Isaiah 53:3-6,” He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Escapism is the tendency to seek distraction or relief from unpleasant realities, stress, responsibilities, or emotional discomfort. We ask, ' How may I work to get some real easy living?” "Man was made for truth, but truth is costly and mysterious. Therefore, many choose pleasure—not because it satisfies, but because it distracts." Isaiah 53:4,"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" JOHN 6:53-58,”53 So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread will live forever.” Charles Spurgeon, "Christ did not come merely that we might be better men, but that He might make us new men altogether." An invitation has been pronounced to enter into something new, different, better, the first and final plan. Faith in HIS suffering & gift. Hebrews 2:14-18,” 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” “Our bodies will break, and our blood will be spilled, but in Christ we have one who spilled the perfect blood and broke the perfect body that though we may suffer here on earth, it pales in comparison to what we have now received through one man’s ultimate suffering.” ISAIAH 53 He carried our griefs He carried our sorrows He was wounded for us He was crushed for us He became all of our suffering, not for us to run & escape, but rather to stand with Him in freedom. 1 PETER 3:18,”18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” In suffering, we bring His work—not our escape Psalm 62:8 - “Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” In suffering, we look to Christ—not inward for answers Hebrews 12:2 - “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” John Piper - “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” In suffering, we remain with Jesus—not away from Him John 15:4 - “Abide in Me, and I in you.” Acts 16:25 - “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God in prison.” In suffering, we trust Jesus—not the outcome Philippians 1:21 - “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Romans 8:38–39 - “Nothing… will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
