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Isaiah 53: The Slain Lamb

Isaiah 52:14 RSV — As many were astonished at him–his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men–

Isaiah 53:2 RSV — For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Revelation 5:6 RSV — And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth;

Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12 remarkably predicts the coming and suffering of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 52:13 RSV — Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

Crucifixion didn’t exist at the writing. This phrase must have been a mystery to Isaiah. Jewish texts will ponder these verses for 700 years before Christ is born.

Depictions of Jesus always show us a healthy, strong man. But we are meant to worship the Jesus who was beaten into a horrid state before being hung on a cross and stabbed through with a spear.

That’s a dark vision of the Messiah.

I think that vision has kept me ready for the tragedies of life. Maybe not “ready,” but unsurprised at how dark reality can become.

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Bias

I’m inclined toward the argument that we are all biased to varying degrees. An “expert” is going to be biased toward their subject of interest. In many cases, you want someone who loves their subject matter to be your source. For example: Soccer is my favorite team sport, so it might be a good idea to ask me about the rules of the game.

On trickier subjects, I want the bias to be presented up front, “As a Christian…” “From a Jungian perspective…,” “As a former…”

Bias recognition and proper appropriation are my major markers for whether a source is trustworthy or not.

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Radicalized

A Facebook friend was bemoaning how people who have been let down, lied to, and downright abused by the medical industrial complex have become radicalized.

I say hurrah. We should be radicalized against an industry that has led Americans into becoming the least healthy population on the planet.

I haven’t finished either of these podcast episodes, but they each offer radical narratives in contrast to mainstream medical assumptions.

The fun part is that they take wildly different approaches. The first, with Bret Weinstein and Jessica Rose, assumes germ theory is correct and analyzes the specific make-up and origin of the Covid-19 pathogen.

This second episode examines modern diagnoses from a terrain theory point-of-view. It’s a broader discussion the covers Lymes, Covid, HIV and AIDS, raw milk, and a host of other medical topics from a decidedly radical perspective.

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Isaiah 53: The Unclear Future

1 Peter 1:10-13 RSV — The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this salvation; they inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

It’s comforting to know that the prophets couldn’t see the full consequences of their predictions.

I try to hold that humility while I study Scripture.

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Ink and Community

We haven’t been to a lot of Allschoolers park day meetups recently.  We’re in a different season of life with work, music, jiu-jitsu, and other interests pulling us in different directions.

In all these endeavors, I am constantly reminded of how Allschoolers remains a critical support structure for me family.

My girlfriend and I opened By Her Hand Tattoos last year and we’ve been able to serve several Allschoolers. Just this week, we had one client referred to us by a member and another Allschooler with a very special project.

Two sisters trusted us with a memorial piece. They didn’t know we had a homeschooling connection, but we put it together quickly. I lost my wife almost seven years ago and Kristen’s memorial tattoos have become a part of my healing process.

Thank you to everyone in the group. You have been a positive constant through the last four years.