I start our time by saying we are going back to Isaiah to read more prophecies of Jesus. We look at the Bible, and we are almost exactly at the half point of the Bible. We have come a long way! The boys ask when we will be able to go to the New Testament, and I answer tomorrow! The long wait is bringing out a greater longing to meet Jesus, And I think this is the Advent heart as we have spent a significant time in the Old Testament.
I remind the boys that just like we read the Bible to learn about Jesus, the Israelites also had the (Hebrew) Bible to learn about Jesus. We and the Israelites have one thing in common that we did not get to meet him, so we have the Bible to learn about who he is, and what he has come to do. This is another passage to learn about him.
We read the passage.
It is a bit long, but we focus on how the Messiah is like a sheep that was to be slaughtered. Jesus was crushed and pierced, because of our sins (our hearts of not fearing and loving God). Jesus came to us, willingly, and did not open his mouth (v. 7). It was God’s will to have Jesus suffer and die, so that we can be justified.
The boys learned about the temple sacrifices, and they start to understand that Jesus came to be the sacrifice (blood must be spilled out in sacrifices) for our sins. John points out that the sacrifices in the Old Testament points to Jesus’s final sacrifice. The animals themselves cannot substitute for our sins. Only Jesus’s pure blood can be the substitute.
We end a bit early, and to John’s surprise (and dismay – he was very tired), the boys want to hear more Bible stories. So as an eager mom/teacher, I go through the history of Israel from King David until the Babylonian exile. History is very fun!
(Even though the younger children may not fully understand it, I think it is good for them to hear the words and get a feel for the passage. Short version – Isaiah 53:4-12)
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