When something is a struggle to succeed at and it feels like we are pressing through a steel wall, people want to say that that means that God has closed that door and does not want us getting through it. Now, sometimes that’s true. However, there are many times when you are oushing to open a door that God has not closed, but the devil has stood behind it, holding it shut so you can’t get it open. Don’t be deceived. The devil can keep the door shut from you, but he can’t keep it shut from Jesus. If you give every struggle over to Jesus and let Him push open the doors that He wants you to walk through, then not only will you walk the right the path, your struggle will lessen, because the one who wants you to walk that way will let you through the most stuck doors.
I feel…. but.. it’s Christmas
Dear friends. Christmas is a time when we feel all the feels, and I mean ALL! We feel happy and sad and stressed and at peace because Christmas reminds us of what we love and who we have lost over the years. Just now, I almost cried because an image of a dog came onto my phone, and it was one of my Nana’s favorite breeds, and suddenly, I missed her. Why am I saying this? Because it’s okay to feel. Feel all of it and then let it go. The thing that makes that tangible and important is making sure that you don’t feel alone. Feel those feelings with Jesus. Rest in His embrace and let Him heal you. Panic comes, but Jesus calms the storms. Pain happens, but our Lord is healer. We have lost… sometimes more than we can bear, but God has prepared a home in Heaven. We feel peace at Christmas because the light of the world came. His angel said, “Fear not.” Jesus said, “peace I leave with you.” Why? Because He knew who we are. It hurts sometimes. We see no light at the end of the tunnel. But God. It will always be Jesus who shows us the way. We may think we cannot do it. But all things are possible through Him. Don’t feel guilty about having all the Feelings at Christmas. Just make sure you leave those feelings in the hands of the Messiah.
He knows
He knows
Those battles you fight. Those problems and pains you go through that you tell no one about. Those needs, fears, desires, fallings, sicknesses, screams in the back of your mind, dark pits that circle, boxes you can’t climb out of, endless nights, days that won’t go away. All of it. Jesus is there. You may tell no one. You may never ask for help or sympathy, but He knows. It’s the moment when you feel you have been fighting alone all night long and you suddenly feel an arm around you. You look and see no one, then you realize, it’s Jesus. Those days when you felt like no one could hear or see you, but He hears and sees you. You feel like you scream alone, but He holds your hand and screams with you until your screaming is done and you feel like you will make it. He will make it so you can make it. You fall, but never hit bottom because He catches you.
No matter what. Jesus is there. In all my circumstances- But God.
Oh Holy night
Oh Holy night
Fall on your knees, hear the angel’s voices.
Do we?
Here we are about to open gifts and sing Christmas songs, and yet so many don’t know what Christmas is all about. Even some who wear the badge of Christian don’t really get what it’s all about. Not the day, but the reason Jesus came to earth. It wasn’t just about Luke 2, or John 20, it’s also very much about Revelation 22.
Jesus came as a baby, He died as an man, He is returning as the King. And through all of it He is our Savior. He was our Savior while sleeping in the manger, He was our Savior while dying on the cross, He is our Savior as He lives in our hearts today, and He will be our Savior still the day He rides in with His armies to conquer all.
Fall on your knees and worship Him. Seek Him while He is still to be found. That line scares me, some of the modern prophets of the 50s would speak of a time when God would remove His Spirit from the world. We must run to Jesus while He is still to be found. Don’t wait. Don’t miss this.
Are you waiting for answers?
Are you waiting for answers?
The promise of God does not always come fast. So don’t start doubting even if you have waited 10 or 20 years. He has His time.
Why do we become downcast and fearful when we have a God who loves us? When we have Faith in God and know He is God and He can and will deliver, why do we doubt?
James says that the doubters should expect to receive nothing from God.
But Jesus said ‘if you have faith the size of a mustard seed.’ So where is the cut off?
At what point does faith only the size of a mustard seed turn to doubt?
In the moment where you used to say ‘I know God can do this.’
And now you say, ‘God probably won’t do this.’
You aren’t doubting that God is real or that He is there, but you are doubting that He will answer you. I say this more to myself than anyone else because I have had too many of those moments.
(I have also had moments of complete doubt that God would answer and He did, probably because He knew that I needed to see Him do something because I was slipping. He is still good to us.)
His Word warns us that if we doubt who He is and what He will do that He won’t answer us. That’s not having only a little Faith when we pray. That’s having no Faith at all. We must believe or how else can we expect to see answers.
Now. There are times when we have Faith and still don’t see an answer. There were times like that all through the Bible. But our Faith cannot depend on what we see God doing, it has to depend on who God is. Our Faith is in God not in the works of God. We have to trust Him.
I am a sinner, but I leave that all behind me and choose to follow the third man on the hill, the one the people call Jesus.
We are all the two thieves. We’ve either asked Jesus to remember us or we have mocked Him by not believing Him. The two thieves were a physical example of the two paths to take. A sinner set free by the blood of the Lamb – or a sinner still attached to his/her cross. You can choose to follow Jesus to Paradise or you can choose to stay the way you are. He leaves the decission up to you. But only one road leads to Heaven. Only one way takes you away from death eternal. Jesus is the only way- the choice is up to you.
Beneath His feet
If I were the sandals beneath His feet.
If I were the sandals beneath His feet, oh the places I would go. I would step into the Temple and hear Him teach the crowd. I would walk along the Jordan and see fish fill a boat. I would come too close for comfort to lepers and not fear their disease. I would see the lame man walk and watch the blind man see. Would I undstand His parables? Would I question who He was? Or would I know just be being near Him that He was God’s only son? I would stand upon a hill top and see the devil face to face. I would hear Jesus refuse to bow to sin. I would be stained by the sweat of donkeys. I would taste the sweet dew of morning on garden grass. I would be made wet by His tears. I would hear Him pray for all of us left. I would stand on a platform and watch a crooked trial. I would be hit by His blood, and strain to hear His defense. I would weep when He said nothing to free Himself. I would be gambled for at the foot of a cross. I would be shaken as the Vail was torn. I would break deep down as I realized He was gone. Then I would be far away from Him. I would be stuck on the feet of a Roman soldier. Then I would spend a long night outside a tomb and be terrified as the big stone rolled away. I would cry for joy as I watched the feet I knew so well and loved so dear walk past me in a glow I could not explain. I would hear from the soldiers later that He had been seen around, appearing before those He loved. Then I would see Him no longer. But I had heard Him say that He would return someday. I long for that day. The day when at His feet I might remain.
If only I were the sandals beneath His feet.
Every one of us
Lent day 19
Every loser
Every outcast
Every dead walking
Every can’t take another day
Every prisoner (in the mind or body)
Every never enough
Every striving too hard
Every hypocrite
Every filthy rags show off
Every sinner
Every pastor
Every child
Every adult
Every senior
Every. Single. Person
Is loved unconditionally by Jesus.
I know I’m a sinner. I know a fail Him every day. It’s hard to believe that He would keep reaching out and loving inspite of me. If Jesus didn’t love us we couldn’t be better than we are, we couldn’t throw away our sins and failures, we wouldn’t have a chance. It’s because He loves us that we can change. It’s because He loves us that while we were His enemies He died for us. We are all the Centurion at the Cross, holding a spear dripping with His blood in our hands as we realize, “this man must truly have been the son of God.”
We couldn’t repent of our sins and find Jesus if He hadn’t first paid everything for us. We no longer have an excuse to cling to our past, our sins, our filthy rags- Jesus died so that we would have a way out.
He gave us a way out of hell, not a free ticket to both the hell “party” on earth AND the paradise of Heaven. We get one or the other. But praise God that He is paitent and just so that no soul will be lost, because He wants all of us. God is the only one who can be greedy, and He is greedy for our souls, He does not want the devil to have a single person and will give up everything so that the devil can’t have us. If in the end every sould found Jesus except on and that one went to hell, that single soul would be on God’s mind all the time and would break His heart.
He loves us and gives us every opportunity to change and find him. We have no excuse, so let’s throw away the excuses and run into Jesus’s outstretched arms.
Promises, promises
And what of your promise now? -Judah
All I can say is, I don’t understand, but He must have a reason for this.-Man of God
At the foot of the cross.
It’s so hard when the promise’s outcome isn’t how we envisioned. Imagine how the deciples must have felt when they saw Jesus lifted on the cross.
There must be a mistake.
Must have been their thought. How could everything they had seen and experienced and been told, have led to this?
If they had read the prophecies they would have had the answer. But in that moment of agony of spirit the last thing on your mind is a prophecy from so long ago. Just like our promises. We read promises from God that He proclaimed some 2000+ years ago, and we are expected to believe them and hold to them. When things get hard and nothing makes sense, and the promise leads to something you don’t understand it’s hard to not feel like there must be a mistake- and what of your star and your promise now? Yet God has a reason, for all of it. What Isaiah foretold about Jesus coming, probably never crossed the minds of the weary shepherds when the star appeared. What had been fortold about Jesus’s death was no where in the minds of the deciples in the Garden, or at the tomb, maybe not even in The Upper Room. But God fulfilled His promise in every occasion. Just as He will fulfill His promise to you and me.
He’s coming back, just as He promised. Are you ready?
What is it about anyway?
Hell was already here. So many think that the devil comes when the apocalypse begins, but that is not the case. When God cast the devil out of Heaven he hit earth hard and left a crack. The devil claimed earth as his, remember Luke chapter 4?
Luke 4:5-8 NIV
[5] The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. [6] And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. [7] If you worship me, it will all be yours.” [8] Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
The devil isn’t coming, he’s already here. That’s why Christmas is so important. It does not matter when Jesus came, it matters THAT Jesus came. We celebrate His coming, if people want to complain and say He was born in June let them. We do not celebrate a date, we celebrate Jesus.
Christmas is important because the devil had dominion until that night in the manger. Revelation speaks of a great dragon that came and tried to devour Jesus as He came into this world. Revelation 12 is a vivid chapter. Here we see the whole of Jesus’s life from prophecy to fulfillment spread out in vivid images.
The devil knew he had lost when Jesus was born. He kept fighting right up till the cross. But he had lost to the Son of God the moment Mary saw the angel. Before that. The moment when the birth of Jesus was prophesied.
We were not simply living normal lives when suddenly Jesus was born and the war between God and one of His angels who had fallen broke out around us. The evil was already here. Festering. Growing. Manipulating. Then one night in a barn there was a baby’s cry and suddenly we had hope and the evil was afraid.
Jesus coming to save us. That is what we celebrate. That is what Christmas is all about.
Before the beginning it began
The whole event began centuries before the manger and the star. It began with God speaking the world into motion. With the world falling into sin. With God’s great love for His people. With our transformation from sinners to children of the King of Kings.
Mary and Joseph would have had a long journey on foot. The distance is roughly 90 miles and they would have chanced facing dangers from snakes, wild cats, wild dogs, bandits and even Samaritans. They would also most likely have been required to rest of the Sabbath, making the journey even longer.
The dangers were amidst them, but so was the power of God, and where God’s power is, so is peace and safety. Until it was His time, nothing could harm Jesus. But it is not likely that Mary knew that. She would have had many reasons to fear, and yet she still traveled. Because she was confident that the same God who sent angels to her to deliver an ancient promise, would also guide her and her baby to safety.
Bethlehem was known for it’s perfect, spotless lambs for sacrifice. One night, over two thousand years ago, a baby came to the small city of David to be born the last and greatest sacrifice for all of our sins. Whenever we go through our days, let us remember that we are free, saved and forgiven, only because Jesus came to be born in a stable, hated by so many, killed for the sake of us, forsaken by God until He rose blameless from the grave. All because of us.
What can we give Him in return? Nothing. Nothing is worthy. Yet all He asks for is our hearts.
The answer was with me, I just forgot to look
Remember when Mary Magdalene in the Chosen saw the Roman soldier ride past and is terrified and hides from him? Then later is so ashamed of her fear and says that she completely ignored the scriptures in her hands and hid.
I have suddenly had a moment like that.
After school ends we all feel we will get jobs right away and life will be the bees, or however that saying goes. Then when it doesn’t, you panic. Will I ever get a job? Will I end up being one more collge graduate who can’t use her diploma for anything outside of space on her wall?
Then you start to really go down hill. Wondering why people less qualified have positions you feel you should have. It’s a mess.
Then I opened my cell phone and my lock screen said Isaiah 46:4
Isaiah 46:4 NIV
[4] Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
The right verse to remind me of God’s power was right there in my hands the whole time. I had just missed it because of my stress.
How about you? How often has stress taken over your mind and made you ignore the truth of God? Too often I would guess, because it has happened too often for me.
The Bible holds all of the answers, we just have to stop and listen.
He’s got us. We just forget sometimes that:
He STILL has the whole world in His hands tonight. -Petra
Goodnight friends 🧡
A little dinosaur reminding us of Christ’s love
Does anyone remember Land before time? I mean the real one, not the new one?
Have you ever thought of how that movie is a great representation of our relationship with Christ?
Don’t give up on me just yet. Let me show what I mean. Littlefoot, the cutest Dino ever, ends up having to walk across the wasteland due to what I would guess to be Pangea splitting in the continental drift.
On his journey, he runs into Sarah. The 3 horn in their world, the Triceratops in ours, and she tells him that they can’t journey together, because he’s not of her kind, so he goes and journeys on his own. Having lost his mother and being totally broken at heart he feels like he will always be alone. Yet as he journeys, he meets several others who are not his kind, who are also journeying alone, and who are frightened and need somebody to care for them. So he puts the differences aside, and allows them all to come with him. And he cares for them and protects them. And then when we have Sarah join back up with the group, she decides to take charge, and she argues with him at every step and tries to show that she is smarter. And eventually, her wrong opinions (which claim to know an easier path) lead all of the friends except Littlefoot, who knows to go the right direction, astray. Isn’t that exactly like our relationship with Jesus, right down to the wandering the wastand and finding friends to wander with him? More than that though, His knowing the answers, His finding lost and broken people in this world and putting aside the fact whether we’re black of skin or white, or we’re Chinese or we have a limp, or we have freckles, none of that matters to Him as long as we are willing to love Him and serve Him, and then He guides us and lets us follow Him. He protects us and then out of nowhere comes the devil whispering in our ear (or shouting) saying Jesus is wrong and that he knows an easier way. Taunting us with “Why are you taking the hard way?” And because we’re human and dumb, we go and we follow the devil’s voice. Even though Jesus has led us the right way up until now. Do we all remember what happens when things get hard? After the other children choose to follow Sarah, instead of Littlefoot?
She ends up leaving them all behind and not even noticing when they fall into turmoil. Yet as soon as they cry for help, little foot comes running. Shouting, “hang on guys, I’m coming.” Isn’t that just like Jesus as soon as we run into trouble? Even though we chose to follow the devil instead of Him, when we call for help He comes running saying, “hang on guys. I’m coming.” Why? Because He loves us and He is the eternal perfect leader. Let us give our lives to Him and trust in Him. Now we all remember that Sarah does get her redemption because Littlefoot allows her to continue to join them. In fact, he even saves her on several occasions throughout several different movies.
Now the devil doesn’t have that chance to be rescued, but the vialist of sinner does, and Jesus will reach out to even those who have hurt Him the most because He is our God and we love Him. More than that, He loves us.
When He knows it is best
In 2 Corinthians 6:2 God says “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Our problem is that we want things to change in our favor right now! We want immediate results, and when they don’t come we wonder if God really hears us, is He really there, did we do something to make Him not love us and not answer us? We forget that God is real and thinking and planning. He isn’t there for our use, we are here for His. He has His own timeline of when and how thing should happen. He will make it happen when things are perfect, but we don’t realize that so we panic. Next time God does not answer in a split second, remember, He will save us at just the right time.
Acts 13
Devotional: Called, Sent, and Strengthened — Acts 13
Scripture Reading
Acts 13:2–3 (NIV)
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
1. A Call in the Middle of Ordinary Worship
Paul and Barnabas were not in a special meeting or seeking a grand assignment—Scripture describes an ordinary gathering of believers worshipping together in Antioch. In that simple, everyday moment, the Holy Spirit spoke.
This reminds us:
God often calls us in the ordinary, not the spectacular.
The question is not whether we hear a dramatic voice, but whether our hearts are open and sensitive to the Spirit’s quiet direction.
Paul and Barnabas didn’t hesitate. They trusted the One who called them—and went.
Reflection:
Is my heart open to God’s direction during my ordinary, daily routines?
2. The Presence of Opposition
As the missionaries traveled across Cyprus, they encountered Elymas the sorcerer, who tried to turn the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, away from the faith (Acts 13:6–12). But God used this confrontation to reveal His power, and the proconsul believed.
Sometimes God allows obstacles or difficult people to appear on our path because He plans to use those moments to draw others—and even us—closer to Him.
Reflection:
How might God be using a difficult situation in my life to display His power or grow my faith?
3. When Others Do Not Follow
John Mark, likely a very young man, joined Paul and Barnabas on their journey—but left when they reached Perga (Acts 13:13). Scripture doesn’t give a reason, but later writings and historical research suggest the road ahead was dangerous and frightening.
Paul took this departure hard. Yet later in life, after years of growth on both sides, he would call Mark “useful to me in ministry” (2 Tim. 4:11).
This reminds us:
Not everyone who starts with us will finish with us.
People grow, change, and return.
God is patient with us, and we should be patient with others.
Reflection:
Is there someone I need to extend grace to, remembering that God is still working in their story?
4. When the Message is Rejected
As Paul preached in Antioch of Pisidia, many of the Jews rejected the message of Jesus. Paul then turned to the Gentiles—opening the door of salvation to countless others (Acts 13:46–48).
Rejection did not stop the gospel. God used it to redirect the message to those ready to receive it.
Reflection:
How do I respond when I feel rejected or discouraged? Do I let God redirect me instead of stopping me?
5. God’s Call Is Always Accompanied by His Strength
From dangerous roads to spiritual opposition to relational conflict, Acts 13 shows that the call of God is not always easy. Yet every step is marked by His guidance and power.
Paul and Barnabas went because God sent them.
They endured because God strengthened them.
And fruit came because God prepared the way.
Prayer
Holy spirit Let us have ears that will listen for when you are speaking to us, even in the quiet simple moments help us to remember that you are not looking for a show or some type of spectator sport.What you are looking for are open hearts and willing feat to do your work.Guide us as we follow you amen.
Side note: I utilized an online system to format my writing for this devotion. I will not always do this and have not done this before, but for how long my original text was it seemed a good way to summarize it for easier reading.
So tired
Why is it when you feel like you have absolutely nothing left, that is the moment something goes wrong. We shoulder so many things in a day, let alone in a week. You get to a place where you feel like a dam is building inside of you to hold back the flood. Then one little extra thing makes the dam Crack. Then another, and another. Suddenly it bursts and you are hurt and angry. Why God? Why again? Why another? Why this? Life happens and is hard sometimes, but no one is truly to blame for that. These aren’t the times of saying, why? These are the times of saying, I seek you Jesus. Hold me and guide me through this season. That’s the thing about seasons. They change. Hes got you. Keep going.
Get back up, He’s got you
Sometimes it’s hard. You know. Getting up. Getting up when you’ve been knocked down. Getting up when have spent everything you’ve got. Getting up to do it again. Somedays the bravest thing you will do is get out of bed and try again. It’s a dangerous thing going out your front door every morning. You never know what will come. You feel you can slow down and take a break, and then suddenly realize that you can’t and that feeling almost breaks you. Keep going. You don’t want to hear that, but you must keep going.
When Jesus fell on the road to Golgatha He did not keep laying there. He got up, and God sent Him a man named Simon to help Him carry the cross.
God will sent us someone to help us carry the cross as well. His name is Jesus.
Keep going. You CAN do this!
The theme of Acts and what we can learn from it
In truth, Acts is very repetitive. A deciple preaches Jesus’s kingdom and heals people. Then he is hated by those who are jealous of him and tortured. Then he goes and preaches Jesus again.
What do we learn from this common string that we see throughout Act? Keep fighting.
Keep telling of Jesus, keep letting them hate you. Do not give up!
Yesterday a friend of ours said, “I keep telling people about Jesus no matter what. I figure they’re going to hell without Him anyway, I can’t make things worse.” And she’s totally right. They are already headed for the worst thing that can happen to them, so you aren’t going to hurt them by telling them about Jesus. The bad thing that can happen is that they might hurt you. Or block you on Social Media, it’s Canada, there’s not a lot people are going to do.
So then why not? Why not tell them? Unless we are afraid for ourselves. Which most of us are. I do not enjoy sharing Jesus. Its the most terrifying thing you will do. Why? Because the devil makes us afraid. He lies to us and tells us to hide our faith our we will lose things. Our friends. Our jobs. Our Twitter following.
In the end what does any of that matter? As long as another soul is in Heaven.
[36] In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. [37] About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. [38] Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” [39] Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. [40] Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. [41] He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. [42] This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. [43] Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
I want us to take two things from this verse.
1. Nothing can stop God’s work in your life. Not even death.
2. Your work may look different than Peter’s work.
Tabitha did good work. The women showed Peter the clothes she had made for the poor. She probably became sick by being with the sick. She was a minister. Not a pastor. Not an evangelist. She made clothes. This was what she had been gifted by God to do. This makes me think of Linus. There is a group in town that makes blankets for the firetrucks. They make them in bold and beautiful designs. When something tragic happens and the firemen have to wrap someone up in a blanket they wrap them in one of these quilts and then send them home with the quilt.
This is a talent these ladies use to care for these people.
Peter then goes and stays with a tanner. A man who tanned hides for use.
He was able to serve God by letting Peter stay in his home.
We all have something we can do. It might be knitting booties to give to crises pregnancy center. Or making a hot meal for a neighbor. Or teaching someone how to do something they need to be able to do.
God told us to wear boots of readiness not slippers of “meh, maybe later.” Be ready to do God’s work. Who knows what that will look like or what day that will happen. Perhaps you are the smile someone needs. Perhaps you are the home made cookies that helped someone keep going.
We all face battles and darkness. Everyone here has a monster who paces the corners of their mind from time to time. But one way to fight the beast that we don’t alway remember, is to help people.
Tabitha fought the monster of illness, and God sent Peter to help her back on her feet. How many people had she helped back on their feet over the years?
Don’t let the darkness win. Shine light. Be the light. And be willing to let others be the light to you.
Too far away from the fire
When you don’t spend enough time with God, you begin to lose something. You lose the warmth. There is a warmth in the connection between you and God, a steady feeling of health for your soul. You may have days on end where your day was lousy, but you felt okay once you sat down and spent time with Him. Then things change. You get busy. Distracted. Sick. Tired. Something happens, and you are suddenly not spending the time with God that you used to. Then the cold slips in. Like a frost slipping its fingers under the door in December. A chill enters your bones, and you don’t know why or where it has come from. You wrap up in a blanket of comfort, TV, social media, a good book, but it’s never enough. Then, one day, you open your Bible, and suddenly, a wave of warmth floods back into your soul. You stop and pray for a bit, and more warmth comes. Soon, you are praying and worshiping and feel like you are sitting on a warm beach in the sun because your soul has its fire back.
Isaiah 53:6-12 NIV
[6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. [8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. [9] He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. [10] Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. [11] After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. [12] Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.53.6-12.NIV
Carried in the cross 