In the English
language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or
disreputable (scandalous, disgraceful)
member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically
been given negative implications, implying waywardness, being different,
difficult and stubborn.
The term
originated from the occasional black sheep which are born into a herd of
white sheep. Black wool was considered commercially undesirable because
it could not be dyed. In 18th and 19th century England, the black colour
of the sheep was seen as the mark of the devil. In modern usage the term
is usually given to the member of a group who has certain
characteristics or lack thereof deemed undesirable by that group.
The black sheep of a family is
the odd, disputable one in a family; he is disliked by everybody, hated
and rejected by everybody. Maybe you are in a situation where your
family is ashamed of you, and you cannot do anything right in their
eyes.
Isaiah 53:2-12 (The Message)
(2) The servant grew up before God--a scrawny
seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing
attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.
(3) He was looked down on and passed over, a man
who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned
away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
(4) But the fact is, it was our pains he
carried-- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought
he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own
failures.
(5) But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins! He took the punishment,
and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.
(6) We're all like
sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing,
gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done
wrong, on him, on him.
(7) He was beaten, he was tortured, but he
didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep
being sheared, he took it all in silence.
(8) Justice miscarried, and he was led off-- and
did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for
his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
(9) They buried him with the wicked, threw him
in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said
one word that wasn't true.
(10) Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering
for sin so that he'd see life come from it--life, life, and more life.
And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him.
(11) Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll
see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he
experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous
ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
(12) Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly--
the best of everything, the highest honors-- Because he looked death in
the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company of the
lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the
cause of all the black sheep.
Jesus took up the cause of all
the black sheep. If I am a black sheep I can be encouraged by the fact
that He stood up in my place.
THIS IS THE GOSPEL IN 4 WORDS: Jesus in my place.
We know that God has to punish
sins because He is a fair God, and the Bible says that the wages of sin
is death. But He loves us, everybody, He loves the world, His people,
His creation, therefore He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place, to
stand in our place.
He stood in my place, so that I
can stand in His place – HEAVEN
From Isaiah 53 it is clear that:
* He was wounded and crushed
because of our sins; by taking our punishment, He made us completely
well (verse 5)
* All the time this was God’s
plan to save us: Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush
Him with pain. The plan was that He give himself as an offering for sin
so that He'd see life come from it--life, life, and more life. And GOD's
plan will deeply prosper through Him. (verse 10)
* He gave himself as offering
* LIFE (John 10:10 I have
come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness)
is what came for us through His death on the cross.
* We are forgiven, washed, the
slate is now clean, etc.
* God has piled ALL our sins
on Him (verse 6)
* Through Him we become
righteous ones
* He took the place of many
sinners and prayed that they might be forgiven
BUT ALSO:
From Isaiah 53 I realize that
Jesus also stood in my place for all the emotions, sickness, pain and
problems that I may experience.
He knew first hand how pain
felt, how rejection felt.
He can feel sympathy for our
weaknesses, because He was fully human. (Heb 4:15)
HE TOOK UP THE CAUSE OF
ALL THE BLACK SHEEP
Here are 25 words from
different translations of Isaiah 53 that describe what Jesus experienced
on the cross:
1)
There
was nothing attractive about Him
2)
He had no
dignity, no beauty
3)
People
looked down on Him
4)
He was passed
over
5)
He was seen
as useless
6)
Filled
with sorrow
7)
Despised
8)
Abused
9)
One
who suffered
10)
He was
treated harshly
11)
He
was crushed
12)
Wounded,
although He did nothing wrong
13)
Beaten
14)
Spat
on
15)
Knew
pain first hand
16)
Hated
17)
Rejected
– people turned away from Him
18)
People
thought He was scum
19)
His best
friend and disciple, Peter, denied Him
20)
He was
betrayed by his followers
21)
no one cared
about his fate
22)
He was
arrested
23)
He was
sentenced without a fair trial
24)
Hated
25)
He was a
nobody
Isaiah 53:4 But the fact
is, it was our pains He carried-- our disfigurements, all the things
wrong with us.
He carried our sins –
yes! we can have eternal life.
He also carried our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us
– yes! we can have LIFE! Life, life and more life!
RECEIVE THE NEW LIFE
NOW – let Him wash all the disfigurements..... come to the cross,
taste His goodness, experience His forgiveness, feel His love and
compassion; start a new life as a new creation today.
2 Cor 5:17 Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united
with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is
gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!
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