The Suffering & Supremacy of God

This week we stepped into Isaiah 52–53 and were invited to behold a God who doesn’t stay distant from suffering but steps directly into it—absorbing it, bearing it, transforming it. This is not a God of hollow religiosity or detached morality. This is the Servant King who is both pierced and enthroned. The One who was crushed and victorious.

We began with the strangeness of the gospel: that Christ—lifted up, exalted—was first disfigured beyond recognition. He was so marred, Isaiah says, people questioned if he was even human. But in that brokenness was healing power. Like a priest sprinkling the blood of atonement, Jesus sprinkles the unclean with mercy, making the unfit fit for God’s presence. He’s not just the sacrifice; he’s the priest. And that blood doesn’t just cover individuals—it reaches nations.

We also saw that Jesus lived under the weight of rejection. Not just ignored—but despised, dismissed, misunderstood even by those closest to him. He wasn’t impressive by the world’s standards. He didn’t play the image game. He didn’t ride popularity. And yet… he was God’s glory in flesh. To see him rightly requires faith—not flair.

Isaiah brings us to the heart of the gospel: Jesus bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, and was pierced for our transgressions. Guilt doesn’t disappear—it must be dealt with. And in stunning grace, God shifts the debt onto Jesus, the innocent substitute. Love, at its deepest, is substitutional.

And yet this wasn’t defeat—it was victory. Jesus willingly went to the cross, silent like a lamb, and out of that crushing came new life. He sees his offspring—his people—and shares the spoils of his victory with them. His cross is not just a symbol; it’s power. And it’s still working.

So the question remains: does this gospel—this costly, bloody, merciful gospel—still move us? Are we worshiping? Submitting? Proclaiming? Because family, this isn’t just good news. It’s the best news. And it demands a response.