Jump Start # 578

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our wellbeing fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”

Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the suffering Christ. Centuries before the event took place, Isaiah introduced us to the suffering Savior. The language is vivid. What Isaiah describes is not pleasant. Notice a few of the words taken from this chapter: He was despised and forsaken; smitten of God and afflicted; pierced through; crushed; oppressed; afflicted; putting Him to grief; the anguish of His soul.  It’s one thing to be hurt by humans, but “smitten of God” and “the Lord was pleased to crush Him” shows the magnitude of His suffering.

Isaiah 53 is often read before the Lord’s Supper on Sundays. Good choice. Good reminder for us. It was our problems, our sins that put Christ on the cross. He died for us.

Our verse today ends with this thought: “by His scourging we are healed.” What a contrast and paradox. He suffered, we are healed. He was made worse and we were made better. By the same act.

This statement reminds us that there are some things that only God can fix, no one else can. The sin of man is not made better by simply doing nice things. Sin doesn’t disappear after time. Moving to a new location doesn’t change what has happened in the past. This is not an accounting ledger in which if there is more things in the good column than the bad column we will be ok. There is a penalty that comes with sin. It follows you all of your life. There is no escaping it. Long after the sin is forgotten, the penalty remains.

The only hope is Jesus Christ. He paid the price. He carried the sin. He died so we could live. By His scourging we are healed.

Healing is an interesting thought. It brings to mind a wound. After surgery, there is a healing period, where the incision heals. We are healed from surgery. Cuts heal. Wounded relationships must heal. A husband and wife snap at each other. They are mad. One doesn’t understand. They leave for work. They reflect upon the conflict and the battle. Later that day, they apologize and forgive each other. Wounds have been healed.

The wounds Isaiah has in mind are caused by sin. Those sins have wounded and fractured our relationship with God. Those sins have ruined things. Disobedience has led to departure. We become prodigals, living away from our Father in a distant county. The suffering Jesus, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, paves the way for us to return home. Forgiveness is the banner that flies above the Father’s house. By His scourging we are healed.

Healed with God—the relationship is bridged. Biblically the words are: redeemed, justified, reconciled, saved. Saved by the blood of Jesus. Our past is rewritten. Sins are removed. Our present course is readjusted. We now follow Jesus. The way of the cross leads home. Our future is bright. The best days are not behind us, they are ahead of us. We are marching to Zion, Heaven bound, going home to God’s home. That’s what salvation does. Only God can save us. We can’t save ourselves. The church can’t save us. Only God.

Once a person gets this in their mind, following Jesus becomes a premium. Nothing will get in the way of following Jesus. The Bible becomes the choice of direction. It must be by the book or else it won’t be allowed. Jesus becomes the example. We learn. We see. We become. Be holy as He is holy, were the words of Peter. Be holy is much more than just doing holy stuff now and then. It is becoming…it is being. All of this is possible through Jesus Christ.

By His scourging we are healed. How do we respond to that? What should our reaction be? What do we say for  such a wonderful gift of love? Thank you? Certainly. Obedience? Yes. Commitment? Of, course. Devotion? Yes.

We were wounded and dying. He became wounded and died, so we could live. Paul said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

This Sunday, when you take the Lord’s Supper, remember that God healed you through the death of Jesus. We are well because of Jesus. We are have life because of Jesus. There is a personal connection to what Jesus did and you. The relationship you have with God was made possible only through Jesus.

Isaiah wrote about this long before it happened. Now long after it has happened, we must reflect it through our heart and lives.

Roger