52 Weeks at the Table – Week 30
Moments before His arrest, Jesus quoted a snippet of Isaiah to the remaining eleven, and told them that it was a prophecy about to be fulfilled in Him (Luke 22:35-38): “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.”
If those disciples remembered their scripture as well, they would have recalled that Isaiah (53:8-12) also foretold the arrest, the judgments at trial, the suffering, the taking of His life, and – above all – the reason for it: He was to be “a guilt offering” … to “justify many” and “bear their iniquities.” And the prophecy also hinted at His victory, both with the question “Who can speak of his descendants?” as well as the triumphant answer: “He will see the light of life and be satisfied” … “I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong.”
A Prayer Over the Bread
All praise and honor are due You, Father God, for You have revealed Yourself – Your justice, Your mercy – to us through Your Son. You have willed that He should serve to intercede on our behalf. And, sharing Your very nature, He has poured out His life unto death for our sins. Through this bread we see the body of Jesus, pierced for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities. Forgive us, O God, through the power of this, Your promise. Amen.
A Prayer Over the Cup
We can only continue our praise and thanksgiving, Almighty God, for the giving of Your Son, Jesus, the Christ. As He poured out His life unto death, may we see His life poured out in this cup. May we dedicate ourselves to the imitation of His selflessness in pouring out our lives in gratitude and living sacrifice that honors You through Him. May we find strength in His strength, and be counted among His portion. Amen.
Blog In My Own Eye 
My comment has nothing to do with your post…. but I was surfing around and saw you mention your “Uncle Gene” once or twice. Gene Ellmore was the preacher at the congregation I grew up in (Newland Street C of C in Garden Grove, CA). He was one of the greatest guys ever. He was preacher/youth minister/fellow softball player and great at them all. My mom washis secretary for years and NEVER had a better work experience. I remember they often rode their motorcycles to work together… the Elders wanted them to park around back (no biker church, you know!). Anyhow just wanted to say that Gene is foundly remembered.
Gene was everyone’s favorite uncle, not just mine! And a great saint of the Lord’s kingdom.
After Garden Grove, he served in Florida, just down the street from a church disintegrating from conflict over principles that many there felt were unscriptural and damaging to the Lord’s work. Never criticizing, Gene simply took in the wounded souls and let his church love and nurse them back to spiritual health.
Thanks, Rob, for dropping by and bringing fond memories to the surface!
Keith, my comment is off base also, but would you look at my blog and tell me what Dell is saying, for the life of me I can’t get through.
The disciples take it pretty rough on this one, all over Christendom. The thing to remember is that they surely believed the Jewish intepretation of these passages. Namely, they believed Isaiah was describing Israel’s sufferings, from which Messiah would deliver them.
Jesus is not just speaking into ignorant fishermen’s lives, but into years of “Sunday School” misinformation. To us it sounds remarkably clear, but I doubt His words would have been direct enough to overcome my training if I’d been raised Jewish.
Thank God for the victory we have in the slaughtered lamb of God who was Himself triumphant!!!!