Our Wounded Healer [36mb]

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This is a sermon preached on Palm Sunday 2011 using the text in Isaiah 53:5.

Written Excerpts:

Isaiah 53:5 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. 

Introduction:

Today is Palm Sunday. We have been singing songs that emphasize the kind of praises that were offered to Jesus on His way to Jerusalem so many years ago. It was an exciting time. Many people undoubtedly recognized the similarities between the events unfolding before their eyes and the events prophesied centuries earlier by the O.T. prophets. As I have pointed out at other times, the crowd’s response apparently grew in intensity as more and more joined in the excited shouting and cheering.

But, as you know, crowds can be fickle. As the week wore on, the people apparently forgot about the excitement of that joyous day and eventually were swayed to the exact opposite sentiment as they cried out for Jesus to be crucified.

For the message today I wanted to move away from the scenes of that Palm Sunday to have us start thinking about the events later in the week. I want to focus for a little while on some of the words that were prophesied centuries before by Isaiah as he describes in vivid words the suffering of our Lord.

I do not want to take the time today to try an in-depth study of this marvelous passage that so eloquently depicts numerous pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ. To adequately do so, would require a detailed look at all the verses of this chapter as well as the last three verses of the previous chapter.

So, for the sake of time, I want to just share some brief observations of this single verse that I hope will vividly remind us of all that Christ has done in our behalf.

1.  The person referred to is the “Suffering Servant” that is first mentioned in 52:13.

There have been various theological debates about who this “servant” was. It is my understanding that some ancient Jewish scholars believed that it was a prophetic reference to the Messiah, but later scholars argued that the “servant” was a reference to Israel, (or a segment within Israel) who suffered greatly for their transgressions.

For us, there can be no doubt that the passage is speaking prophetically about the Messiah. Various references in the N.T. confirm that Jesus is the fulfillment of these verses. One of my professors in college pointed out that verse 8 clearly indicates that this is an individual person suffering for the transgressions of the collective group.

2.  His suffering was great and it was real.

"Wounded; Bruised; Chastisement; Stripes" - These words found in our text all have clear and direct meanings that speak of immense suffering. In one commentary the author says, “There were no stronger expressions to be found in the language, to denote a violent and painful death.” (Keil &Delitzsch)

Alexander MacLaren – “The intensity of the Servant’s sufferings is brought home to our hearts by the accumulation of [descriptions], to which reference has already been made. He was ‘wounded’ as one who is pierced by a sharp sword; ‘bruised’ as one who is stoned to death; beaten and with livid [welts] on His flesh.”

3.  His suffering was for us not for him but for us.

Look at the pronouns used here in this verse…

Our transgressions; Our iniquities; Our peace. There can be no misunderstanding in this verse. The anointed servant of God was not suffering for His own transgressions, iniquities and peace. It was all for us!

According to the very next verse (6), the LORD laid all of the guilt for all our iniquities upon Him.

Someone wrote a song that uses these words, “When He was on the cross, I was on His mind.”

This is the force of this truth here in verses 5 and 6. All of the sin, disobedience and rebellion against God in the whole world for all time was placed upon the Son of God as He died on the cross.

4.  His suffering was sufficient.

We are healed. The terrible suffering endured by the Son of God was adequate for the dilemma we were in.

The healing is primarily spiritual.

Is. 6:10 “   “Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.”

1 Pet. 2:24 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.

But it is also physical.

Matt. 8:16-17 “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

All physical suffering in our world points back to the introduction of sin into our world in the Garden of Eden and the resulting curse upon humanity and upon the earth. Some have made the grave error of assuming that everyone who suffers is suffering because of some sin that they have committed. This is not biblical and is not always true.

Healing for the sickness and suffering in the flesh is certainly included in the atonement, but the healing for the sickness of the soul is far more important. Physical sickness will finally and permanently be eliminated in the glory of heaven, but the healing of the soul must be realized in this life in order to get to heaven.

Conclusion:

I usually do not read lengthy articles or stories from the pulpit, but I felt I wanted to share this story, "Want a Donut?" to close our service today. It circulated around by email a few years ago and I think it portrays in a limited way what this Scripture has been emphasizing.