The Great Depth of His Sacrifice for Us

Isa 53:5 " But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed". This, of course, is talking prophetically about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In order to fully appreciate the contents of this verse it helps tremendously to break this verse down by including the definitions to key words here in order for us to appreciate the position our Savior is in:

"But he was wounded for our transgressions"

·         Wounded - "to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate". He allowed His holy position to be ripped from Him on our behalf. This was not just a physical wounding, He became profane for us (this is why His own Father at one point while He hung on the cross had to look away from Him; "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" Ps. 22:1). For our - "from, out of, on account of..."  Transgressions - "a revolt (national, moral or religious): - rebellion, sin, transgression, trespassive". Using these definitions we might just as well translate this verse this way: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor 5:21

"He was bruised for our iniquities"

·         Bruised here is defined as: "to crush, be crushed, be contrite, be broken” and it further speaks to the depth of the sufferings of Christ for our iniquities. The word. Iniquities – here is defined as: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity. In short He was crushed under the weight of our sin in order to take the depraved old nature to the cross. This work is so deep and magnificent that it puts a prayer in my heart; "Lord, if you bore the weight of my depraved nature on the cross then let me bare it no more but rather heap it upon your altar and thus be rid of it for why should we both carry such a load!"

"The chastisement of our peace was upon him”

·         Chastisement – is defined this way: "reproof, warning or instruction" The rebuke that was necessary before an angry God (whose holiness had been insulted) before any peace could be administered came upon Jesus; He took the rebuke. Peace – there are many words to describe this peace, here are just a few that help to define this state: "completeness, soundness, welfare, prosperity, tranquility, contentment, friendship"

"And with his stripes we are healed"

·         Stripes – this word actually means “raised welts and bruises”. Healed – this word healed means: "to mend, to cure, to thoroughly, make whole". In other words it goes far beyond the physical need for healing and reaches to the sin sick soul "To thoroughly make whole"; from the woman with the issue of blood to the demoniac cutting himself among the tombs to Saul kicking against the pricks of conscience Jesus healed them all and made them perfectly whole and He wants to do the same for us. What is your sickness, what is your vexation today? Do you know God bore welts and bruises upon His back that you might be made every wit whole? Reach out to Him right now and say "Lord, please touch me now; I want everything you purchased for me, every stripe you bore was to make me whole, now O' Lord let me enter in..."

And so we see the Savor was brutalized for our shameful sins in order to satisfy the wrath of holiness. But let us never forget John 3:16 that it was actually the love of the Father towards His fallen creation that caused Him to ask His Son to pay such a price. It was the holiness of God that made Him angry at sin but it was the love of God that found for us a way to escape the punishment worthy of our crimes.