Easter Countdown: 700 Years

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

According to Bible scholars, the prophet Isaiah wrote these words 700 years before Jesus was crushed, punished, wounded, and killed for our sins. And if you read the whole chapter of Isaiah 53, you’ll see that it describes both what happened and why it happened in some detail.

count_350That would be like discovering a document from the 1300s clearly describing what has happened in our time. It’s almost as if the same God who sent Jesus to live and then die and then live again told Isaiah about it ahead of time. And that’s exactly what we believe.

For our study this week, we’re going to start the countdown clock for Easter with Isaiah and start leapfrogging forward in time each day as we get closer and closer to the discovery of that empty tomb. Our first leap will be the biggest, so come back tomorrow.

Think: If God is outside of time, how hard would it be for him to reveal to Isaiah something that was going to happen 700 years in the future? Does thinking about this give you more or less confidence in the reliability of God’s Word?

Pray: Thank God for sending Jesus to be pierced, crushed, punished, and wounded for our sins so we could have peace with God and be healed.

Do: Read the whole chapter of Isaiah 53.