He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 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.
Today is Good Friday and its the day we celebrate and remember the self sacrifice of love that our king performed so that we may live. But in today's mind its hard to understand some of the subtle nuances to the prophesy of Isaiah stated above as not all sin is the same.
"wounded for our transgressions": here "transgression" is the Hebrew word for a purposely defiant act towards God. It's not just that you were weak or overcome by something, or even that you didn't know. This is really talking about an arrogant act to confront God. Of course, it includes all sin by its extremism, but this is really the worst kind. Its an act of sin in order to separate, like when you know someone who wants to break things off with you and then purposely does something so extreme that it forces you to end it with them.
It's important to note that in order for someone to do this they have to know God and the ways of God in order to even be able to betray it. This could never be done by accident or even in a fit of rage or lust. It isn't momentary, it is a changing of direction and a hardening of the heart. By it's nature it is intentional since it is the intent that is the real sin. The action was merely the trigger.
"Bruised for our iniquities": here "Iniquity" has to do with a sin committed out of a moral failing or a weakness of character. It can be from uncontrollable emotion, but its purpose is not to defy God. Yet is translated as perversity and evil. It's the word most usually translated as "sin". But today sin is treated as a catch all phrase even though God carefully separated the states in his revelation to his prophets.
The suffering servant is "Bruised" or crushed and made low. He has been humbled. Not from any wrong doing on his own part, but in exchange for the grip of arrogance and slavery to iniquity and the Devil. The suffering servant is enacting the remedy for damnation to people who don't even know they need it.
"By His stripes we are healed": Peter in his epistle quotes this and says "By the Striped of Christ we are healed". In fact, most of 1 Peter is a commentary on this passage.
The "healing" of the healed is not only ephemeral, it is a real genuine restoration of the whole person. Both the flesh and the soul of the man. Since Adam was made as a whole man of both matter and spirit, here the Suffering Messiah, who came not only for the souls of men, but "So loved the world (Cosmos or all of creation)" that he is suffering to save it from itself and to reunite it to life from God.
When God made Adam he was at once made with a body and a soul. Since both were damaged with Adam's "transgression" here Jesus the New Adam is experiencing all the pain and wounds of mortality and the literal "weight of the world" in order to exchange it for a new divine life. This is why this is not just talking about a healing of the relationship between God and humanity in general, but in the healing of flesh and mind in individual people in specific. This is why Peter said so boldly, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise and walk!"
And as we will see in the next few days, by the power of the Resurrection Jesus not only breaks the power of sin and mortality but God creates a new humanity. So in this way the suffering is also a kind of birth pangs.
I want to encourage you not to wallow in self pity on this day, but instead you should be happy. But this happiness should be bounded by an understanding of the enormous love and unbelievable price that was paid by a Father who paid everything He had with The Son to restore relationship with humanity, and you in specific.
It wasn't your sins that killed Christ, It was the love of the Son for His Father and for His people who didn't know Him and were helpless in the grip of the devil and the flesh.
"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You 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."
So who is offering the soul for the sin? It's not humanity, that's for sure. The powers in Israel didn't want this kind of Messiah and neither did Judas. They arrogantly wanted a Messiah that would validate them and make them kings over other people. They wanted to be Nimrod, Pharaoh, and Nebuchadnezzar. But God sent Joseph, The Son of Suffering instead. The offering of sin came from God. Not from any wrongdoing on God's part but as the solution to the fallen humanity so that life and relationship can be restored.
God told Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac at the last minute and instead Abraham found a ram caught in the thorns and that was the sacrifice. Jesus is the Lamb of God that The Father provided so that there could be peace between both God and Man. Not only an end to hostility, but a real life together of peace and joy and contentment and satisfying fulfillment. This is is why "The chastisement for our peace was upon Him".
What was "the back of God" that Moses saw as God passed before him on Mt Sinai before the Law/Torah was given? God the Father has no form, and neither does The Spirit. He saw the back of The Messiah: The Lamb of God, The Son of Sufferings, sacrificed before the foundation of the Creation. He saw the very essence of all the law and the revelation of God. And until Jesus's resurrection, Moses had a unique revelation of God that could not be understood by any prophet until the sending of The Spirit to The Church.
Today we are not only the inheritors of Divine life and made able to participate in the Revelations/Mysteries of God and also partakers of The Divine Nature but we are the beneficiaries of The Sacrifice of Love. So let us take a minute to make ourselves humble and honor The King who was a sacrificial lamb. Who died so that we may live, and let us pick up our own crosses and follow him.
Better yet, let us live in imitation of Him and help our own brothers bear their crosses as our very own, after the example given us.
The Messiah is our Passover lamb, sacrificed before the foundation of the Creation!
Did this speak to you or edify your soul? Then share it with a friend or make a donation right now!
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 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.
Today is Good Friday and its the day we celebrate and remember the self sacrifice of love that our king performed so that we may live. But in today's mind its hard to understand some of the subtle nuances to the prophesy of Isaiah stated above as not all sin is the same.
"wounded for our transgressions": here "transgression" is the Hebrew word for a purposely defiant act towards God. It's not just that you were weak or overcome by something, or even that you didn't know. This is really talking about an arrogant act to confront God. Of course, it includes all sin by its extremism, but this is really the worst kind. Its an act of sin in order to separate, like when you know someone who wants to break things off with you and then purposely does something so extreme that it forces you to end it with them.
It's important to note that in order for someone to do this they have to know God and the ways of God in order to even be able to betray it. This could never be done by accident or even in a fit of rage or lust. It isn't momentary, it is a changing of direction and a hardening of the heart. By it's nature it is intentional since it is the intent that is the real sin. The action was merely the trigger.
"Bruised for our iniquities": here "Iniquity" has to do with a sin committed out of a moral failing or a weakness of character. It can be from uncontrollable emotion, but its purpose is not to defy God. Yet is translated as perversity and evil. It's the word most usually translated as "sin". But today sin is treated as a catch all phrase even though God carefully separated the states in his revelation to his prophets.
The suffering servant is "Bruised" or crushed and made low. He has been humbled. Not from any wrong doing on his own part, but in exchange for the grip of arrogance and slavery to iniquity and the Devil. The suffering servant is enacting the remedy for damnation to people who don't even know they need it.
"By His stripes we are healed": Peter in his epistle quotes this and says "By the Striped of Christ we are healed". In fact, most of 1 Peter is a commentary on this passage.
The "healing" of the healed is not only ephemeral, it is a real genuine restoration of the whole person. Both the flesh and the soul of the man. Since Adam was made as a whole man of both matter and spirit, here the Suffering Messiah, who came not only for the souls of men, but "So loved the world (Cosmos or all of creation)" that he is suffering to save it from itself and to reunite it to life from God.
When God made Adam he was at once made with a body and a soul. Since both were damaged with Adam's "transgression" here Jesus the New Adam is experiencing all the pain and wounds of mortality and the literal "weight of the world" in order to exchange it for a new divine life. This is why this is not just talking about a healing of the relationship between God and humanity in general, but in the healing of flesh and mind in individual people in specific. This is why Peter said so boldly, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise and walk!"
And as we will see in the next few days, by the power of the Resurrection Jesus not only breaks the power of sin and mortality but God creates a new humanity. So in this way the suffering is also a kind of birth pangs.
I want to encourage you not to wallow in self pity on this day, but instead you should be happy. But this happiness should be bounded by an understanding of the enormous love and unbelievable price that was paid by a Father who paid everything He had with The Son to restore relationship with humanity, and you in specific.
It wasn't your sins that killed Christ, It was the love of the Son for His Father and for His people who didn't know Him and were helpless in the grip of the devil and the flesh.
"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You 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."
So who is offering the soul for the sin? It's not humanity, that's for sure. The powers in Israel didn't want this kind of Messiah and neither did Judas. They arrogantly wanted a Messiah that would validate them and make them kings over other people. They wanted to be Nimrod, Pharaoh, and Nebuchadnezzar. But God sent Joseph, The Son of Suffering instead. The offering of sin came from God. Not from any wrongdoing on God's part but as the solution to the fallen humanity so that life and relationship can be restored.
God told Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac at the last minute and instead Abraham found a ram caught in the thorns and that was the sacrifice. Jesus is the Lamb of God that The Father provided so that there could be peace between both God and Man. Not only an end to hostility, but a real life together of peace and joy and contentment and satisfying fulfillment. This is is why "The chastisement for our peace was upon Him".
What was "the back of God" that Moses saw as God passed before him on Mt Sinai before the Law/Torah was given? God the Father has no form, and neither does The Spirit. He saw the back of The Messiah: The Lamb of God, The Son of Sufferings, sacrificed before the foundation of the Creation. He saw the very essence of all the law and the revelation of God. And until Jesus's resurrection, Moses had a unique revelation of God that could not be understood by any prophet until the sending of The Spirit to The Church.
Today we are not only the inheritors of Divine life and made able to participate in the Revelations/Mysteries of God and also partakers of The Divine Nature but we are the beneficiaries of The Sacrifice of Love. So let us take a minute to make ourselves humble and honor The King who was a sacrificial lamb. Who died so that we may live, and let us pick up our own crosses and follow him.
Better yet, let us live in imitation of Him and help our own brothers bear their crosses as our very own, after the example given us.
The Messiah is our Passover lamb, sacrificed before the foundation of the Creation!
Did this speak to you or edify your soul? Then share it with a friend or make a donation right now!