When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.  And because of his experience,  my righteous servant will make it possible  for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

Isaiah 53:11

The Servant of God in Isaiah 53 suffers for the sake of others. Because he is righteous, and because he bears the sins of others, he makes it possible for them “to be counted righteous” as well.

For centuries, theologians have grappled with the implications of this verse, trying to express in limited human words how Christ, the righteous one, makes others righteous. The grappling continues even to this day. But, however we work out the nuances, the basic truth of Isaiah 53:11 is clear. We can never earn our own righteousness through our good deeds. We can never make ourselves right enough to have a right relationship with God. The good news is that we don’t have to.  Our righteousness comes through Christ. In him, we are forgiven for our sins and brought into intimacy with God.

The mystery of our righteousness with God through Christ is marvelously expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” However we configure the details, the truth is clear, and in this we rejoice. You and I can be right with God because of what Christ has done for us as the Suffering Servant. In him, and in him alone, we are counted as righteous. What fantastic news this is!

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How have you experienced a right relationship with God? Do you ever feel tempted to try and earn your own righteousness through good works and/or good intentions? How might the right-making work of Christ set you free in new ways?

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, Servant of God, I praise you today for your perfect righteousness. You lived among us as a human being, yet never chose to sin, even when you were sorely tempted. What a wonder!

I praise you today, not only for your perfect righteousness, but also for the fact that you have opened the way for me to be counted righteous as well. By your sacrifice, you have opened the door for me to have a right, intimate relationship with the Living God. You have taken my sin and given me your righteousness in return. What a wonder!

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, Servant of God, because you are right and right-making, just and justifying! Hallelujah! Amen.