Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 53:10-12
Jesus was numbered with the transgressors. These “transgressors” were not just mere sinners but criminals. He was crucified as a criminal with criminals on each side in an attempt to discredit his message and squash his movement. Jesus quoted this Scripture as being fulfilled by him:
“It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment” (Luke 22:37).
Jesus knew exactly what was getting ready to happen. He knew the details. His disciples could not imagine that within hours of these words that Jesus would go from eating the Passover meal with them to hanging on a cross. They simply couldn’t believe what he was saying. It didn’t make any sense.
And not only was Jesus crucified alongside criminals, he took on himself their crimes against God and paid for them. He bore the sins of many. Again we see the word “many” here. Jesus will not bear everyone’s sins – only the many. We must accept his sacrificial offer to us. He is willing to bear everyone’s sins but some are not willing to let him. Peter quotes this Scripture in his letter:
“‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed’” (1 Pet 2:24).
The author of Hebrews also points to this Scripture:
“Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Heb 9:26-28).
The Jews had to sacrifice animals on a regular basis in order to atone for their sins. When Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice, it was only required the one time and it covered all sins present, past and future. This was a hard concept for the Jews to embrace and it is still a hard concept for us today.
We tend to act like Jesus isn’t enough. We like to earn our way into God’s favor. We think that we must be perfect in order to be accepted by a perfect God. When we fail, we tend to run from God as if he see us the way we see ourselves. We don’t want to stand before Him exposed and guilty. But this is not true. Jesus paid for every sin we’ve already committed and every sin we will commit if we simply put our trust in him.
God knows us intimately. We should seek to know him intimately too. So when we find ourselves in sin and bearing the guilt of our sin, we should run to Him. He can restore us and help us back on the path. He is a good and loving God. And because Jesus bore our sins, we can convene with God no matter how guilty we feel.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you… And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Pet 5:7, 10).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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