Day 216: The Suffering Servant (2026)

**Fr. Mike Schmitz** (0:04)
Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to The Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 216, and we're reading from Isaiah 53 and 54, Ezekiel 14 and 15, as well as Proverbs 12, verses 25-28. As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast. I don't know if you knew that. Little known fact. We got to get the word out people, because not everyone knows that you can subscribe to this and get daily updates and daily episodes and all those kinds of things. As I mentioned, today is Day 216 and Isaiah 53 and 54 is just, man, gosh, bonkers, incredible. It is the Lord's Suffering Servant and if nothing else, it is one of the most clear proclamations and prophecies of Jesus Christ and his suffering for us, for our sins. Now keep in mind, the context of Isaiah 53 and 54 is Isaiah is talking about the people of Israel and yet at the same time, he maybe didn't have any idea. He was also talking about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, our Lord, as well as in chapters 14 and 15 of Ezekiel. We're talking about those prophets, idolatry condemned. Anyways, you know what's coming up. We've got the readings today and gosh, let's not wait. Let's dive in right now with Isaiah 53, 54, Ezekiel 14 and 15, Proverbs 12, verses 25 through 28
The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 53, The Lord's Suffering Servant.
Who has believed what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.
And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore, I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors. Yet he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
Chapter 54 Mercy and Comfort Offered Sing, O barren one, who did not bear, break forth into singing and cry aloud you who have not had labor pains. For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord. Enlarge the place of your tent and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. Hold not back, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. Fear not, for you will not be ashamed. Be not confounded, for you will not be put to shame. For you will forget the shame of your youth and the reproach of your widowhood. You will remember no more. For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name, and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you.