But I am no longer a human being; I am a worm, despised and scorned by everyone!

Israel's holy God and savior says to the one who is deeply despised, who is hated by the nations and is the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you released and will rise to show their respect; princes also will see it, and they will bow low to honor you." This will happen because the LORD has chosen his servant; the holy God of Israel keeps his promises.

The LORD has given me understanding, and I have not rebelled or turned away from him.

I bared my back to those who beat me. I did not stop them when they insulted me, when they pulled out the hairs of my beard and spit in my face.

Many people were shocked when they saw him; he was so disfigured that he hardly looked human.

It was the will of the LORD that his servant grow like a plant taking root in dry ground. He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him.

We despised him and rejected him; he endured suffering and pain. No one would even look at him--- we ignored him as if he were nothing.

And at the end of that time God's chosen leader will be killed unjustly. The city and the Temple will be destroyed by the invading army of a powerful ruler. The end will come like a flood, bringing the war and destruction which God has prepared.

Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion! Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you! He comes triumphant and victorious, but humble and riding on a donkey--- on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

His answer was, "Elijah is indeed coming first in order to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man will suffer much and be rejected?

For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, "The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me."

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; rich as he was, he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich by means of his poverty.

But we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, so that through God's grace he should die for everyone. We see him now crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered.

He purifies people from their sins, and both he and those who are made pure all have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his family.

He also says, "I will put my trust in God." And he also says, "Here I am with the children that God has given me."

and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.

This means that he had to become like his people in every way, in order to be their faithful and merciful High Priest in his service to God, so that the people's sins would be forgiven.

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne.

Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering, as though you were suffering as they are.

The LORD says, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen--- the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased. I have filled him with my Spirit, and he will bring justice to every nation.

He said to me, "Israel, you are my servant; because of you, people will praise me."

The LORD said to me, "I have a greater task for you, my servant. Not only will you restore to greatness the people of Israel who have survived, but I will also make you a light to the nations--- so that all the world may be saved."

The LORD says, "My servant will succeed in his task; he will be highly honored.

After a life of suffering, he will again have joy; he will know that he did not suffer in vain. My devoted servant, with whom I am pleased, will bear the punishment of many and for his sake I will forgive them.

I will give them a king like my servant David to be their one shepherd, and he will take care of them.

I, the LORD, will be their God, and a king like my servant David will be their ruler. I have spoken.

Listen then, Joshua, you who are the High Priest; and listen, you fellow priests of his, you that are the sign of a good future: I will reveal my servant, who is called The Branch!

"Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will send my Spirit upon him, and he will announce my judgment to the nations.

like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people."

and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of all.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people."

Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.

Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God.

Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.

Jesus answered him, "You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later."

Simon Peter answered, "Lord, do not wash only my feet, then! Wash my hands and head, too!"

(Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, "All of you, except one, are clean.")

"You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am.

For I tell you that Christ's life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true,

He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God.

The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.

It is about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: as to his humanity, he was born a descendant of David;

What the Law could not do, because human nature was weak, God did. He condemned sin in human nature by sending his own Son, who came with a nature like our sinful nature, to do away with sin.

But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law,

Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death,

For it is clear that it is not the angels that he helps. Instead, he helps the descendants of Abraham.

Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.