Humility is a Hallmark of a Christ Follower

Pride goes before a fall, and it is the downfall of all humanity. Everyone of us, at one point, walks in pride, and pride is what prevents us from knowing Jesus. In the first part of Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah says “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way;” Consider that for a moment. Sheep, while capable of living in the wild, do best under the care of a shepherd, and yet, they constantly get themselves in to trouble. They seek after pastures the Shepherd has not prepared, looking for water the Shepherd is not overseeing, and often get caught in cracks and crevasses because they leave the Shepherd’s side. And how we do the same.

Isaiah, however, continues with “and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  The Shepherd, OUR Good Shepherd, has taken our stupidity, our sin, our rebellion, our seeking after pastures and water sources He has not prepared, and He has died to bring us wholeness and healing. He has taken our sin, and He has taken our punishment, and He has offered us, through Himself, eternity, perfection, eternal joy and peace. Yet, we cannot see it without humility. Humbly, Christ offered Himself in our place, and through Him we have life. As Christ humbled Himself, we cannot see Him or His work clearly unless we humble ourselves. We need to see that we ARE, indeed, rebellious against our Creator, we cannot fix ourselves, and we need the Good Shepherd to lead us back to the safety of His side. Without humility, we make following Jesus about ourselves and the works we can do. And if it is about ourselves, we will continue to wander from His side.

Isaiah 53

Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.