A Living Billboard of the Gospel
Scripture — Isaiah 53:11 (NRSV)
Out of his anguish he shall see light;
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Focus
Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s vision of the Servant of God. Because of his righteousness, Jesus can make us right with God, with people, and with the world. When we live in this multifaceted righteousness, we are a living billboard of the gospel. We help our neighbors to see and experience the good news of God’s right-making grace in Christ.
Devotion
The Servant of God in Isaiah 53 suffers for the sake of others. Because he is righteous and because he bears the sins of others, he makes it possible for them to be counted righteous as well.
For centuries, theologians have grappled with the implications of this verse, trying to express in limited human words how Christ, the righteous one, makes others righteous. The grappling continues even to this day. However we work out the nuances, the basic truth of Isaiah 53:11 is clear. Here is what cannot be denied: We can never earn our own righteousness through our good deeds. We can never make ourselves right enough to have a right relationship with God. Without God’s help, we are lost and without hope. But the good news is that we don’t have to do what we cannot do because our righteousness comes through Christ. In him we are forgiven for our sins and brought into intimacy with God. We are pronounced “not guilty” in the supreme court of God’s justice.
The mystery of our righteousness with God through Christ is marvelously expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” However we configure the details, the truth is clear, and in this we rejoice. You and I can be right with God because of what Christ has done for us as the Suffering Servant. In him, and him alone, we are counted as righteous.
What fantastic news this is! It is news to be shared with others who desperately need it. We who have been made right with God are divine messengers. It is also news to be lived. In our personal lives and our shared life as the people of God, we demonstrate the good news through our words and deeds. We do this in every part of life, whether we’re coaching a soccer team, managing our staff, building a cabinet, feeding the homeless, mentoring a younger person, caring for our aging parents, or preaching a sermon. We are to be a living billboard of the gospel.
Reflect
How have you experienced a right relationship with God?
Do you ever feel tempted to try and earn your own righteousness through good works and/or good intentions?
How might the right-making work of Christ set you free in new ways?
How does the truth of the gospel show forth in the way you live?
How might you embody the good news in your work today?
Act
Do something today in light of your answer to the last question above.
Pray
Lord Jesus, Servant of God, we praise you today for your perfect righteousness. You lived among us as a human being yet never chose to sin, even when you were sorely tempted.
We praise you today, not only for your perfect righteousness, but also for the fact that you have opened the way for us to be counted righteous as well. By your sacrifice, you have opened the door for us to have a right, intimate relationship with the Living God. You have taken our sin and given us your righteousness in return. What a wonder!
Help us, Lord, to speak truly of this good news. Help us to live it so that others might be drawn to you, the one who makes us right.
All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, Servant of God, because you are right and right-making, just and justifying! Hallelujah! Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Reconciling the Whole World (2 Corinthians 5:16–21).
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...