Advent Week 3 - Day 2

Day 2: The Mighty Redeemer

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53:5-10; 1st Corinthians 7:22-23

Isaiah 53:5-10

5But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

6All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

8He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10Yet 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.

1st Corinthians 7:22-23

22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

Yesterday, we marveled at the creative power of God. Today, we turn our gaze to His redemptive love. Isaiah 53:5-6 paints a poignant picture of the suffering servant, who bore our sins and endured our pains. This prophetic portrait of the suffering Jesus Christ demonstrates the pain of our sin in the sight of a Holy God. Yet as Ephesians 1:5 echos, It gave God Great pleasure to adopt us into his family by the blood of Christ. 

As 1 Corinthians 7:23 reminds us, "You were bought with a price,” and what a heavy price that was… We were once slaves to sin, bound by its chains and destined for eternal separation from God. But through the sacrificial love of Christ, our Mighty Redeemer, we have been liberated from the dominion of darkness. His willful and excruciating act of valor on the cross has washed away our sins and set us free.

The knowledge of God's redemptive power should ignite a fire within our hearts. It should inspire us to live a life worthy of the One who has redeemed us. We are no longer slaves to sin but children of the Most High God. Let us embrace this precious truth and live each day with gratitude and purpose.

Reflection Question: How does the knowledge of God's redemptive power influence your daily choices and decisions?