Isaiah 52:13-14 "Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men."

Here we see something that was foretold hundreds of years before it came to pass. Today we look back at the results of the suffering servant being marred on account of our sins.

Our awesome and powerful God was truly high and lifted up. He was greatly exalted and will be exalted throughout all eternity. He as God has always been exalted and worthy of praise. He was the word made flesh that dwelt among us (John 1:14).

Jesus always was and always will be the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Through the divine will of the Father He who knew no sin stepped down out of heaven to become sin on our behalf (Rev. 1:8, Is. 44:6, Rev. 22:13, 2 Cor. 5:21).

His plan from the virgin birth to death on the cross was always redemption. Part of that plan to get us to redemption was to be marred beyond recognition. He would be beaten beyond recognition. He took upon Himself the beating that you and I deserved.

Sometimes our lives can feel like they are getting marred. Our hearts may go through periods where it seems like we are getting spiritually marred and beaten up. We may not even feel as though we look or are acting, as a Christian should be acting.

We can find ourselves in a place where sin seems to be ravaging us to pieces. What do you think about when you think about being marred? The word 'marred' in the Hebrew is mishchath (mish-khawth' ) and means disfigurement or corruption (1).

Maybe your life feels like it is being marred right now? Have you ever noticed what happens when you step up to serve the Lord in some way? What about when you start ministering to others who are going through what you may have already gone through?

The answer can feel like spiritual disfigurement from the enemy’s relentless attacks. After all the enemies goal is to beat you beyond recognition. He wants to make you give up on serving the Lord. It is amazing to me when the Lord opens the opportunity to encourage someone’s marriage.

No sooner do I find myself feeling disfigured as the enemy hits my own marriage a few days afterwards. It can feel fierce and even make me rethink about taking on the burden of standing in the gap for others in their marriages.

We need to remember that Jesus was marred on account of me and on account of you. We can stand bold to know that we have been rescued from the enemy’s grip. We have been set free and are free indeed (John 8:36). We can take courage that we face eternity without the guilt of sin.

Praise the Lord today and thank Him that He took on the inconceivable punishment for us. He chose to do it willfully and remember again that if you were the only one, He would still have become marred on account of you to rescue you from spending eternity away from Him.

If you feel marred and disfigured today from the corruption of sin or from just being beat up by the enemy, take heart, yours that is and lift it up to Him. He will meet you right where you are. He says come and He will always bid you come, “Come to me…” (Matt. 11:28)

By His Spirit,
Adam