It Pleased The LORD

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 

Isaiah 53:10 

Christ’s sufferings were not accidental. He did not simply fall afoul of the Jewish religious authorities, and become a victim of their plots. Pilate was not the driver of His execution, but rather the tool of a much larger Entity, Who had ordained that such things come to pass. Our text explains the truth to us. It was God, the LORD (Jehovah) Who was pleased to bruise Christ and put Him to grief. This is an awful concept for us to grasp. Here is the Sovereign God pouring out His wrath against sin upon the Suffering Savior with absolute intention. He treated Christ as sin itself. Paul puts it this way, ‘For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’ Our text goes on to state the purpose, that God would, ‘make His soul an offering for sin.’ This was the Divine purpose which Christ willingly endured. It is also why we place such an emphasis upon Christ. No one else could accomplish such a redemption. No one else could bear such bruising and grief with all it entails. He is the Suffering Savior, beside Whom there is no other. He is the One and only Sacrifice.  It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. 

Our Wise and Sovereign God, 
we rejoice that You have been willing to make such a sacrifice. 
We praise You that Christ has fulfilled all Your will, 
to purchase our redemption. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning