Online Bible Verses - Isaiah 53:3-4 Lamb of God

“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, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:3-4

Author named Josh McDowell wrote a book called “Evidence That Demands A Verdict”, concerning the person of Christ. Teacher, revolutionary, conspirator, lunatic or Lord? Was the resurrection something that actually happened? Validity of scripture and Christian faith depends on what one decides.

Above we have prophetic evidence, apparently written by the prophet Isaiah 700 years before Christ walked the earth. One argument would say that Chapter 53 describes a coming Savior. Perhaps a bit odd, in that it speaks in the past tense; but being that God is not bound by time, in His realm the past tense would simply signal that it was already done. He foreknew what would come, and the prophet was given a vision of what would occur on the earthly timeline. Staying with the absence of time as a boundary, we can also conclude that the sacrifice was made for all: pre, past and post event. Even then, for those who lived prior to the writing. We see further support for the concept in Romans concerning Abraham:

Romans 4:2-4:

If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.

Righteousness imputed, as opposed to earned. Salvation by faith as opposed to works. Faith in whom? In God. Equivalent to faith in Christ? According to John chapter 1, yes, as Christ can be viewed as one in the same as God:

John 1:1

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning.

The Word being Christ.

We thus have a construct here which includes prophecy concerning Christ’s sacrifice, providing coverage/reconciliation for all men over all time based on faith, along with a clear statement that Jesus was/is the second person of a triune Godhead.

Considerable evidence, left up to those having access for a conclusion. It ultimately, on our end, comes down to realization, appeal, recognition and faith. All driven by a God who, at some point, draws us unto Himself. In different ways for different people, seeds planted sometimes over an extended period. We realize there is a futility in self or worldly dependence, eventually looking to Him for answers. In every way, the solution is found in Him, outside of ourselves.