Daily Devotional

-March 31, 2021-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-Jesus Was Wounded and Bruised For Us-

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

(Isaiah 53:5-6).

It is amazing the detail of the sufferings of Christ that the Holy Spirit employs through the prophet Isaiah here in Isaiah chapter 53. There are many OT Scriptures that prophesy of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection, but the one before us today is by far the most powerful and detailed. It is best to begin reading Isaiah 52:13 through all Isaiah 53.

Jesus fulfilled every Scripture completely. Today’s text strikes me that He suffered in our place to save us from our sins. In verse five, we notice the word “our” used three times. We were sinners, helpless, going our own way, and doing our own will. God laid our iniquities on His Son, our Substitute on the cross.

• He was wounded for our transgressions – The word transgressions indicates that we disobeyed God by violating His holy Word. Jesus was wounded for us on the cross. The hymn writers W. G. Ovens and Gladys Westcott Roberts wrote the beautiful hymn entitled, “Wounded for Me.” Verse one says, “Wounded for me, wounded for me, there on the cross He was wounded for me; Gone my transgressions, and now I am free, all because Jesus was wounded for me.” The hymn writer Mr. Ovens had to have had Isaiah 53:5 in mind when he wrote it. Ms. Roberts added the other verses to it making if full and complete: dying for me, risen for me, living for me, and coming for me.

• He was bruised for our iniquities – We often do not think of bruises as being very serious. We may hurt ourselves and say, “It’s only a bruise.” But bruises are painful and take time to heal. In Jesus’ case, He was scourged unmercifully, beaten so cruelly, and nailed to the cross. Jesus suffered all this for us. Verse 10 of our chapter shows the spiritual bruises Jesus went through for us, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him…” Spiritual bruises are more painful than physical ones. God turned His back on our Savior as He bore our sins. He endured the wrath of God on our behalf.

• The chastisement for our peace was upon Him – Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He became our peace by bearing our sins. Jesus cried from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” (Matthew 27:45)? Jesus fought the fight against the devil and won peace for us. Paul wrote in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

• By His stripes we are healed – Jesus healed many people in His three years of ministry while on earth, but the greatest healing of all was at the cross when He healed us of our sins. Psalm 129:3 pointing to the terrible scourging of our Lord says, “The plowers plowed on my back; They made their furrows long.” Jesus’ back was beaten raw by the Roman soldiers with their whips containing pieces of bone and glass.

As we celebrate this Easter week, especially Good Friday in two days, let us never forget what Jesus suffered for us on the cross. It was for you and for me. The song writer wrote, Oh how He loves you and me, Oh how He loves you and me. He gave Himself, what more could He give, Oh how He loves you, Oh how He loves me, Oh how He loves you and me. Jesus to Calvary did go, His love for sinners to show. What He did there brought hope from despair. Oh, how He loves you; Oh how He loves me; Oh how He loves you and me.”

Have a blessed day contemplating our Savior’s love and His sacrificial death for us on the cross. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean