Say Yes To Jesus
by Pastor Tim Shaw
He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
These remarkable words in Isaiah 53 are part of a prophetic poem about a “Suffering Servant.” Chapter 53 is surrounded by some of the most significant promises God makes to us in Scripture. Who is this Suffering Servant who will take the punishment we deserve so that we might be at peace with God, with ourselves, and with others?
Isaiah 52 assures us that our sin has not permanently alienated us from God but that God has found a way to bring us into a relationship of intimacy and love with Himself. The invitations offered in the chapters that follow are all made possible because of what this Suffering Servant accomplished. Our God can restore and redeem broken, sinful people – people like me. Our God is a merciful, compassionate, gracious, and loving God.
I was raised in a Christ-exalting, Bible-affirming church with parents who were followers of Jesus. My maternal grandfather was a Four Square Gospel pastor, and his father-in-law (my great-grandfather) was one of the pastors who co-founded the Assemblies of God. I was shaped by a family with a deep and rich legacy of Christian faith. I had known about Jesus since I was a boy. But, during my high school and early college years, I drifted away from God. Like the Prodigal Son, I eventually came to my senses, admitting I was in trouble. I was hurting. I did not know how to resolve the pain, losses, and wounds I had experienced and continued to experience because of the poor choices I was making.
After months of struggling, God offered me an unmistakable invitation. “Tim, you’ve tried all sorts of things to resolve the pain you are experiencing, and that has not worked well, has it? Remember Me? Why don’t you come back to Me? I am able to resolve, heal, restore, empower, and guide you. My love is what you’re searching for.”
So, on one Christmas Day in college, I said “Yes” to Jesus. I once again saw, with great clarity, that the Child in the manger had come to die for me so that I might have life and know a peace that passes all understanding. From that moment to today, Jesus has been opening my eyes, mind, and heart and showing me who He is. The all-powerful, all-knowing, Holy God had come to our little planet in Jesus of Nazareth. The Child in Bethlehem grew up to be the man Jesus, who was pierced for me on the cross so that I could be united, forever, with God. His wounds have been healing my wounds ever since that Christmas Day.
Reflection:
What does it mean to you that by the wounds of Jesus you can be healed?
What, if anything, stands in the way of you and a deeper relationship with Jesus? Confess it, turn away from it, and say your “Yes” to Jesus.