“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.”

Jesus’ full embrace in Isaiah 53 is remarkable. He fully embraced the experience of humanity in all its scope, the sorrow, and suffering. He fully embraced humanity as an object of his love and as a prize to redeem. He fully embraced humanity as judge and executioner and fully embraced the sentence of humanity’s crimes. In every way, he counted himself among us.

And so, in verse 12, Jesus is fully embraced himself. In the mysterious exchange between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he is embraced and rewarded. He is rewarded for pouring out his life, identifying himself with the broken and the breakers, and for stepping into the gap to redeem and defend them. And then, once again, we see him turn and embrace humanity, sharing his reward. He shares with the “many,” the masses with whom he freely identified himself. He shares with the “strong,” strong in their letting go of entitlement and strong in their returning the embrace of Jesus. 

Among the “spoils” of Jesus’ victory was life, is life. He was raised again; we celebrate that on Easter. However, to fully embrace Easter, Jesus first embraced Good Friday. What does it look like for us to embrace Good Friday? What do we embrace here and now so that we can also embrace a new life, life again? Jesus shared in our suffering. We can share in his resurrection, but the gateway is suffering. 

When we consider this regarding the marginalized, the homeless, the addict, or the stranger, how do we partner in suffering? Maybe we are the marginalized, the castaway, how do we embrace the hard road with an eye to life and the future? Perhaps we are the ruling class with clean hands, but maybe torn hearts. How do we fellowship in the suffering of our brothers and sisters, of Jesus? Do we gain mended hearts at the expense of dirty hands? 

There aren’t easy answers to these questions, only simple ones. Simple answers because they aren’t hard to find. Not complicated as much as difficult. Difficult because we hesitate to embrace suffering. We avoid our own and turn a blind eye to our neighbor’s. Life in a broken world is pressing itself in for the grappling. We have only to stop holding it at arms distance. When we embrace suffering, we embrace Jesus. He has gone before us and is waiting for us, to embrace us.

Jesus, you are the one deserving. You are the one who has life. Freely you gave, freely you received, and freely you give again. Lead us in that path. Lead us, here and now, into lives like the life you lived among us. May we fully embrace the hard road of life in a broken world. As we do, lift us into lives that share in your reward, that share in life forever. May forever with you start now. May we receive life and be conduits of life, full life. Amen.

MEDITATION & PRAYER WRITTEN BY
Pastor Jered Weaver
Chico Alliance Church