Jesus Was Numbered With The Transgressors

-March 6, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: The King of the Jews. With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’”

(Mark 15:25-28).

Jesus was the holy, sinless, perfect Son of God. He took our place and died for our sins on the cross. John the Baptist said of Him in John 1:29, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He bore our transgressions and our iniquities. He took our punishment so that we can go free. He was numbered with the transgressors.

Our Savior fulfilled the Scriptures which said in Isaiah 53:4-5, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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.” He was innocent of all charges and sins, but He paid our sin debt in full.

The last part of Isaiah 53:12 says, “…He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Though it was the greatest injustice in the history of mankind, it was God’s sentence that should have meted out to us, and He brought it on His beloved Son instead in order to save us. Justice met mercy; Jesus bore God’s wrath and judgment, so that we may receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. Why would He love us so much? Jesus died for everyone, even His enemies, even the two robbers who were crucified on each side of Him.

The hymn writer Phillip Bliss wrote, “Guilty, vile, and helpless we, spotless Son of God was He; Full atonement! Can it be? Hallelujah, what a Savior.” He died the just or the unjust in order to bring us to God. Through His death, we are ransomed, redeemed, and reconciled; He has clothed us in His righteousness. Thank God that Jesus was numbered with the transgressors so that we may be numbered with all saints in glory.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day, remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross. Let us praise Him, worship Him, and thank Him for our salvation.

In His eternal love,

Dean