Introduction
So far in this study we have learned the following principles about humility:

Humility is placing our value in Christ alone.

Humility is being willing to do the lowly jobs.

Humility is giving up our right to be right.

This week we continue our study on humility by beginning in Isaiah 53:9-10.

Personal Reflection
What are your thoughts about suffering? What do feel or think when you see people you love suffering? How about when it is you who is suffering?

Meditation and Memory Verse
(Take 15 minutes or more and pray about this prophesy of Jesus. Read it over several times. Repeat it out loud to yourself. Let your eyes gaze upon this verse. As you do so, ask God to give you greater understanding that you might know Him better. Finally, read, write and repeat the verse to help you retain it in your heart and mind.)

Yet is was the LORD'S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand Isaiah 53:10

Bible Study
Read Isaiah 53:9-10, Acts 2:22-23

Christ was innocent, but it was the Father's will to cause Him to suffer. In last week's study we discovered that God's wrath against His son bought our salvation. But what more was accomplished through the suffering servant Jesus Christ?

Read John 3:16. What else was demonstrated through Christ's death?

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Read John 17:25-26. Jesus knew that there was tremendous suffering that lie ahead. He knew that He would be punished for the sins of His people and yet what name does He use to speak to His Father in verse 25?

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Did Christ doubt the love that the Father had for Him despite the trials that were ahead (verse 26)?

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Read Romans 3:25. What else did God demonstrate through the suffering of His Son?

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Read Romans 1:18-19. Romans 3 tells us that everyone of us has repressed the truth of God in unrighteousness, and that everyone of us deserves to be objects of God's wrath. Yet God made a promise to redeem His people (Genesis 3:15, 17:4-8). Therefore God's purpose was to demonstrate to His people His love, grace, mercy, kindness, glory and justice when He made Jesus the guilt offering for our sins.

Robert Barnes in the February 2002 edition of Tabletalk says "God loves sinners and His own glory enough to expose His Son to His own wrath. We would not know how much God loves us if the Son had not suffered. Moreover, we would not know grace, the unmerited favor of God toward sinners, unless sin and sinners existed."

Personal Application
It was Jesus' desire to bring glory to God through His suffering. Jesus trusted and obeyed His heavenly Father and was joined with Him in spirit and purpose..

Human suffering is difficult to digest, however Jesus' suffering makes no sense either to the human psyche and yet we see God's wisdom revealed through it all. In human suffering we must be like Jesus. We must join with Him to bring glory to the Father. We must trust in the Father, who allowed, yeah caused, His Son to suffer greatly, to bring glory to Himself out of the ashes of our suffering.

Humility remembers that the Lord Jesus was please to suffer on our behalf. And though we should not seek out suffering, humility knows, that if our Lord Jesus suffered, we have no right not to. When suffering comes our way we do not curse God, but instead we look for His hand of providence, and pray that we would bring Him glory.

How did you believe the Lord is speaking to you through this study?

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What adjustment is He asking you to make in your life with regard to humility?

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Take these things to God in prayer.

An article by Robert Barnes in the February 2002 issue of Tabletalk entitled "Wrath Against the Innocent" encouraged the 3/24/02 study.

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Copyright © 2002 Alan and Jean LeStourgeon