Jesus is our example

Isaiah 53 provides a prophetic synopsis of the life of Jesus. We read words of prophecy and then see them fulfilled in the gospel narratives of the New Testament, and our faith is increased in knowing and believing the prophets told us about the Messiah long before his earthly birth.

In the paragraphs of Isaiah 53 we come to know that Jesus would be "despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, familiar with pain."

Then, "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our inequities."

Further, "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter."

From the same chapter, Isaiah 53, verse 12 gives us some additional information of prophecy about Jesus. "And he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

We have looked at several aspects of intercessory prayer this week, and while our studies have not exhausted the subject, the fact that Jesus is our example for this type of praying speaks volumes about his sacrificial love for us, and shows us how powerful intercession can be.

We will probably never fathom all it took for Jesus to offer his life as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. We know it took tremendous love, even though we are often unlovable. Paul speaks of Jesus "emptying himself and taking the form of a servant," and that gives his example of selflessness, to a people who are usually obsessed with self.  I find myself running out of words in describing all Jesus encountered to pay for my sins and the sins of all mankind. 

Now in Isaiah's prophecy about Jesus, there is the simple statement, "he bore the sin of many," simple because we have heard that all our lives so it's believable to us.   It is followed by a powerful statement that "he made intercession for the transgressors."  That statement is awesome!

Jesus is our example in loving each other, forgiving each other, and now he is our example in interceding for each other. Would you have difficulty praying for someone that had wronged you?  If Jesus can intercede for the very ones whose sins took him to the cross, then we should follow his example by praying for someone who perhaps has wronged us.  Intercessory prayer takes us beyond our comfort zone, and into the realm of being more and more like Jesus. I say again, "We have some praying to do."

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