When Jesus walked this earth, He opened the eyes of the blind, made the deaf hear, the lame walk, and the mute speak.
“And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them so that the crowd wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.” Matthew 15:30-31
Jesus also gave "living water" to the Samaritan woman whose soul had become a desert wasteland through sin. Then the "waters broke forth in the wilderness" and she ran and told the whole town about Jesus, sharing the living water with them. There were "streams in the desert of Samaria" as "many Samaritans in the town believed in Him because of her testimony" (John 4:39).
Oh, my friend, it is a miraculous thing that Jesus came to do. By His death, He purchased not only our forgiveness from sins but also our spiritual eyesight and hearing. Jesus healed our spiritual limping, opened our mouths to praise Him, and brought living water to our dry and dead hearts bringing forth joy and rejoicing. Through the cross, He removes our fear of punishment and our dread of both death and judgment; He calms our anxious hearts.
In the next lesson, we will continue in our study of Isaiah 35, but for now, I would like us to consider the reality that all of these blessings listed for us today are a direct result of the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus poured His life out on the cross and from His death flow all the blessings listed in Isaiah 35.
When we look at the cross in belief, God opens our eyes to see His glory where once we were blind, He opens our ears to hear His truth and to love it, He heals our spiritual legs so that we can walk right and not fall into habitual sin, and He loosens our tongues so that we might sing for joy. He turns barren hearts into fruitful gardens, and sends living water into dry and unfruitful lives, making them glad and giving them joy. The abundant life that Jesus came to give flows from the cross.
Jesus says, "I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).
Question 6. Please stop for a moment and consider the truths in Isaiah 35. Is your heart thankful? Do you have a better understanding of the "superabundant" life that Jesus died to provide us? Please share your thoughts on today’s lesson.
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Geri writes, "I am in my sixth decade of life, and I have spent over half of that time living in sorrow, discontent, and regret. I have been rejected and felt I did not belong. I have been intimidated by others who seemed to have it all together. I have been abused, oppressed, and depressed, but I am now filled with rejoicing in the splendor of the riches of Christ Jesus, the ecstasy of what He did for me on the cross to liberate me and release me to live the life He intended all along for me to live. I rejoice in His patience, mercy, and grace, His redemption, forgiveness, and restorative transformation - all from the work of the cross upon which Jesus died."