Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Isaiah 53:5
Bore our Griefs
Jesus once said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28), meaning that we were not created to carry around our own burdens. We’re not built for that, but Jesus as God can handle any load. The thing is, we must come to Him and cast all our burdens on Him or be faced with the idea of carrying around our own burdens, when clearly these are far too heavy for us.
Carried our Sorrows
I remember hearing the phrase, “A Joy shared is doubled, but a sorrow shared is cut in half,” or something like that. The point of this is that Jesus Christ came to bear our griefs and to carry our sorrows for us. I don’t know how the world carries on in life without God. I wonder why they’re not more beaten down by the world than they are, but Jesus is ready and willing (and certainly able) to carry our sorrows when they become too heavy for us to carry.
Pierced for our Transgressions
The Bible says that Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5a), meaning our transgressing God’s law, however, we are without excuse, but if a person has come to repentance and trust in Christ, His being pierced removes the wrath of God from off of us because it was placed on Him.
Crushed for our Iniquities
Next, Isaiah the Prophet writes that Jesus “was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5b), and for the sins that we should have been crushed for, however, that’s why Isaiah wrote this chapter. He wanted us to know the supreme price that Christ paid for what we actually owed. We should have been crushed by the weight of our own sins, but Christ took them upon Himself so that we would be spared from the wrath of God.
Healed by His Wounds
How amazing that we are healed by someone being wounded, so regarding Jesus Christ, “upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5c). That’s wisdom that is contrary to the world. Where the world wants to avoid wounds, we are healed by His wounds.
Conclusion
What an amazing testimony about the work of Christ that “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). There was no way we could be crushed, pierced, bruised, battered, and chastised for our own sins or for the sins of another, but that was precisely why Jesus came into the world.
