Isaiah 6: 3 (KJV) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isaiah 52: 14 (KJV) As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.
I want to share with you the two views of Christ that stood out to me as I was reading the book of Isaiah.
The first view is in Isaiah 6, when the prophet Isaiah had a vision. The Lord was on His throne, high and lifted up, surrounded by seraphims who kept their faces covered as they lauded the holiness of the Lord. They said He was holy three times, not just once. The number three has been called the number of perfection; perfection is a good description of our Lord’s holiness. Isaiah was so awestruck by the Lord that he cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Is. 6:5). I picture Isaiah falling to his knees and covering his face as the seraphims covered theirs, sorrowful and repentant.
When I think of the word Holiness, I think of perfection, beauty, and purity. Has there ever been a time when you were amazed by God’s holiness like Isaiah was? I am ashamed to say I don’t dwell enough on God’s holiness. Perhaps because I realize how unholy I am when I consider how holy God is. Like Isaiah, I must cry out Woe is me! I am unclean. I am unworthy to stand before God. My sin hangs like a black cloud over me, separating me from God and His holiness. How can I ever hope to be rid of the sin that separates me from the Holy God?
The second view of Christ is in Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12. It is a very different picture. “His visage was marred more than any man… He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… we esteemed him not… Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted… he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities… with his stripes we are healed… the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Yes, a very different picture. Is He still holy? Absolutely. Is He still beautiful? Sadly, no.
This is the view of Christ as He makes His way up the hill of Golgotha. His body was bleeding; every step was agony. The cross was the cruelest death the Romans could think of. And Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Holy Holy Holy Lord of Isaiah 6 chose to suffer that death to purchase redemption. Did you see why in the verses above? He bore griefs for me. He carried sorrows for me. He was wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities. And not just for me. For you too.
I repeat my question above: How can I ever hope to be rid of the sin that separates me from the Holy God? The blood of Jesus Christ made the way for my sin to be forgiven. He bought salvation so I would never have to be separated from God’s holiness again. He died for me because He loved me, and He loved me before I ever loved Him.
My friend, as you read this, you may feel the burden of sin weighing you down. Perhaps you noticed the separation between you and the Holy God. Don’t despair; turn your eyes to Jesus. He loves you, and He wants to remove that weight of sin. He wants to draw you close so there is no more separation between you and Him. Do you know John 3:16? “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That verse is for you. All you have to do is believe Him. Believe He is the Holy God; believe He loved you and died for you; believe that He rose again from the dead. Believe, and God will forgive your sins. You will never be separated from Him again. I hope you will believe in Him today.