Isaiah’s Beautiful Job Description

Christmas should be a beautiful, pleasurable time of year, but as we celebrate this season, we should always return to Isaiah 53 with a somber heart. I highly encourage you to read the entire chapter, either now or at the conclusion of this devotional.

As you read, you will be forced to consider, “Who would ever accept this job description?”

It’s a job description that entails being unattractive and rejected, living a life marked by suffering and affliction. It’s a job description that results in being led like a lamb to slaughter, and you cannot speak in your own defense. You would be murdered for crimes you did not commit, crushed among criminals despite being the only innocent person ever to live.

But Jesus accepted this job description with joy, knowing it was an absolute necessity and would lead to ultimate joy. “For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Why was this beautiful job description necessary? Why did Jesus have to endure the cross? Isaiah 53:6 summarizes the Christmas story in a single verse: “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.”

This verse includes an amazing statement of comprehensive need. “All have turned … every one to his own way.”

No exemptions or exceptions. I wish I could say, “But not me…” or “I didn’t today…” but I can’t. Like sheep, we wander. Not only that, but as sinners, we have a drive to wander, a desire to willingly move beyond God’s boundaries.

And why do we willingly wander? Because each of us wants our own way. In our hearts still exists a desire for independence, autonomy, and self-rule.

I can say this because it’s true of me: this week, you have wandered in your thoughts, desires, words, and actions. This week, you have wandered in your marriage, your parenting, with your finances, sexually, and in your leisure and pleasure. You have wandered away in moments of impatience, greed, selfishness, and anger.

And this is why Jesus had to come. You’ll only celebrate the Christmas story if you first accept your nature and desire to willingly wander.

Now, you would expect that a righteous God would rise and say, “That’s it! I’ve had enough. I gave you every good thing, surrounded you with a gorgeous creation, and placed you in a position second only to me on earth. Yet again and again and again, you have denied my existence, craved my position, wandered away from my law, and overstepped my boundaries.”

But how does God respond? By sending another sheep—the sacrificial Lamb—and laying on Christ the iniquity of us all.

This Lamb did not step beyond the boundaries. He never wandered, in thought, desire, word, or deed. And because he never wandered, every single one of our wandering, rebellious, sinful, selfish thoughts, desires, words, and deeds could be laid on him.

In carrying our sins, the Lamb who never wandered satisfied the righteous anger of Almighty God—not only so that we would receive forgiveness, but so that we would also be given the “right here, right now” power of Christ to stay inside of God’s boundaries and say “No!” when the desire and temptation to wander inevitably returns.

It might sound strange, but if you want to experience maximum Christmas celebration this year, it begins by confessing your desire to wander. It starts by embracing the inescapability of your need.

I wish I could say that I am independently righteous. I wish I could say I willingly stay inside God’s boundaries. I wish I could say that there is no longer a wandering quest for autonomy and independence inside my heart.

But I can’t. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way.”

So, once more, I cry out this Christmas Eve for the “right here, right now” grace and power of that baby in the manger to help me from wandering, and to mature my heart and grow my desire to willingly stay inside of God’s boundaries.

And I celebrate with the angels, once again, that when I don’t, in that manger was a Lamb who never wandered. I celebrate that the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. His sacrifice is my only hope.

A Prayer for Today: God, this Christmas, help me to see with fresh eyes the “right here, right now” grace and power of the Christ child who strengthens me to stay within your boundaries. Lord, may my heart not wander as I celebrate your birth, and may I live with a deep sense of gratitude for you laying the iniquity of my life onto the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. I embrace my need today and I ask you to help me appreciate the beauty of Christmas more because of my neediness, not in spite of it. I love you, and I’m so grateful for all you have done and continue to do for me. I am your child, and I worship you now in thankfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Discussion Prompt for Children

1. How does the celebration of Christmas point us to Easter? Can you make that connection? Why is that connection so important?

2. What does it mean to wander? How do we wander away from God in our hearts? How does wandering from God create big problems for us? How do those problems get solved?

3. If someone is a needy person, why do you think it’s easy for us to not like them very much? How do you think God feels about needy people? Why should we not only accept our neediness, but appreciate it because of what it does for us before God?

4. How can you and I best worship Jesus this Christmas and thank him for all that he’s done for us?

Reflection Questions

1. How does recognizing and accepting our own failure point us to the beauty of Christmas? In what ways does your desire for autonomy, independence, and self-rule expose your neediness before God? Why is neediness before God a good thing, even though it can feel like a negative thing?

2. What would you say is the greatest catalyst in your life that leads you to wander away from God? What proactive steps can you take to eliminate those catalysts? What might cause you to wander from God this Christmas? How can you battle your tendency to wander at Christmas in ways you haven’t thought about battling before?

3. Take some time right now to cry out to God and ask him for the “right here, right now” grace and power of the manger to empower you and keep you from wandering, even though your heart is prone to do so. Ask him to mature your heart and grow your desire to willingly stay inside his boundaries for you, because you know and trust in his goodness and love.