April 3

Morning

Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away. — John 19:16 BSB

He had spent the entire night in agony, enduring trials at the hall of Caiaphas, before being hurried to Pilate, then to Herod, and back again to Pilate. By now, He had little strength left, yet He was given no rest or refreshment. Eager for His blood, they led Him out to die, burdened with the cross. O what a sorrowful procession! Jerusalem’s daughters wept, and so should my soul.

What do we learn as we see our blessed Lord led forth? Doesn’t this remind us of the truth symbolized by the scapegoat? The high priest would place his hands on the head of the scapegoat, confessing the sins of the people, so that the goat might carry them away into the wilderness. Now, we see Jesus, brought before the priests and rulers, declared guilty. God Himself placed our sins upon Him—"the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all;" "He was made sin for us." As the substitute for our guilt, bearing our sins on His shoulders, represented by the cross, we see the great Scapegoat being led away by the officers of justice.

Beloved, can you be sure He carried your sin? As you look at the cross He bore, does it symbolize your sin? There’s a way to know. Have you laid your hand upon His head, confessed your sin, and trusted in Him? If so, your sin no longer rests on you—it has been transferred to Christ by blessed imputation, and He carries it on His shoulders, a burden heavier than the cross. Don’t let this image fade before you’ve rejoiced in your own deliverance and adored the loving Redeemer who bore your iniquities.

Evening

We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. — Isa 53:6 BSB

Here is a confession common to all of God’s chosen people. We have all gone astray, and so in one united voice, from the first soul who entered heaven to the last who will enter, we all say, “All we like sheep have gone astray.” Though the confession is shared by all, it is also personal and specific: “We have turned, each one, to our own way.” Each person’s sin has its own peculiar nature—every one of us has sinned, but each with their own particular aggravations, not found in others. Genuine repentance brings us into fellowship with other sinners, but it also makes us realize our personal guilt. “We have turned, each one, to his own way” means that each of us has sinned against the specific light we’ve been given or with a particular kind of guilt.

This confession holds nothing back. There are no excuses, no attempt to lessen its force. It is the acknowledgment of people who know they are completely guilty, without any justification. They stand before God, their rebellion shattered, crying, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have each turned to our own way.”

Yet there is no despair in this confession. The next sentence transforms it into almost a song: “But the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” It’s the heaviest part of the passage, but it overflows with comfort. How remarkable that where misery was concentrated, mercy was also most powerfully present. Where sorrow reached its height, weary souls find rest. The bruised Savior brings healing to bruised hearts. See how the deepest penitence gives way to complete confidence by simply gazing at Christ on the cross!