Isaiah 53:8-9 God, the creator of heaven and earth, rest in Him.

 Isaiah 42:1–3

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,

My Elect One in whom My soul delights!I have put My Spirit upon Him;

He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,

Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street…

Jesus, came to fulfill the Law and the prophets. It is finished. Unlike King David, who God would not let build His temple because he was a man of violence, Jesus was a man of peace. All God and all man Jesus gave up His sinless life in our place for our sins. We, as believers, declare His mercy and love to all we come in contact with. Jesus came to us with shouts of peace, peace to the people on earth! He is our example of how we are to live our lives. We are His hands and feet to love others out of God’s great love for us. The Apple trees are full of pink blooms and the flowering shrub outside our patio is full of the sweet scents of spring. Thank you God for allowing me to enjoy, once again, Your gifts to us in nature. Carla

Isaiah 53:8-9

He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And  they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth. NKJV

The implication is that the Servant’s treatment was completely unjust. The phrase is best understood as indicating oppressive legal treatment leading to an undeserved death sentence. The Servant is taken away with his generation. He symbolically takes on the role of the exiled Israelites.

From the land of the living is a Hebrew phrase and is best understood as a rhetorical question: “Who could have mused that [the Servant] would be cut off from the land of the living?” The Servant has not died yet in this poem—instead, the prophet is foreshadowing the Servant’s death by suggesting that it seemed improbable that the Servant would die. He was raised up just a little earlier (Isaiah 53:2).

The Servant being cut off from the “land of the living” is symbolic of the exile of God’s people in Babylon. The Servant, in his death, takes upon himself the very reason why the Israelites went into exile: their iniquities. In doing so, he takes upon himself the symbolic punishment of exile as well. Even though God’s people deserve to be punished for their rebellion against Him, He has sent His Servant to redeem them.

The Servant was destined to suffer for the people. It was known by his actions and his deeds. The Servant’s opponents may accuse him, but they will not prove his guilt. They will fall away, while he will remain. The servant passages in chapters 40–55 reflect the Servant’s vocation in 52:13–53:12 and set the background for his role, creating an archetypal Servant vocation. My  people refers to Yahweh’s—and the prophet’s—people. Faithlife Study Bible

This language clearly indicates that the Servant would die. Often in Hebrew poetry, the rich appear as synonymous with the wicked. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man, but he was not wicked (Matthew 27:57–60). The Hebrew term death is in the plural, as a focus on the deep significance of Christ’s death.

The Old Testament  pointed to the doctrine of the atonement long before Jesus died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3 where Paul speaks of the doctrine coming from “the Scriptures”). The atonement was part of God’s eternal plan (Ephesians 1:4–7). The Father was pleased that His Son should die because it would cover up the sins of many and reconcile them to Himself (verse 11). Offering refers to the “trespass offering,” the sacrifice of a ram in order to secure the Lord’s atonement for sin (Levisicus 5:6, 7, 15; 7:1; 14:12; 19:21). Here the prophet Isaiah describes the Servant Jesus as a trespass offering. His seed refers to the spiritual seed, born to the Servant after His death (Galatians 3:26–29). The NKJV Study Bible

1 Peter 2:22

“Who committed no sin,

Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

Matthew 27:57–60

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him…

Acts 8:32–33

The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;

And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

In His humiliation His justice was taken away,

And who will declare His generation?

For His life is taken from the earth.”

1 John 3:5

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 

Isaiah 42:1–3

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,

My Elect One in whom My soul delights!I have put My Spirit upon Him;\

He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,

Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street…

But Terry, the world feels (and is) catawampus. So, it is no surprise when we assume that wonder (or awe or joy) is not easily or readily accessible.

I don’t disagree. But gratefully, the opposite is true.

And I was grateful for this confirmation and invitation from Maria Shriver. “The volatility of this seemingly endless war has so many of us shaken, scared, and frankly, outraged. Living in that constant state of ‘fight or flight’ doesn't just steal our peace. It’s an expensive tax on the very time we claim to value so much.where you put your attention is where your time actually goes. You can protect your calendar and still spend your hours in distress, in dread, in toxic loops of news and noise and comparison. Or you can choose, imperfectly and stubbornly each day, to put your attention on what fills you. On joy. On awe (just look at the pictures of Earth sent by the Artemis crew). On the people right in front of you. On a walk outside, when the light is doing something extraordinary, and you almost miss it.”

As I was writing this Sabbath Moment, the doorbell rang. I went to take the delivery. Off to the side of our entry walkway are two great Camellia shrubs, now full of blooms. One shrub with a creamy white flowers, and one with a shade of blooms between carmine and ruby. The Camellia is sometimes called the Queen of flowers because of its gentle elegance. A hummingbird calmly and steadily hovers at one of the open blooms. Wings fluttering—at a rate and speed already wondrous—the hummer savors his late lunch. And I savored the moment. In awe—and so grateful—for the wonder. Sabbath Moments

John 3:14-17 We are loved by God, mere humans, flawed but so very loved!

 1 John 4:7–12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love…

Jesus, the name above all names! We can love others because God first loved us. Whoever believes in the salvation that only comes in Jesus will spend eternal life with Him. In Him  and through Him and in the unity of Holy Spirit the world has eternal peace! This is the work of God. Carla

John 3:14-17

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. NKJV

Every time the words lifted up occur in the Gospel of John there is a reference to Jesus’ death (8:28; 12:32, 34). When Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9), those who looked at it lived. So it is with the Son of Man (1:51). This is the first time eternal life is mentioned in John’s Gospel. When a person trusts Christ, he or she is born again and receives eternal and spiritual life, God’s kind of life. 

God’s love is not restricted to any one nation or to any spiritual elite. World here may also include all of creation (Romans 8:19–22; Colossians 1:20).

At His first coming, Jesus came so that the world through Him might be saved. When Jesus comes again, He will come in judgment upon those who refused His offer of salvation. The NKJV Study Bible

Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness alludes to the events of Numbers 21:9 and presents the Son of Man as superior to Moses. The Son of Man be lifted up alludes to both the crucifixion and the exaltation of Jesus in His death and resurrection.

God loved the world, this verse presents a concise summary of the gospel message, tying the events of Jesus’ death to God’s love for the world He created. The statement is remarkable in its depiction of divine care for the entire world—not just His chosen people, Israel.

One and only Son the Greek the term used here is monogenēs, meaning “one of a kind.” At one time, it was presumed that the term derived from the Greek words monos (“one” or “only”) and gennaō (“to beget”). The translation “only begotten” is based on this assumption. Subsequent manuscript discoveries produced evidence that the term actually comes from monos and the noun genē (“kind” or “type”). The term monogenēs therefore refers to uniqueness and has no inherent reference to chronology or origin. Hebrews 11:17 reinforces this by referring to Isaac as the monogenēs of Abraham. Isaac was not Abraham’s first child—chronologically, Ishmael came first. But Isaac was considered unique because of the supernatural intervention that aided in his birth and his role as the son through whom God’s covenant with Abraham continued.

Ancient critics of the doctrine of the Trinity used this term to claim a chronological beginning for Jesus. Conversely, the Nicene Creed used this term to assert Jesus’ inherent relationship to the Father: that as the eternal Son He is “begotten [gennēthenta], not made” by the Father.

John prefers to refer to Jesus as the “Son” and God as the “Father” (John 3:35; 6:40; 17:1). Jesus’ reflection and representation of the Father is complete (14:9–10). As one sent by God, Jesus fully represented Him on earth (13:16, 20). Faithlife Study Bible 

John 3:36

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

1 John 4:7–12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love…

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

John 6:29

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

Did you see any of the photos from the epic—around the moon—mission?
With some images never before seen by human eyes.
I have just one word: Awe. Oh, and goosebumps. Okay… two words.
And I loved this headline in today’s newspaper: “The Mission to the Moon Inspires a Sense of Reverence.”

And I can hear Mr. Roger’s voice, “Our world hangs like a magnificent jewel in the vastness of space. Every one of us is a part of that jewel, a facet of that jewel. And in the perspective of infinity, our differences are infinitesimal. We are intimately related. May we never even pretend that we are not.” (Dartmouth commencement address 2002)

Psychologist Dacher Keltner of UC Berkeley defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.” (“How Awe and Everyday Wonder Can Shape Our World”)

It’s the moment our sense of “self” softens in the face of something greater, whether that’s nature, art, spirituality, or human connection. Keltner talks about how this softening—this emotion—“really gets us to be other-oriented, kinder, more focused on caring.”

These days, I am often asked about “suggestions” for sanity and healing and reparation. My answer “Today, let goosebumps astonish us”. Goosebumps—making space for the softening in our chest whenever we see humanity or kindness. So. Today, I invite and welcome the healing power of goosebumps. And yes, palette cleansing awe.

“We do not pray in order to escape the world around us,” Sister Joan Chittister reminds us. “We pray with one eye on the world so that we can come to understand what is really being asked of us here and now, at times like this, as co-creators of the universe.”

Meaning that awe can make us feel more connected—to other people and humanity as a whole. Awe has an amazing capacity to bring people together. Excerpt from Sabbath Moments

Psalm 146:1-10 God hears the cries of those who place their hope in Him

 John 4:23–24

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus is the way, the truth and the only light of the world. In Him and through Him we are saved and brought into right standing with the Father. In Him and through Him we are given Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son and together is worshiped and glorified. There is power in the unity of our One God. God hears the cries of His people, those who place their trust in Him alone. Carla

Psalm 146:1-10

5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,

Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

6 Who made heaven and earth,

The sea, and all that is in them;

Who keeps truth forever,

7 Who executes justice for the oppressed,

Who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord raises those who are bowed down;

The Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the strangers;

He relieves the fatherless and widow;

But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

10 The  Lord shall reign forever—

Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

NKJV

The psalmist opens this praise psalm by exhorting his audience to praise Yahweh; he also describes his intention to praise Yahweh himself. He then exhorts his audience to place trust in Yahweh alone. The psalmist states that the blessed people in the world are those who hope in the God who created everything, helps the oppressed, feeds the hungry, heals the suffering, loves the righteous and protects the vulnerable. He also states that Yahweh opposes the wicked. He concludes by praising Yahweh, who will reign forever!  Faithlife Study Bible

My soul is another way of speaking of one’s inner being and is often used as a substitute for the pronouns “I” or “me.” While I live: The poet makes a strong vow to praise the Lord for the rest of his life.

The point is that even the best of people are not adequate help in times of terrible stress. Even princes are mortal, and are not able even to help themselves (118:9). In contrast is the individual who finds ultimate help in God who lives forever.

Happy indicates a deep and abiding pleasure, a manifest joy. This is the proper description of one whose help and hope is in God. 

Creation themes pervade the hymns of Israel (Psalm 104); here the point is that the Creator of the universe is the One who comes to the aid of the righteous.

In these two verses 8-9 there is a special focus on the gracious actions of God on behalf of the impaired, the helpless, the lonely, and the needy (38:6). 

But the way of the wicked is the contrast in God’s treatment of the righteous and the wicked is as pronounced in this psalm as it is in other psalms (1:4, 6; 147:6).

The Lord shall reign forever. The Bible presents several dimensions of the rule of God: He is King as Creator (Psalm 93); He is King as Savior of His people (Psalm 99); and He is King as the coming One (Psalm 98). This verse speaks of God’s present and eternal reign rather than specifically of His coming rule at the end of time. The use of the Hebrew term hallelujah at the end of the psalm balances its use at the beginning. The NKJV Study Bible

Psalm 103:6

The LORD executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

Psalm 104:33

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

Psalm 63:4

Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Psalm 107:9–10

For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

Bound in affliction and irons—

Psalm 147:6

The LORD lifts up the humble;

He casts the wicked down to the ground.

I resonated with this, from Maria Shriver, “I read an article about what kids need and how certain teachers are best able to help them when they're having a meltdown. The article said to ask a child, ‘Do you want to be helped, heard, or hugged?’ The writer then went on to say those are actually great questions to ask anybody at this time. I love that. As leaders—be it in our families, our workplaces, or our communities—we will never be able to totally have everyone's back all the time. That said, we can minister in the gap with our hearts and with compassion. We can minister by listening, by sharing practices, by showing tenderness, and by sharing our own experiences that helped us when we felt alone, afraid, and disconnected. We can minister by apologizing as well when it's needed. My friends, see yourself on this day and this week as a minister with a pulpit or platform, because you actually have one. Believe that you have a message worth sharing because you do. Believe that you have a presence that can make another person feel protected in this moment because you do.”

"They serve one another."

Which brings to mind Etty Hillesum’s empowering words, “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty. To reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.”

Thank you Etty. Your words bolster and sustain me.

And let us remember, Etty did not write that sentence from a dispassionate distance. Speaking of a world tilting, Etty was a young Jewish woman who lived in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation and who died in Auschwitz, one of the millions of victims of the Holocaust. We didn’t know about her meticulous diary until decades after her death. From the day when Dutch Jews were ordered to wear a yellow star, up to the day she boarded a cattle car bound for Poland, Etty consecrated herself to the wholehearted task of bearing witness to the inviolable power of love. To honor the sacred present with sensitivity to human suffering and gratitude for beauty in the everyday. Sabbath Moments