Four thoughts: (continued)
2. Jesus was wounded so that we could be healed.
Surely he took up our pain + bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him + afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him + by his wounds we are healed. —Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV
Peter, in his 1st letter, looked back at the cross + quoted Isaiah’s prophecy like this:
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins + live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” —1 Peter 2:24 NIV
The KJV + NAS says, “you were healed.”
Pardon the English, but I love the way one man said it, somewhere between “you are healed” + “you were healed,” you is healed!
Matthew quotes Isaiah + describes the ministry of Jesus like this: He put upon himself our weaknesses + He carried away our diseases + made us well. —Matthew 8:16-17 TPT
Jesus is our “wounded healer.” Our healing—body, soul, mind, spirit, emotions—our complete + total healing, was made possible because Jesus was willing to be wounded. Our wholeness was made possible because of His brokenness.
3. Jesus bore the weight of God’s judgment so that we could escape it + receive God’s mercy.
If I had been one of the people watching as Jesus was nailed to that crossbeam, I’m sure I would have thought, “He was a criminal! There’s the proof! I mean He’s hanging on a cross, being mocked + humiliated.”
But Jesus wasn’t hanging there because of His own sins. He was hanging there for my sins. He was taking the punishment I deserved. He was dying for my sins, in my place.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. —2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJ
For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him. —2 Corinthians 5:21 TPT
This has been referred to as a beautiful, divine exchange. At the cross, all of our sins were placed on Jesus. All of them! At the cross, all of His perfection + righteousness was given to us. All of it!
On the cross, Jesus became our substitute. He was made to be the worst of what we are, so we could become the best of what He is.
He never sinned, but on the cross He was made to be sin for us. Martin Luther called this, “the great exchange.”
Jesus exchanged His perfection for our imperfection, His obedience for our disobedience, His intimacy with the Father for our distance from the Father. He exchanged His blessing for our curse + His life for our death.
He took our sin, so we could receive His perfection. He came to die, so that we could really live.
I love the way Sally Lloyd-Jones describes it in her book, The Jesus Storybook Bible. Sally writes:
“They nailed Jesus to the cross.
‘Father, forgive them,’ Jesus gasped. ‘They don’t understand what they’re doing.’
‘You say you’ve come to rescue us!’ people shouted. ‘But you can’t even rescue yourself!’
But they were wrong. Jesus could have rescued himself. A legion of angels would have flown to his side—if he’d called.
‘If you were really the Son of God, you could just climb down off that cross!’ they said.
Of course, they were right. Jesus could have just climbed down. Actually, He could have just said a word + made it all stop.
But Jesus stayed.
You see, they didn’t understand. It wasn’t the nails that kept Jesus there. It was love . . . ’
Even though it was midday, a dreadful darkness covered the face of the world. The sun could not shine. The earth trembled + quaked. The great mountains shook. Rocks split in two. Until it seemed that the whole world would break. That creation itself would tear apart.
The full force of the storm of God’s fierce anger at sin was coming down. On His own Son. Instead of His people. It was the only way God could destroy sin + not destroy His children whose hearts were filled with sin.”[1]
Because of what Jesus willingly did at the cross, today when God looks at you + me all He sees is the sinless beauty + perfection of His Son.
Today’s Verse: For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him. —2 Corinthians 5:21 TPT
Today’s Prompt: Have you ever thought about Jesus staying on the cross not because of the nails, but because of His love for you?
Today’s Gratitude: I am grateful that Jesus loves me.
Today’s Prayer: Father, help me truly understand what love is + the power it contains. When there are times that I withhold love or I’m scared to show it or let it in, remind me of how Jesus showers me lavishly with His love. Because of His love for me, I shouldn’t be stingy with my love for others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible, pages 304-306.