Jesus—Humanity’s Savior

“Who has believed our revelation? On whose account has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

“Like a sapling he grew up in his presence, a stalk out of arid ground. He had no distinguished appearance, that we should notice him; he had no [pleasing] aspect, that we should find him attractive. He was despised and disdained by men, a man of grief, accustomed to suffering. As one from whom men hide their faces he was shunned, deemed by us of no merit.

“Yet he bore our sufferings, endured our griefs, though we thought him stricken, smitten of God, and humbled. But he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; the price of our peace he incurred, and with his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep had gone astray, each of us headed his own way; the Lord brought together upon him the iniquity of us all.

“He was harassed, yet submissive, and opened not his mouth—like a lamb led to slaughter, like a sheep, dumb before its shearers, he opened not his mouth. By arrest and trial he was taken away. Who can apprise his generation that he was cut off from the land of the living for the crime of my people, to whom the blow was due?

“He was appointed among the wicked in death, among the rich was his burial; yet he had done no violence, and deceit was not in his mouth. But the Lord willed to crush him, causing him suffering, that, if he made his life an offering for guilt, he might see his offspring and prolong his days, and that the purposes of the Lord might prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:1–10)

“I myself am the Lord; apart from me there is no savior. It is I who foretold and wrought salvation, making it known when there was no strange god among you. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, that I am divine.” (Isaiah 43:11–12)

“In this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the shroud that shrouds all nations, by abolishing death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the reproach of his people from throughout the earth. The Lord has spoken it. In that day you will say, This is our God, whom we expected would save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us joyfully celebrate his salvation!” (Isaiah 25:7–9)

“I will recount in praise of the Lord the Lord’s loving favors, according to all that the Lord has done for us, according to the great kindness he has mercifully and most graciously rendered the house of Israel.

“For he thought, Surely they are my people, sons who will not play false; and so he became their Savior: with all their troubles he troubled himself, the angel of his presence delivering them. In his love and compassion he himself redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” (Isaiah 63:7–9)

“Truly you are a God who dissembles himself, O Savior, God of Israel. As one, the makers of inventions retired in disgrace, utterly dismayed and embarrassed. But Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be dismayed or put to shame worlds without end.” (Isaiah 45:15–17)