He is Risen! Alleluia! Happy Easter! See, My Servant Shall Prosper, He shall be Raised High and Greatly Exalted!

See, my servant shall prosper,

    he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.

Even as many were amazed at him --

    so marred was his look beyond human semblance

    and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man--

so shall he startle many nations,

    because of him kings shall stand speechless;

for those who have not been told shall see,

    those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard?

    To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

He grew up like a sapling before him,

    like a shoot from the parched earth;

there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,

    nor appearance that would attract us to him.

He was spurned and avoided by people,

    a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,

one of those from whom people hide their faces,

    spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,

    our sufferings that he endured,

while we thought of him as stricken,

    as one smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our offenses,

    crushed for our sins;

upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,

    by his stripes we were healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep,

    each following his own way;

but the LORD laid upon him

    the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted

    and opened not his mouth;

like a lamb led to the slaughter

    or a sheep before the shearers,

    he was silent and opened not his mouth.

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,

    and who would have thought any more of his destiny?

When he was cut off from the land of the living,

    and smitten for the sin of his people,

a grave was assigned him among the wicked

    and a burial place with evildoers,

though he had done no wrong

    nor spoken any falsehood.

But the LORD was pleased

    to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,

    he shall see his descendants in a long life,

    and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction

    he shall see the light in fullness of days;

through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,

    and their guilt he shall bear.

Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,

    and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,

because he surrendered himself to death

    and was counted among the wicked;

and he shall take away the sins of many,

    and win pardon for their offenses.

-Isaiah 52:13—53:12

I love this reading by Isaiah! It fore tells by this Prophet of Jesus and His sacrifice for us. Even the Jews at the time knew of this, yet did not believe. Many still do not today. How can this be? It is a beautiful story, our Christian faith really is so beautiful, and when you believe, trust, and have faith, you are raised with Christ. In the second reading today from  Colossians 3:1-4, it says, " Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory." What a blessing and miracle from God! This is all we need! To put all our trust and faith in Jesus, seek what is above, let His will be done. Things of this world are not as important, let it go, let God! He was resurrected for us and our sins, we now can have His forgiveness and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. This world truly is not our world. We live in a world of lies and deceit, even from people who are of authority, priests, so called leaders, elected, administrations, etc. They all lie and mislead, they all disappoint. Turn to Jesus, put all your faith in Him alone! Follow Him! He is the light, the way, and the truth! All that matters! Happy Easter!