Pierced for You

Book of Isaiah 53:4

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 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.

Everyone loves to read about Jesus in the New Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus told us the Old Testament was about Him. We know that Moses spoke of Jesus when he said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all I command him.” In the New Testament, Jesus said, “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” (John 14:24 ESV)

Isaiah wrote this sometime in 740-700 BC. Seven hundred years or more before Christ, yet he prophesied the death of Jesus in great detail. Isaiah was one of the Major prophets in the Old Testament and is often quoted.

So we are walking an ancient path in today’s study. If we break this passage down, we will see many different things. Let’s look at the first line - Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Jesus did bear our griefs and sorrows; He bore our sins which cause all disease and sadness. Sin twists us. Jesus did this as a substitute for us. God forgives us because of Christ’s sacrifice. Because he died for you on the cross, Jesus was separated from God. For that instant, He was alone and felt our pain and emptiness. Hence the words, Father, why have you forsaken me?

Isaiah was right in that those who witnessed the crucifixion, even the apostles, did not understand what the death of Christ would bring about. They believed he was God’s Son but had no idea the depth of change His crucifixion would bring about. They saw a man who preached the Word of God being killed, just like John the Baptist and the prophets.

In the second line, we capture more of the prophecy. "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities." Isaiah prophesied the Roman soldier pierced Christ’s side with the lance. Thomas had to put his hand in the same wound before he believed the Lord had risen. The Romans would break the legs of those crucified to induce death. In this case, the centurion said he was already dead, but the praetorian commander wanted to make sure. This piercing fulfilled Psalm 34:20, where the psalmist wrote, “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” Jesus had already given up His life when he was pierced instead of having his legs broken. This piercing fulfilled the Psalms scripture. Jesus took our punishment, the punishment of God, and he was crushed. The beating, the whipping, the crucifixion, and the separation from God crushed Jesus, who paid for our sins.

The attribute of God that I am most thankful for is God’s patience. Right now, we deserve to be in hell for our sins. Yet Jesus loved us enough to sacrifice himself for us, even before we were conceived. The Romans punished Jesus severely. Christ suffered this punishment so that our wounds and sins could be healed when washed with the blood of the Lamb. God planned the propitiation of Christ. Jesus was fully man and fully God for a reason. Only a human can pay for human sin, but only God can survive the wrath of God. Remember, we were saved by God, from God, For God.

In the third line, Isaiah reminds us of our sinful nature. “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.” Sin is in our essence. Look at this world; many turn from God rejecting His Son. Depraved and lost, believing man is in charge of his destiny. In a way we are, we have a choice to have faith in Christ and receive the free gift of eternal life. Take a hard look at yourself. We know what our sins are. We know when we commit them. However, we like sinning. If you are not saved, you probably have never thought about your sin; I didn’t. When you accept Christ, the Holy Spirit resides in you, and you will be convicted by the Spirit of your sin. We all continue to sin. As we grow in Christ, we work to sin less. Before creation, God knew you. Before you were conceived, Jesus died for you and you alone. If you were the only one on the planet, He would have died for you. Paul told us in Galatians, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”(Galatians 13:3 ESV). Christ became a curse for you.

When Jesus died and rose again, he unlocked the door to heaven. The only way to walk through that door is by knowing Christ.

Do you think this is all a big story, a lie told to put guilt on the world? Are you willing to take that chance? Think about it 2000 years ago, Jesus walked this earth and preached the kingdom of God. Seven hundred years before that, a man named Isaiah was told by God exactly how that man would die and, in doing so, save the world. I’m sorry, but in my experience, there are no such things as coincidence.

It is never too late. No amount of sin is insurmountable by Christ; He overcomes all things. Jesus is knocking, open the door, and he will come into your life. You are worthy through the blood of Christ.

Peace and Grace.