HIS BODY.
As those of us who have seen the movie, “The passion of The Christ” remember how vivid, how torturous, how cruel He was beaten. It seemed endless in the movie, what He went through for us. Most would say that the movie went on too long in showing all the gore. I say that the movie was just a very small picture of all the suffering that our Saviour went through.
The Prophet Isaiah prophesied some 700 years before Christ. “But he was wounded for our transgressions,”. The word “transgressions” here means, “a revolt” (when we revolted against God), “rebellion”, “sins”, “trespasses”. Do we remember rebelling against God?
“he was bruised for our iniquities:” The word “iniquities” here means, “perversity”, “evil”, “faults”, “mischiefs”.
“the chastisement of our peace was upon him;” (another version says, “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him”).
His body was severally chastised for us, all our sins, all our transgressions, all our iniquities.
The Good News is, “and with his stripes(his beatings, his sufferings, his whippings) we are healed. The word “healed” here means, “to mend by stitching, to cure, to heal, physician(The Great Physician), repair thoroughly, make whole”.
This verse is most always used for physical healing, and rightfully so, but I would like for us to focus on the meaning of “make whole”.
All Christ’s grueling sufferings, his beatings, all he went through was to make us whole again. To restore us back to The Father of life. No longer dead in trespasses, sins, transgressions, iniquities. HE BORE IT ALL UPON HIS BODY FOR US.
He suffered “the wrath of God” upon himself, for us.
“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”.
It was all laid upon Jesus,”The Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world”.
“he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter,”
“for the transgressions of my people was he stricken”(beaten).
Yet in all this, “it pleased the Lord to bruise him” ( to beat him, to wound him, to crush him). Why? Because sin was finally being destroyed, being atoned for. The word, “bruise” here means, “to crumble, beat to pieces, break in pieces, crush”.
And yes, it pleased God that His Son was The Sin Offering for the whole world. And God did “see the travail of Jesus’ soul, and He was satisfied”. By all this suffering, torching, scourging, Jesus God’s “righteous servant justified many;” for he (Jesus) shall bear their iniquities”.
“he did pour out his soul unto death:”
“and he was numbered with the transgressors:”
“and he bore the sin of many,(for all of us He died) and made intercession for the transgressions”.
God did destroy sin, all our sins were laid upon Jesus’ body. He literally beat, broke, crushed, Jesus’ body (yes, we know that his bones were not broken, but his body was crushed, beaten to a pulp) For what?
The sins of all mankind, from the beginning to the end.
Christ is the sin barrier. All must come to Him alone, for the forgiveness of sins. And you must have forgiveness of sins to escape the wrath of God that will come upon all those who have rejected the Saviour.
I often say out on the streets, ” Where in all of history, has there been a man that has died for the sins of all mankind? Did Buddha die for your sins? Did Mohammad die for you sins? Joesph Smith? etc. etc.
The next time you take communion, and take the bread which symbolizes His body, remember what Christ went through for you. Not only to the cross, but what He went through leading up to the cross. Let us not forget!
Picture in your mind if need be, the suffering, the whipping, the spear jabbed into his side, all of this for us! Why? Because, “For God so loved the world” (that’s you and I and them out there).
His body should mean everything to us. Oh yes, lest we forget, His body contained His blood.
Amen
