The arm of the Lord

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Isaiah 53:1

It’s a compelling question isn’t it? Who has believed our message? It’s a question that is made even more compelling by the fact that the message is so glorious. The message is all about a suffering servant. I think it is possible to become so familiar with Isaiah 53 that the message loses some of that glory. Am I so accustomed to seeing the passion of Christ within the words of Isaiah 53 that I am not affected by the story – the arm of the Lord that has been revealed? Am I less overwhelmed with gratitude? The suffering is described on so many levels. It is physical. It is emotional. It is willingly accepted. That’s right. The suffering servant was crushed, pierced rejected and despised because of love not force. All of this was a part of the revelation of the “arm of the Lord”. Yesterday, I reflected on my own mental picture of the arm of the Lord. I recognize that the prophetic word is a metaphor to help us understand God’s plan. But, my picture is twofold. I see the flexed bicep of God demonstrating the power of His might. Nothing can thwart His plan. Nothing could ever be impossible. God is always great enough, strong enough and sufficient for the task. Also, I see the arm of God extended. God’s wingspan is immeasurable. His reach is infinite. He found me. What happened when He found me? Because the servant suffered for me, I escaped punishment. Despite the fact that I wandered away from Him like a sheep gone astray, He did not punish me when He found me. No, instead, I experienced exactly what the sheep experienced in Luke 15:4. And when He finds it, He joyfully puts it on His shoulders and goes home.