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;”