Key Scripture: Isaiah 53:5-6; 12 “But 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. All 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.... Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”

Isaiah 53 is a key passage connecting the Old Testament with the coming of the Messiah who would be the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sins. Isaiah prophesied that this coming Messiah would bear the sins of many—that the punishment and wrath for our wickedness would be poured out on Him so that we may have peace.

There were many different types of sacrifices mentioned in the Old Testament, yet, Scripture tells us in Colossians 2:17 that all of thosesacrifices were “a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” They all pointed to the cross—where the final and perfect sacrifice would be. Jesus would offer His life in our place as payment for our sin.

This is also confirmed with the truth of Scripture in the New Testament where Romans 5:6-8 tells us that “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

God’s love for us was displayed through His only Son’s atoning death on the cross where the final sacrifice was made once and for all.