Yet

A small word, yet big truths. I think the prophet Isaiah would agree. Each time we find the word “yet” in Isaiah 53 it is a cause for worship.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

While the Lord Jesus was suffering on the cross there were those passing by who derided Him. They shook their heads and were full of scorn for the One who claimed He would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Here he was, they thought, shamefully hanging on a cross unable to save Himself. “Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save.” All along He was bearing our griefs and our sorrows. It was because of our sins He was hanging on that cross. He did not save Himself so that He could save us. “Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

“He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth.”

When I think about that appalling scene where a whole battalion of Roman soldiers is gathered around the Lord Jesus, I am awed at His silence. They stripped the holy Son of God, put a purple robe about Him, fashioned a crown of thorns for His head and placed a reed as a scepter in His hand. Thus arrayed, they bowed before Him in mockery saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they took the reed and beat the crown of thorns into His head. They spit on Him and beat Him and scourged Him. Then they crucified Him.

The words the Lord Jesus said to Peter come to mind. “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” “Yet he opened not His mouth.”

“He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.”

The Lord Jesus was not dying for His own sin, but for ours. No one that he came into contact with could bring one accusation against Him. The Jews brought false witness after false witness before the tribunal in order to find some charge to condemn Him. “But they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.” Three times over in Luke 23, Pilate stated that He didn’t find any guilt in the Lord Jesus and neither did Herod. One of the criminals hanging beside Him railed at Him. “But the other rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” Even a Roman centurion who witnessed the death of the Lord Jesus confessed, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” Heaven itself opened up on more than one occasion to declare, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.”

Yet, this One who “always did those things that pleased the Father,” was the One that it pleased the Father to bruise. It was the will of the Lord to “put Him to grief.” Not me, but Him. My soul can only sing in some heavenly language that I cannot fully comprehend. There are no earthly words – no earthly language – that could express the worship due Him. But let us try.