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40 Days Through the New Testament: Knowing the Savior Who Steadies Our Uncertainty
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Experience Jesus. Embrace Hope. Enter the new year with confidence.
Have you ever felt caught in the “in-between” — waiting for an answer, longing for hope, unsure of what’s next? We all know what it’s like to wrestle with unknowns and wonder if God will come through. God’s people knew this feeling too. For 400 years, they waited in quiet expectation for the fulfillment of His promise. And then, in the perfect moment, Jesus came — proof that God always keeps His word.
The New Testament is living evidence: God does what He says He will do.
That’s the heartbeat of 40 Days Through the New Testament. This study will help you start the year with renewed faith, fresh perspective, and steady hope in the Savior who never changes. And it’s yours as thanks for your special year-end gift to help others do the same!
What’s more, every dollar you give before December 31 will be doubled up to $87,500 thanks to our year-end match.
Today’s Teaching
Peace in Every Part of Our Lives (Advent Peace)
Erica Wiggenhorn
Day: 8 | Plan: Advent 2025
Start Here: Isaiah 53:3-6
Key Verse: Isaiah 53:5 (ESV) "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."
Major Moment: Isaiah described the physical harm and punishment Christ Jesus would suffer, bringing us healing.
When someone says they long for peace, they could mean many different things. When a young mother pines for peace, she may desire an absence of conflict in her home or a respite from arbitrating and attending to needs. Government officials negotiating for peace may seek an absence of conflict between nations. An anxious person may seek peace of mind, with thoughts at rest and rid of worry.
But the most important peace is a state of communion or harmony between people and God. As the prophet Isaiah foretold, Jesus was "pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, emphasis added).
In the Old Testament, peace for God's people was tied to the concept of covenant, or God's promise to be among and with His people (Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12). When they obeyed Him and did not turn aside to other gods, they received the blessings of His presence and peace. These blessings stretched into various aspects of life, including:
- Peace within each person as they trusted in the Lord (Isaiah 26:3).
- Peace among God's people as they followed His wisdom in community (Psalm 37:11).
- Peace with their enemies as they enjoyed God's protection (Proverbs 16:7).
- Peace with God Himself as they obeyed His commands by His grace (Isaiah 26:12).
The presence of strife, or the lack of peace, often signified Israel's disobedience toward God; sin was a way of forfeiting or rejecting His blessings. But when the Messiah came, Isaiah foretold that He would take the "chastisement" for sin upon Himself, bringing ultimate peace to God's people (Isaiah 53:5). This includes wholeness, healing, security, well-being, and salvation.
When Jesus came to earth, His own people viewed Him as "smitten by God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:4), beating and crucifying Him for blasphemy. They did not recognize that Jesus is God and that He suffered for "the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6), not for His personal sin. Jesus is completely sinless. Still, He willingly carried our guilt and shame, giving us His glorious peace in return.
As New Testament believers, we receive peace freely through faith in Jesus. But it came at no small cost to Him. The phrase "pierced for our transgressions" in Isaiah 53:5 illustrates Jesus' violent and painful death due to our sin. The Hebrew word for "pierced" can also describe defilement or disinheritance; in this case, Jesus surrendered His rights as God's Son and inherited our sin and its punishment on the cross. He was "crushed for our iniquities," a metaphor for being ground down by guilt, spirit broken by shame.
Jesus endured both physical and emotional agony, even spiritual separation from His Father (Matthew 27:46), that we might experience true peace. Thank You, Jesus! He has paid for the penalty of our sin. And although we remain in a fallen world in the presence of sin until He comes again, we wait with hope. In Christ, we are at peace with God, and we can seek to be at peace within ourselves and with one another while we wait for His return.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for giving us Your peace even though it required Your suffering, death, and resurrection. Thank You that because of the peace You have provided, we do not need to be troubled or afraid (John 14:27). Help us remember to turn to You in troubling and frightening situations. You have promised to be with us always, and Your presence brings peace. In Jesus' name, amen.
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