He Will Bear Our Sins

When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.

Isaiah 53:11

IF YOU HAVE experience traveling long distances on foot, you know that any extra weight you carry becomes cumbersome after a while. The more miles you walk, the more you feel the pack pulling down against your back—the more your boots grow heavy with acquired dirt and clinging dust. Even essential items such as food and canteens of water can start to seem heavier than they’re worth.

The same is true for all of us as we walk the long journey called life. The more months and years we travel, the more we feel the weight of our sins, and the more breathless and worn out we are. What used to bring temporary pleasure and a fleeting sense of life instead begins to drag us down. The lure of sin brings diminishing returns. We’re slowed by the pull of shame and guilt, and we’re crushed by the consequences of our actions.

The wonderful promise of this verse, however, is that we don’t have to carry the burden of those past mistakes. We don’t have to feel the weight of our transgressions, because Jesus—the “righteous servant” prophesied by Isaiah—has taken on the crushing weight of all our sins. And don’t miss that key word: all our sins. Every single one.

This is the same Jesus who declared, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). If we’re willing to accept the gift Jesus offers—the gift he suffered and died to bring us—we, too, can be counted righteous and thus be lighthearted and carefree, experiencing the freedom our Burden Bearer desires for us.