He was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living

• He was Taken from Prison - When was Jesus “in prison”? It is true that He was in custody as He appeared before the high priest, and later before Pilate to be judged, and He was mocked and beaten by the Praetorian guard, but He was never in prison. So, to what is this referring? However, this not talking about Christ being in prison; rather, it is speaking of the believers, who prior to salvation are held captive by Satan, their spiritual father, in his prison and are enslaved to sin. Those who remain in Satan’s dominion are likened to prisoners, according to 2 Tim 2:26b, “… who are taken captive by him at his will”. Isa 14:16-17 gives further information regarding Satan: “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?”. Let’s consider Exo 13:14, which speaks historically of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt: “And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage”. Spiritually this “house of bondage” refers to unsaved man’s enslavement to sin, and subsequent punishment of eternal damnation. However, in order to save His people from eternal damnation the Lord Himself had to become sin; and, as such, He was liable for the penalty of sin, which is eternal Hell. Thus, He was spiritually in prison on behalf of each Christian, as He bore the infinite wrath of God in their place.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Isa 42:1-7 “Behold my servant [God the Son], whom I [God the Father] uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [Lord Jesus Christ]; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

Col 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

• Who Shall Declare His Generation? -  In Isa 53:8 the question is asked, “…who shall declare his generation?” What generation is in view here? His generation is “Righteous” as opposed to the evil generation mentioned in Luke 11:29.  Psa 95:10 refers to the Israelites in the wilderness: “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err [go astray] in their heart, and they have not known my ways”. Messianic Psalm 22, describes the agony that was inflicted upon the Lord, by which he was able to attain and impute Righteousness on His Elect. Although Christ was laden with and suffered for the sins of His people, God “defended” His cause “against an ungodly nation” (which refers to Satan’s ungodly kingdom) because He was absolutely righteous in Himself; and that is why He was not consumed by God’s wrath. We see the battle between Christ and Satan for the souls of the elect depicted in Isa 49:25: “But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives [the elect] of the mighty [Satan] shall be taken away, and the prey [the elect] of the terrible [Satan] shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth [Satan] with thee [Jesus Christ], and I will save thy children [the elect]”. The Lord Jesus Christ was victorious in the Atonement – the proof of which was His physical resurrection from the dead. It indicated that God’s righteous judgment was satisfied, or propitiated, by Christ’s sacrifice, as we read in Rom 3:23-25. Notice that one of the purposes of the “propitiation” was to declare – that is, to “demonstrate” or to “prove” – the righteousness of Christ for His glory and honor. In the New Testament the believer, who is covered with Christ's Robe of Righteousness, is called to be an “ambassador for Christ” to “declare his righteousness”.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Luke 11:29-32 “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”

Psa 22:30-31 “A seed [God the Son] shall serve him [God the Father]; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.”

Rom 3:23-25 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

2 Cor 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

• He was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living - Num 15:31 warns, “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him”. All who have broken even one of God’s commandments, or laws, are guilty of breaking them all, as Jam 2:10 warns: “For whosoever
  shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”. Furthermore, since this is the lot of all mankind, who are conceived in sin and born in iniquity according to Psa 51:5 – they will be cut off. To be “cut off” is language that speaks of being cast into Hell – the penalty you and I deserve for the transgressions we commit. Psa 52:1-7 paints a similar picture of human depravity. That is also why Christ, Who was laden with the iniquity of His people, had to be “cut off”, or separated from God,  out of the “land of the living” (referring to heaven). Dan 9:26, speaking of the Messiah – the Lord Jesus proclaims: “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: ...” . In other words, He had to endure the eternal wrath of God for those He came to save. Circumcision, or the cutting away of the flesh, was a sign that could never save anyone, but it served to point to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus who was spiritually “cut off” by having to endure Hell for His people. Messianic Psalm Psa 88:1-8 paints the picture of Christ being cut off on behalf of his children. For whom Jesus was “cut off” will be preserved and the other unsaved will be “cut off” as Psa 37:28 teaches, “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off”. Psa 116:9 speaks of those who have been granted entrance into the “land of the living” - kingdom of God, by the sacrifice of Christ: “I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living”.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Psa 52:1-7 “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. 6The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

Psa 88:1-8 [Messianic] “O LORD God of my salvation, I [Lord Jesus Christ] have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.”

Lam 3:1, 5, 15, 19, 53, 55 “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath… 5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail ... 15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood… 19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall … 53They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. 55I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.”

• For the Transgression of My People was He Stricken - Isa 1:3-6 paints a despicable, but very accurate, portrayal of those who were identified as the people of God. But, lest we despair, it is also a stupendous illustration of God’s magnificent salvation by grace alone that he laid these transgressions on His Son to grant us entrance into the “land of the living”. God alone has provided the only escape from the damnation of Hell. The reality is that only God could provide such an escape. Man is incapable of providing a solution for his sin problem because he is spiritually dead. When the disciples asked the Lord Jesus Christ, “Who then can be saved?”, the Lord declared in Mark 10:26-27, “… With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible”. But what does that actually signify? It means that God had to become a man, had to become sin, and had to suffer the equivalent of eternity in Hell for the sins of all His people. Which is why Acts 4:12 declares, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. Wonderfully, the Bible declares in Jon 2:9, “Salvation is of the Lord”. We cannot understand or imagine that a Holy, Righteous God would show such love, such compassion, and such mercy to fallen human beings who hated God and were in rebellion against Him, that He would suffer the wrath of God on their behalf in order to declare them righteous, or holy, like God Himself. These people are God’s elect – His sheep, the true Christians, the spiritual Jews – that the Bible talks about. And do they deserve such salvation? Absolutely not. It is all of grace – it is all of mercy – in order that God may alone receive all glory, honor, and praise for His gift of salvation (Tit 3:5-7, Eph 2:8-9, 1 Cor1:26-31). We see this truth dramatically illustrated in Eze 37:1-4 and 12-14, where God speaks of His elect, the Israel of God, whom He saves.  Mat 1:21 explains this very mission of the Lord Jesus in coming to earth: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people [His Elect] from their sins”.

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Isa 1:3-6 “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel [typifying His Elect] doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”

Eze 37:12-14 “Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel [typifying the land of the living]. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live…”

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [Lord Jesus Christ atoning work] shall be peace [peace between God and man]; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places [land of the living].”

Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

The LORD hath Laid on Him the Iniquity of US all. Read more...

• All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray - Isa 53:6 declares, “All we like sheep have gone astray ... ”. Eze 34:31 explains that “sheep” represent true believers: “And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD”. Psa 79:13 affirms, “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations”. All through the Bible we frequently find references to God’s redeemed people as “sheep”; even the elect prior to their salvation are thus typified, according to Isa 53:6. What does it mean to go “astray”? A similar passage is found in Psa 119:176: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments”. In this verse God adds the very important adjective “lost”; furthermore, the next phrase, “seek thy servant”, emphasizes the fact that God does all the work of salvation, including drawing His Elect. Before God saves someone, he is a “lost sheep” who has gone astray. He is spiritually dead and is absolutely helpless to contribute anything towards his salvation. By nature, all men prior to salvation are born spiritually dead and spiritually blind and under Satan’s authority, as 2 Cor 4:4 indicates. The phrase “gone astray” (taah 8582) in Isa 53:6 is also translated as “err” in Psa 95:10 that refers to the Israelites in the wilderness. Mark 12:24 reveals why we “err” or “go astray”: “And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?”. Mat 18:11 pinpoints the reason the Savior came to this sin-cursed earth: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost”. John 10:26-30 attests to God’s infinite love, mercy, and grace to save His lost sheep from perishing in Hell: “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”.

Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Psa 58:3 “The wicked [unsaved] are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

Psa 95:10 “Forty years long was I grieved with this generation [Israelites], and said, It is a people that do err (taah 8582) in their heart, and they have not known my ways.”

2 Cor 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

• Every One to His Own Way - Isa 53:6 declares, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way ...”. In reality, there is only one way to God – God’s Way – as outlined in the Bible. The problem lies within man, who has “corrupted”, or as it is more commonly translated, “destroyed” God’s Way, as Gen 6:12 asserts: “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth”. Concerning the nation of Israel – and, by extension, the institutional churches and denominations of our day – Hos 10:13 (A parallel citation is in Zec 1:4) declares, that they have left the God’s way: “... ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way ...”. To not “hear” spiritually in this verse, of course, is a dreadful situation, since the Bible underscores that “… faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. And without “faith” (salvation) man cannot “hearken” (obey) God’s Word (Rom 8:6-9). In Mark 7:6-9, it is clear that the Lord Jesus Christ rebuked the religious leaders of God’s Old Testament church (national Israel) as well as today’s New Testament Church leaders for their unfaithfulness to the Word of God and their man-made religious laws and traditions. To emphasize His condemnation of their attitudes and actions, He called them “hypocrites”, “blind guides”, and “fools”. God used the Scribes and Pharisees – the religious leaders of Jesus’ day – to depict the nature of all false brethren who have fallen prey to Satan’s deceptive doctrines and who attempt to teach error - unbiblical ideas about spiritual matters, to others. Sadly, there have always been those who masquerade as God’s servants, who are still in Satan’s kingdom (unsaved) and are his unwitting ambassadors (2 Cor 11:14). This phenomenon is even more pernicious in our day. Mat 24:21-24 warns of this “Great Tribulation”: “... For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect...”. The popularity of most false gospels can generally be attributed to their appeals to man’s pride and basic sensual desires for political freedom, economic security and good health. It is a very dangerous thing to be an unsaved, self-proclaimed “teacher” of the Scriptures. In Jam 3:1 God indicates there will be a “greater condemnation” in Hell for those hypocrites who handle His Word carelessly. Eze 34:10-11 attests to God’s infinite love, mercy, and grace to save His lost sheep from perishing in Hell: “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.”

Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Hos 10:13 “Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.”

Zec 1:4 “Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.”

Isa 9:13-16 “For the people turneth not unto… the LORD of hosts. Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.”

Jer 23:32 “Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err [go astray] by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.”

Isa 28:7 “But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink [false doctrines] are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up [err’d] of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.”

• The Lord Hath Laid on Him the Iniquity of Us All - In John 18:37-38, Pontius Pilate reflected man’s confusion about it when he said, “What is truth?”. In John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. As we have seen above, without “faith” (salvation) man cannot “hearken” (obey) the truth - God’s Word (Rom 8:6-9). John 10:27 underscores “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me ...”. But how does one made the sheep of God? and how does one hear His voice? If we try to go beyond God’s revelations about “God’s salvation program” – no matter how “logical” we try to be – we quickly get into “error” (or “falsehood”), which is the opposite of Truth. The only way one can come to Truth about any Biblical subject is by carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture, as the Holy Spirit guides. Let’s look at John 6:44-45: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me”. The Lord Jesus frequently used the expression, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” as Mat 11:15 indicates. John 8:47 helps to clarify this: “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God”. Jesus also stated in John 8:43: “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word”. In Deu 29:4 we read, “Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day”. Here we see that spiritual ears (as well as a heart and eyes) must be given to us as a gift from God. “Faith” (salvation), “cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” and is indeed a gift that God bestows on all of His children in mercy, since the recipients of this wonderful gift are totally undeserving of it. We learn from Heb 12:14 which says “... holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”, that in order to enter Heaven one must be “holy” or “sanctified”; and the only way one can become holy is by being clothed with the holiness, or righteousness, of God Himself. To accomplish holiness for “His sheep”, Christ “washed them from their sins in his own blood” (Rev 1:5). Isa 53:6 conveys the astounding truth that Christ was laden with the sins of all the elect by the Father. The word “laid” (paga 6293) is rendered as “fall” – has to do with the “falling of judgment” and thus had to shoulder the unspeakable agony of eternal damnation on their behalf. 2 Cor 5:21 proclaims, “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. This is why Jesus’ mission to earth is described in Mat 1:21: “... he shall save his people from their sins”. He was not only the Savior, He was also the Sacrifice, or “scapegoat” symbolized in Lev 16:21-22. Psa 130:3 poses the very relevant question, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?”. Indeed, the Lord Jesus was able to successfully atone for the sins of His people as Isa 53:11 so triumphantly announces: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities”. The words “us” and “all” in these verses refer only to those “sheep” whom God saves – that is, the elect. 1 Pet 3:18 reveals: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit …”. 2 The 2:13 declares, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord [the sheep], because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”.

Lev 16:21-22 “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel [Israel of God symbolizing the Elect], and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat [Lamb of God symbolizing Christ] shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness [outer darkness symbolizing hell].”

Isa 53:5-6, 8, 11-12 “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. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Heb 7:24-27 “But this man [Jesus], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

He was Wounded for OUR Transgressions.

• He was Wounded for OUR Transgressions - The Hebrew word in Isa 53:5 for “wounded” (chalal 2490) is also translated as “polluted” or “defiled”: “But he was wounded [defiled or polluted] for our transgressions ...”. While Christ is certainly wounded on the physical level, if we keep in mind that the verse says, “he was wounded for our transgressions”, it will prove helpful in understanding the devastating spiritual ramifications. This is because our sins, or transgressions, are the cause of all spiritual pollution of Jesus Christ. We ourselves cannot truly comprehend the depths of our own depravity, as we are part of the problem. Jesus elaborates what defiles a man in Mat 15:18-20, which has to do with the state of our soul (or figuratively, our heart): “ ... out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man…”. God employs the metaphor of a “stony heart” to further emphasize unsaved man’s spiritual deadness (Eze 36:26). In Messianic Psalm 109 we also find the word “wounded” and helps us to see the agony of Christ, who is absolutely Holy and sinless in bearing our sins. He was laden with our sins. He was made sin for us that we might be made Righteous.

Mat 15:18-20 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man…”

Psa 109:21-27 “But do thou for me [speaking of Jesus Christ], O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded [defiled or polluted] within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.”

• He was Bruised for OUR Iniquities - The Hebrew word “bruised” (daka 1792) in Isa 53:5 is translated as “break in pieces”, “crush”, “destroy”, “humbled” and “contrite”: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities”. This shows us how packed with meaning this word is, as are all of God’s holy and inspired words. In this citation God emphasizes the great humility that the Lord Jesus exhibited. The word “contrite” is employed in Isa 57:15: “... the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity... with him also that is of a contrite [daka bruised] and humble spirit”. Though Lord Jesus inhabited eternity, yet He indeed manifested a “... contrite and humble spirit ...”. It is utterly impossible for us – even if we are saved – to grasp the awesome reality of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible outlines for us the profound truths that Christ, Who is Eternal God, had to empty Himself of His glory to take on human flesh. He had to become sin and then – the greatest mystery of all – He had to suffer the unimaginable agony of everlasting Hell for His people to procure their eternal salvation. These passages substantiate the infinite degradation that the Lord Jesus subjected Himself to in experiencing the “lowest Hell”. With these verses in mind, may God give us an even greater appreciation for the thrust of Php 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite [daka bruised] and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite [daka bruised] ones.”

Isa 53:10 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him [Lord Jesus]; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Php 2:6-11 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

• The Chastisement of OUR Peace was Upon Him - As “the Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6), Christ came to bring “peace”, it is a spiritual peace that ends the warfare between mankind and his Creator, God Almighty. Why does such “enmity”, or hatred, exist between man and God? It is because of our sin, which is sending us to Hell: “Because the carnal [unsaved] mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom 8:7). In spite of man’s sin and the resulting curse upon all mankind (Rom 5:12) and the universe that He brought into existence by His Word, God had conceived and executed an incredible plan to redeem, or reconcile, man to Himself through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ: “For as by one man’s [Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Christ] shall many be made righteous” (Rom 5:19). Christ’s death was the sole means that God decreed to reconcile every Christian to the Father, as Isa 53:5 dramatically points out: “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”. Isaiah 53 reveals the great sufferings of Hell which Christ endured, the atoning work of the Lord for each of His elect, that has “reconciled” them to God giving “peace with God”. Christ’s sacrificial death provides the sole basis for salvation. Col 1:21-22 also affirms, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight...”

Psa 38:3 “There is no soundness in my [speaking of Lord Jesus Christ] flesh because of thine [God’s] anger; neither is there any rest [peace] in my bones because of my [laden with our sins] sin.”

Eph 2:13-17 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Rom 5:8-10 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

2 Cor 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

• With His Stripes We are Healed - In Isa 53:5, “... with his stripes we are healed”, the healing that God has in view is altogether spiritual in nature. This is because man’s most fundamental problem is the sickness of his heart and penalty for his sin, which is Hell: “... They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). John 12:37-40 highlights unsaved man’s spiritual heart disease. Jer 17:14 beautifully proclaims , “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise”. Isa 57:19 brings out this same truth, but in the context of the Great Commission: “I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him”. Deu 32:39 also adds, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand”. Isa 1:5-6 is a very penetrating passage in the Bible which portrays our sin as the disease of leprosy: “Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises [or stripes], and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment”. Lord Jesus had to become a spiritual leper for His people. The expression “with his stripes” helps to further our understanding that the Messiah had become sin on behalf of each person for whom He became a ransom payment. As their sin bearer, He had to pay the just punishment of Hell. The Gospel brings spiritual healing to God’s unsaved elect when it is proclaimed by believers and applied by the Holy Spirit, as was typified by the “sign” of physical healing performed by Jesus and His disciples. Lord Jesus Christ mission is highlighted in Luke 4:18 (quoted from Isa 61:1), where God spoke of Christ’s atoning work for the salvation of His people as spiritual healing: “... he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, ... to set at liberty them that are bruised”. Mal 4:2 beautifully portrays the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings ...”. God used Peter and John to give the gift of physical healing to the lame man in Acts 3:2 as a picture of how He uses His witnesses to bring the Gospel, which provides the gift of spiritual healing – salvation – to those whom God plans to save.

Isa 53:3-5 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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.”

1 Pet 2:22-25 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him [God] that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Lord Jesus], because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

John 12:37-40 “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He [God] hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

Rom 10:15-17, 20 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God ... But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.”

Psa 103:1-4 “(A Psalm of David.) Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”

Stricken and Smitten of God, Despised and Rejected of Men. Read more...

• He Hath No Form, Nor Comelines, Nor Beauty – Psa 8:5 speaks of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus who is crowned with Glory and Honor. The Lord Jesus Christ is also described as, the “Lily of the Valleys”, the “Rose of Sharon” (Song of Solomon 2:1), and the “Bright and Morning Star” (Rev 22:16). We thrill to hear of these magnificent descriptions of the Lord Jesus, yet Isa 53:2 and Isa 52:14 speaks of the promised Messiah as having “no form”, “no comeliness” and “no beauty”. The Hebrew word for “form” (toar 8389) is translated a number of different ways in English and conveys the idea of beautiful, goodly, comely and countenance. And the Hebrew word for “comeliness” (hadar), is pregnant with meanings that are expressed by a number of English words, such as beauty, honor, and majesty, among others. Thus, the statement “he hath no form” emphasizes the opposite of “beauty”, the fact of His having become sin for His people. The chief characteristic of the offerings that God had prescribed in the Old Testament is perfection: “Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut” (Lev 22:24). Of course, all of those Old Testament sacrifice offerings pointed to the Messiah Who embodied perfection – signifying His absolute sinlessness – yet He had to become sin, or spiritually corrupted, for all whom He came to save. Though He was crowned with Glory and Majesty, we must never lose sight of the astounding fact that the Messiah had to become their very opposite – repulsive, shameful, and degraded – in order to redeem each believer from sin and its punishment of everlasting Hell and make His bride glorious. Being “Lily of the Valleys”, the “Rose of Sharon”, and the “Bright and Morning Star”, had to become what you and I are by nature – vile, loathsome and abominable.

Isa 53:2 “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he [speaking of Lord Jesus] hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”

Isa 52:14 “As many were astonied at thee; his [speaking of Lord Jesus] visage was so marred more than any man, and his form, more than the sons of men.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Heb 2:9 (quoting Psa 8:5) “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

1 Pet 1:19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

• Despised and Rejected of Men – Psa 22:6 says, “But I [Speaking of Lord Jesus] am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people”. Man despises God and John 3:19 explains why this is so: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”. Just as man rejects God’s Written Word, the Bible, so man rejected the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, when He walked upon this earth. Luke 10:16 also illustrates this sad reality that man’s hatred for his fellowman is indicative of how much he actually despises God: “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me”. Also, the idea of “hiding from God”: “We hid as it were our faces from him”, stems from our sinfulness - love for darkness, as Gen 3:8 indicates, “... Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden”. And Num 15:31 declares the punishment for despising the Word of God: “Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him”. Furthermore, since this is the lot of all mankind, who are conceived in sin and born in iniquity according to Psa 51:5 – they will be cut off. To be “cut off” is language that speaks of being cast into Hell – the penalty we all deserve. That is also why Christ, Who was laden with the iniquity of His people, had to be cut off. In other words, He had to endure the eternal wrath of God for those He came to save. Messiah took upon Himself as He became sin and fulfilled God’s Law – eternal damnation in Hell.

Isa 29:15 “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”

Isa 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Psa 88:4 “I [speaking of Lord Jesus] am counted [esteemed] with them that go down into the pit [hell]: I am as a man that hath no strength:”

John 19:15 “But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.”

Luke 20:17 “And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?”

Psa 118:22-23 “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 23This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”

• Stricken, Smitten of God, Afflicted – Isa 53:3-4 depicts both the rejection of Christ by man and ultimately the eternal abandonment by God His Father. The pain and sorrow that the Lord Jesus had to overcome is staggering, and beyond our finite understanding. The word “sorrow” (makob 4341) appears in Messianic Psalm 38, pictures the rigors of Hell that Christ had to endure, bearing the sins of his elect, as verses 3 through 7 set forth. Psalm 22, which is also a Messianic Psalm gives many details of the unimaginable spiritual agony that the Lord Jesus had to endure as He became sin for His bride, the eternal Church. The Hebrew word used for “stricken” (naga 5060) and is rendered as – “touch”, “plagued”, and “draweth nigh”: “For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh [stricken] unto the grave” (Psa 88:7). Time after time in these verses, and throughout Isaiah 53 and the Bible, God goes into great detail so that we will not miss the tremendous truth that His Son became sin nor forget the terrible price that His Son had to pay – to suffer the equivalent of eternity in Hell, in order to “save His people from their sins”, as 2 Cor 5:21, emphasizes: “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. The Hebrew word for “smitten” (nakah 5221) is translated as various forms of “smite”, “slay”, and “kill”. Notice how the phrase says, “smitten of God”. Who can begin to comprehend this amazing declaration that God the Father would “kill” God the Son with the spiritual “second death” – eternal damnation of both body and soul in Hell – in accordance with the Law of God, the Bible? That is the identical punishment that you and I deserve for our sins. A very significant passage is Zec 13:7, which foretells the account of all the Disciples who forsook the Lord when He allowed Himself to be voluntarily captured in the Garden of Gethsemane (wine press): “I [God] will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad”. The Lord Jesus, who had became sin, was crushed in the winepress of God to shed His blood (or life) in order to make atonement, or payment, for the sins of His children as we read in Isa 63:3, “I [Jesus] have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me”.  Psa 22:1 illustrates the unspeakable agony of the Only One (so far) Who has experienced the very essence of Hell: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”. Psa 88:7 continues to pinpoint the very essence of Hell: “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah”. Jonah 2:2-6 gives us another picture of Christ in Hell. Keep in mind that Jonah in whale’s belly is a type, or figure, of the Lord Jesus Christ in that Christ was in the heart of earth when He suffered the wrath of God: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [under the wrath of God]” (Matt 12:40). The anguish that epitomizes the essence of Hell is expressed in the Savior’s cry from the Cross in Mark 15:34: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”. Christ was able to endure Hell knowing that His body would not be subject to “corruption” (Acts 13:33-37), or decay as we read in Jonah 2:6, “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God”.

Isa 53:3-4, 7 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Psa 38:3-7 “There is no soundness in my [speaking of Lord Jesus] flesh because of thine [God’s] anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin [laden with our sin]. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.”

Zec 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”

Matt 26:31 “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written [in Zec 13:7], I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

Isa 63:1-3 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.”

Jon 2:2-6 “And said, I [Jonah typifying Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.”

The Curse of the Cross, The Shame of the Cross, The Glory of the Cross. Read more...

• Cursed is Every One – Deu 27:26 declares that the whole mankind is cursed: “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them …” and also reiterated in Jer 11:3 and Gal 3:10. To be “under the curse” is to be under the Law of God; and the Law of God can only bring judgment, as Rom 4:15 instructs: “Because the law worketh wrath …” . What this means in simple terms is that man is under obligation to obey everything in the Bible perfectly or suffer the consequences, which is to be cast into Hell forever. That is what is in view in the phrase, “… cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal 3:10). Since “... whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”, it should be abundantly obvious that nobody can do this because it would require perfection on our part. Since God originally created mankind in His image, God cannot accept anything less than perfection given His perfect, holy, and righteous character. Hence we all stand guilty and condemned before the Judge of the whole earth, as we are so painfully reminded of in Rom 3:19. However, because mankind in general cannot possibly carry out God’s commands, neither can man keep God’s Law, so, the next logical question is, “Why then the Law?”. The Law is a representation of God’s righteousness and an indication of His very nature. We see from Gal 3:29, that God’s Law is intended to be a “schoolmaster” to expose and teach us about our sin and our desperate need for a Savior – the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Jehovah-Jireh has graciously provided as “the lamb of God”.

Gal 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.”

1 John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”

Rom 3:19 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Gal 3:19-24 “Wherefore [Why] then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore [Therefore] the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

• Christ hath Redeemed Us from the Curse, being Made a Curse for Us – I would like us to now look at this phrase found in Gal 3:13, “… Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree…”. In Deu 21, notice verse 22 says, “... if a man have committed a sin worthy of death…” have to be “put to death”. In the eyes of God, every sin is “worthy of death” – eternal death – and is sufficient to send anyone to Hell forever (as we have just learned from Jam 2:10). So, we can begin to understand that the Lord Jesus – Who was absolutely sinless – became sin and cursed – was put to eternal death, for those He came to redeem: “Who his own self bare our sins in his [Lord Jesus Christ] own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Pet 2:24). The “healing” that the Bible is concerned with is the spiritual healing of our sin-sick souls (graphically portrayed in Isa 1:5-6), which only the Great Physician can cure. I cannot emphasize enough that the Lord Jesus Christ had to become sin – He had to become cursed – in order to pay the punishment that the Law of God, the Bible, demands – eternal damnation in Hell. Think about this: God the Son, Who is perfectly holy, harmless [innocent], and undefiled, became unholy, guilty, and defiled in paying for the sins of each born-again Christian. Thus, God was forsaking God at the Cross! God was cursing God! God was punishing God in Hell!

Deu 21:22-23 “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Gal 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Gal 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Rev 22:3 “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it [Kingdom of Christ]; and his servants shall serve him.”

• Despising the Shame of the Cross – Christ’s death was foretold in Scripture hundreds and even thousands of years before it took place. In order to accomplish His divine mission, the Lamb “slain from [before] the foundation of the world” (as we read in Rev 13:8) had one day to become a man, this in itself is humbling for eternal, infinite God, and then to allow Himself to be betrayed by one of his disciples, captured, humiliated, beaten, and crucified. Part of the shame that Christ had to endure was physical in nature, yet this could not compare with the spiritual agony He had to undergo. A number of Messianic Psalms as well as other passages find their fulfillment in the various gospel accounts of the Crucifixion. One of these is Psalm 69 in its entirety. Let’s look at just verse 19 for now: “Thou hast known my [Lord Jesus Christ] reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee”. In addition to the mental and emotional abuses of ridicule, scorn, and hatred to which the Lord Jesus was subjected, there were the physical abuses of spitting, flogging, slapping, and then the unbearable rigors of the actual crucifixion, which was one of the most torturous methods of execution to be imposed on a human being. However, there is yet another degradation that the Lord Jesus had to face. He hung naked on the cross as a shameful spectacle for all to see. In the beginning both Adam and Eve were physically naked; and, just like all things that God had created, it was “very good”. It was only after they sinned, that this became a problem, since it revealed the shameful spiritual condition they had foolishly brought upon themselves by disobeying God. This sad account is found in Gen 3. The physical nakedness of Adam and Eve served to expose their spiritual nakedness – a frightful analogy to being under the judgment of God and eternal damnation in Hell. The anguish that epitomizes the essence of Hell is expressed in the Savior’s cry from the Cross in Mark 15:34: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”. Secondly, Christ also had to become something that is absolutely contrary to His perfect, holy, sinless, nature – He had to become sin and curse, as we read in 2 Cor 5:21: “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. Isa 53:3-5 depicts the greatest spiritual shame that only God the Son could possibly endure. Christ sacrificed Himself upon the “altar of God” with exceeding joy. Php 2:8 helps us to understand and remember the purpose of the Cross: “… for the joy that was set before him …” that the Lord Jesus by both “enduring the cross” and “despising the shame” have conquered sin, Hell, and Satan. Thus Jesus Christ has become “the author and finisher of our faith” and then took His rightful seat in Heaven as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”.

Psa 109:25 [Messianic] “I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.”

Job 16:10 [Messianic] “They have gaped upon me [Job as picture of Christ] with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.”

Mat 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Jon 2:2 “And said, I [Jonah as picture of Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”

Isa 53:3-5 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Php 2:8 “And being found in fashion as a man, he [Lord Jesus Christ] humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

• The Glory of the Cross – Why did Paul, under divine inspiration, say that the only thing he could boast about, or “glory in”, is the Cross of Christ in Gal 6:14? And what does the Cross of Christ represent? Without question it is an instrument of death – but the death in view is eternal death – the death of soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28). In another words, what is supremely important about the Cross of Christ is that He suffered the spiritual equivalent of eternal death in Hell for those He came to save. His death was the means that God decreed to reconcile every Christian to the Father. The Cross strips away the unbiblical notion that man plays any part in God’s salvation plan because man is spiritually dead, as we learn from Eph 2:1-10, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”. Heb 2:14 declares, “… that through death he [Christ] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”. What is the meaning of “… the world is crucified unto me…” found in Gal 6:14? We know that to be crucified is to be put to death. But how is the “world crucified” to Paul – or any other believer for that matter? Gal 2:20 speaks about this very issue. Prior to salvation, God’s elect are “wicked” with worldly lusts, just like the rest of the world that is under the spiritual dominion of Satan. Christ’s death on the cross served to free the true believers from their bondage to sin, the world, and Satan and 2 Pet 1:4 also highlights God’s grace in saving His people: “ ... ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. Not only setting us free from “second death” but “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. When God delivers them from the power of darkness, and translates them into the kingdom of his dear Son, the new believer goes from being a slave of sin to being a slave of righteousness, or a slave (servant) of Jesus Christ (Rom 6:18). We will now consider next the phrase, “… and I unto the world …” found in Gal 6:14. How is the true child of God crucified to the world? After God takes His people out of Satan’s kingdom through salvation, the world hates them, as stated in John 15:19: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”. As we have just noted, the world is characterized by slavery to sin and to Satan – the spiritual father of all who are unsaved. The Christian, by God’s grace, has been set free from that bondage as we learn from Isa 61:1. The phrase “… and I unto the world …” can also be understood in the light of the Great Commission. The believer recognizes that God has saved him from slavery to sin and to Satan to serve Christ – that is, to be a witness to those around him who remain prisoners in Satan’s kingdom. They are to be Ambassadors for Christ in the world to fulfill the words of 2 Cor 5:19-20.

Eph 2:1-10 “And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation [or lifestyle] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Gal 6:14 “But God forbid that I should glory [boast], save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me [Jesus Christ] to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

John 17:18 “As thou hast sent me [Jesus Christ] into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”

2 Cor 5:19-20 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Gal 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”