April 12 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Isaiah 53:

¹Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
⁹And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
¹⁰Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt 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.
¹¹He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
¹²Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Devotional

There could be no forgiveness of sins without atonement being made for them. God's justice had to be satisfied. But there was no one that could make satisfaction for sin except Jesus Christ, who was a true and sinless man, and more power­ful than all creatures, that is, He was at the same time true God. Heidelberg Catechism Q.15.

He is the eternal Son of God. And this is the marvel, the amazing fact before which we must stand in awe: God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, delivered him up to shame and derision and the cruel death on the cross, because He loved us so. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their tres­passes unto them." "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." "By one offering Christ has perfected (made perfect) for ever them that are sanctified." He "of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and re­demption." "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." "He that believeth on the Son hath ever­lasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Prayer

O God, our Father, we cannot sufficiently thank Thee for the gift of Thy Son; that He endured the cross for us; that He suffered so, that we might go free; that He died, that we might have eternal life. O God, we would ascribe all praise unto Thee. May Thine infinite love wherewith Thou hast loved us, prompt us to love Thee in return. Grant us, that we may serve Thee without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our life, and may glorify Thee for ever and ever. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 8:32; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:19,21; Heb. 10:14; 1 Cor. 1:30; Acts 4:12; John 3:36.

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