A portrait of Jesus

Each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all v. 6

In Portraits of Famous American Women, Robert Henkes writes, “A portrait is not a photograph, nor is it a mirror image.” A portrait goes beyond the outer appearance to probe the emotional depth of the human soul. In a portrait, a true artist tries “to capture what the person is really about.”

Over the centuries, many portraits have been painted of Jesus. Perhaps you’ve seen them in a church or museum of art or even have one in your home. Not one of these is a true portrait, of course, because we have no photograph or mirror image of our Lord’s physical appearance. We do, however, have a magnificent word portrait of Him in Isaiah 53. This God-inspired description captures in vivid detail what He is all about: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering… But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; …and by his wounds we are healed” (vv. 4-5 niv).

This passage enables us to see love and sorrow, anguish and pain on Jesus’ face. But His lips do not accuse or condemn. He has no sins of His own to grieve; only ours to bear. And deep inside, He knows that “he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (v. 11).

What a portrait of our Savior! — David McCasland

What amazing love You have for us, Jesus! As I think of how awesome You are, I bow in silence before You.

READ: Isaiah 53:4-12

Love was when God became a man.