“But he was
pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and
the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)
Although
the identity of the one assuming our sin debt is not specifically declared in
Isaiah, scholars have always believed it to be Jesus Christ. Consider the weight of the sins of all men
from the beginning of time to this very day.
It was that enormous burden that caused droplets of blood to intermingle
with Jesus’ sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane as He asked that “this cup” of
pain and suffering be taken from Him (Luke 22:39-44). In the end He did as we should all do when
faced with difficult decisions; nevertheless, may Your will be done and not my
own.
An
innocent party had taken on the penalty for the sins of all mankind. This is love, grace and mercy personified in
one man. Many interpret the healing spoken
of in these verses as a physical healing from sickness and disease and without
question God has, does and will continue to heal us in that regard. However, I believe a far more important
healing is being spoken of. I believe it
speaks of a spiritual healing, which takes place when we ask for and receive
forgiveness and embrace Christ as our all in all. Those seeking to define love, mercy and grace
need look no further than Calvary’s cross. What does Christ’s death mean to you? Until next time, walk with the King and be a
blessing!
