So Marred & Bitterest Grief

January 14-15, 2014 – So Marred & Bitterest Grief – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Isaiah 52:14 “As many were astonied (shocked) at thee; his visage (face) was so marred (damaged) more than any man, and his form (body) more than the sons of men” (KJV).

This is about the Lord’s suffering servant and using New Living Translation is clearer. “See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. Many were amazed when they saw him*--beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person. And he will again startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not previously been told about; they will understand what they had not heard about” (Isaiah 52:13-15).

The reason I brought this topic was to compare with Isaiah 53:2 and Isaiah 52:14. Jan. 10, Manna’s topic was “No Beauty” and this Manna topic was “So Marred.” In the past, I was not aware of Isaiah 52:14 “visage was so marred” and basically I had thought that Isaiah 53:2 was about His disfigured face and body. When I learned that visage means “face” and the form means “body,” then it became clearer in comparison.

The first part, Isaiah 53:2 was about Jesus as a regular guy and nothing special about Him and He was just like anyone else. The second part, Isaiah 52:14 was about His face and His body being “So Marred” and it meant “damaged.” I repeat this: His face was so damaged and His body was also so damaged.

We have seen the movie called; “The Passion” and many people complained that it was overdone what had happened to Christ at the beating room. The famous preacher once said that the actor of Jesus Christ still shows some of his handsome face, but this verse tells us that many were shocked that his face was so damaged that you could not recognize Him at all. If that happened in the movie, it would have been more shock and sickly. In fact, we still have no idea how much damaged the Roman soldiers have done to His face. About His body, we will come to that later.

Isaiah 53:3a “He was despised (looked down upon) and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief” (NLT). Do you feel this? Acquainted with bitterest grief? Have you ever felt like this, acquainted with bitterest grief? What kind of experience are you going through? Bitter and grief? Know something? Right now, Jesus wants you to know that He felt it. He is acquainted with the worst grief you could ever imagine.

God spoke to my heart, “You need to know more about the suffering Messiah.”

Song: With Christ in the Vessel

With Christ in the vessel

     we can smile at the storm,

Smile at the storm, smile at the storm.

With Christ in the vessel

     we can smile at the storm

As we go sailing home.

Sailing, sailing home,

     sailing, sailing home,

With Christ in the vessel

     we can smile at the storm

As we go sailing home.

(Inspiring Choruses)