Our Iniquity Bearer

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
​​By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
​​For He shall bear their iniquities.
  -- Isaiah 53:11

Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, we have used these titles for our Lord rejoicing in a quite different verse from the same prophet. How often do we remember our Lord as Our Iniquity Bearer? It does not seem an appropriate title for the King of kings, and yet there it is near the end of a prophetic chapter. In this same chapter we learn that our Savior was also despised, rejected, despised again, not esteemed, and although it does not outright say 'ugly', it certainly informs us that He would have no beauty or comeliness. This coming Prince of Peace does not appear to be the one we would pick from among ourselves to be the leader. The prophet by the word of God emphasizes quite the opposite. Those scribes and Pharisees scanning the temple crowd for our Lord at the Passover must have overlooked Him time and time again, since He just wasn't the pretty face one would expect of this new leader who drew people to Himself by the thousands.

That's our Lord Jesus, not just another pretty face! Perhaps it was the bearing of our iniquity that caused His face to look so unlovely and without beauty?

Bucky