with people who were falsely accused, who were betrayed and who were put down in a measure I would not want anyone to go through. Living through this experience myself, in my prayer time, today, I was led by the Spirit to Isaiah 53. I pray that my reflection on some of the verses of Isaiah 53 will bring you freedom, inner healing and understanding that you are never alone and Someone knows exactly what you feel.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering…
Isaiah 53:3-4a
When I read this verse, the first thing what spoke to me was…
… A MAN OF SUFFERING, and FAMILIAR WITH PAIN.
I raised some questions. Was this verse talking only about the physical pain? Could Jesus feel pain in His soul?
O, YES. My eyes landed on the 7th verse, on the words:
“He was OPPRESSED and AFFLICTED, yet He did not open His mouth…”
And it is not the end of the verse yet, but these two words clearly show that we are not the only ones who can feel this way. Jesus felt this as well.
Jesus was familiar with pain, He was a man of suffering. Its just that often, we do not think of Jesus experiencing oppression or affliction. Another thought came to me – sometimes we can think, “but Jesus was without sin, so he was not able to be offended and feel that pain…” At the same time I hear in my thoughts the voice of the Holy Spirit saying, “It is not the offense itself, but what you do with it and how you handle it.” Jesus was bearing all of it on the cross, and punishment of the whole world was on Him, which is even more than we can comprehend or imagine.
I jumped back to the beginning of the verse 3:
“He was DESPISED and REJECTED by mankind.”
We go through rejection, but I don’t think we could ever imagine the rejection Jesus went through. Jesus knew pain, He knows it now, and He can relate.
“He took our pain and bore our suffering…”
Being in pain and broken in my heart, I look at Jesus. I just see Him on the cross, taking my pain and my suffering. Yes, my tears are streaming down my face, but with these tears, I know He is looking at me and with tenderness in His voice he is saying, “Give it to me, GIVE IT TO ME! When I was on the cross, I saw you, in the future, and I knew you would be going through this pain and suffering, and I did take it, right there, on that cross, so give this pain and suffering to me now. It is finished.” Maybe you are going through something similar, Jesus is speaking these words to you too.
Jesus, You are the man of suffering, who knows how it feels, so You understand. You felt that inner pain of the heart, that pain that makes you shrink and turn your stomach upside down. And you took up my pain and bore my suffering, you already did, looking at me into the future… Please, help me to release this pain to You. I can not bear it on my own. I need Your help, I need You. Heal me, Lord. Heal my broken heart and give me Your Peace.
The next words that I saw in this chapter that jumped at me were from verse 11.
“After He has suffered, He WILL SEE THE LIGHT OF LIFE and BE SATISFIED… “
My afflictions are not forever. Sometimes they come and go, and every time, I return to Isaiah, chapter 53, that reminds me, God is with me all the way through, He makes me stronger… I will see the light of life and will be satisfied.
I know that for some the journey became unbearable. I could not do it without Jesus. He is the One who holds me together in my walk, and I know He is faithful, and at the end, we all will see the light and be satisfied with Jesus on our side. He is the Man of suffering and familiar with pain… He took up our pain and bore our suffering. He is right here, right now, and He knows, and He is the One who heals.
