1. "BY HIS STRIPES (Literally BRUISE) WE ARE HEALED."

Introduction.

It is a most appalling fact that few preachers preach at any depth on the terrible emotional bruising and dreadful mental pressures that Jesus suffered all His life, and during the anguish, torment, and horrors of Gethsemane, His Passion, and His descent into Hades. Peter majored on Christ's descent into Hades in his first sermon on the day of Pentecost, Paul and Peter did the same in their writings. Acts.2v24-31. Rom.10v7-9. Eph.4v7-11. 1Pet.3v18-20. 4v6. Can you remember, if, or when, you heard a sermon on how Jesus descended into Hades, and suffered its horrific birth pangs? Acts.2v24. Once when I preached on Christ's descent into Hades, a quite elderly lady refused to accept what I said about Jesus descending into Hades, even after I had read the Scriptures on the subject to her. She said that she had never heard her Pastor preach on it, so she could not accept that what the Scriptures and I said was true. Her Pastor later confirmed to her that Jesus did descend into Hades, and then she accepted it. This disastrous omission of one of the major truths connected with our salvation, is common and widespread in the Church. The price for our salvation was paid for in Hades, as well as on the Cross. It was when the soul of Jesus was made "an offering for sin," in Hades, and He was raised for our justification, that salvation was finally and completely won for us. Is.53v10. Rom.4v25.

Where does healing of the body and soul, and all the blessings of the new covenant come from? The Holy Scriptures make it quite clear, they all proceed, and are derived, from the perfect holy life, and the atoning death of the Lord Jesus. The following outstanding and inspiring hymn by Horatius Bonar, superbly proclaims, that all the forgiveness and blessings that we receive from God our heavenly Father, come to us because of the atoning death of our dear Lord Jesus, the sin-bearing Lamb of God. Jn.1v29,35,36. Acts.20v28. 1Pet.1v18,19. Rev.1v5. 5v6,12-14. 6v16,17. 7v9,15. 19v7-9. 21v9. 22v1-7. Christ's death reveals to us the amazing grace and riches of God's mercy, and His great love towards us. Eph.2v4-10. Through His death Jesus fulfilled all the redemptive types and prophecies in the Old Testament. Blessed be His Name!

v1. By the Cross of Jesus standing
Love our straitened souls expanding,
Taste we now the peace and grace!
Health from yonder Tree is flowing,
Heav'nly light is on it glowing,
From the blessed Suff'rer's face.

v2. Here is pardon's pledge and token,
Guilt's strong chain for ever broken,
Righteous peace securely made;
Brightens now the brow once shaded,
Freshens now the face one faded,
Peace with God now makes us glad.

v3. All the love of God is yonder,
Love beyond all thought and wonder,
Perfect love that casts out fear!
Strength, like dew, is here distilling,
Glorious life our souls is filling-
Life eternal only here!

v4. Here the living water welleth;
Here the Rock, now smitten, telleth
Of salvation freely given;
This the fount of love and pity,
This the pathway to the city,
This the very gate of heaven.

On the basis of the King James Version's translation of Is.53v5., "By His stripes we are healed," and other translations like the New American Standard reading, "by His scourging we are healed," many good Christians confidently affirm that we are healed through the vicious scourging that Jesus received. This has further been confirmed in some people's minds by other versions translating this phrase as, "by His wounds we are healed," and the commentaries of some distinguished Christian scholars on this verse, which come to a similar conclusion. However, the truth behind this Scripture is much more awe-inspiring, and astonishing, and even more horrifying, than Christ's scourging, as shocking and gruesome as it was. The Scriptures reveal that the vicious and horrendous bruising of Jesus here referred to, encompasses and embraces the whole of Christ's agonizing and extraordinary earthly life, and not just the events around His death. There are reiterations of some of the truths in this study, and the accompanying studies, I have done this is to drive home the great and vital truths which are here stated.

Vines Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, states that 1Peter.2v24., "by His stripes we are healed," is "not referring to Christ's scourging." He writes, "Stripe," "molops," 3468, "a bruise, a wound from a stripe," is used in 1Pet.2v24. (from the Septuagint. of Isa.53v5.), lit., in the original, "by whose bruise," not referring to Christ's scourging, but figurative of the stroke of divine judgment administered vicariously to Him on the cross." End of Quote. Vine is stating the absolute truth when he writes that 1Pet.2v24. is speaking of the whole vicarious atonement of Jesus, for healing of our body, soul and spirit, spring from Christ's atonement, and the precious shed blood of His cross. Jesus was aggressively and viciously tested, tempted and tried throughout all of His life by Satan, evil men and circumstances, but in spite of all this evil pressure against Him, He lived a perfect sinless life. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sin, the sinless Lamb of God. It is not the scourging of Jesus, but the precious atoning blood of Jesus that brings us healing of body, soul, and spirit to us.

In Is.53v5. "And with His stripes," the word used for "stripes," in the Hebrew, is "chaburah," Strong 2250. It is in the singular, and it literally means, "a bruise," the result of a blow on the skin. As we have already seen, "stripes," in 1Peter.2v24., is "molopi," Strong 3468. It likewise is in the singular, "a bruise," this reveals to us that the body, soul, and spirit of Jesus was one massive and terrible bruise. He voluntarily suffered being beaten black and blue in body, soul, and spirit, for us.

Barnes writes about "chaburah." "It is not a flesh wound; it does not draw blood; but the blood and other humours are collected under the skin." End of quote. The scourging Jesus received, mangled His flesh, and produced many dozens of deep bleeding wounds in His flesh, terrible wounds that even reached and exposed Christ's bones. So we can see that Is.53v5. is speaking of something more than this scourging. The inner bruising that the kind and gentle soul of Jesus suffered during this dreadful beating, was even worse than the mangling of His flesh. He was despised and rejected by those He came to save, the inner bruising and pain of this was immense. See Lk.19v41-44.

N.B.1. The incalculable bruising that occurred when the eternal God the Word became flesh.

When the eternal God the Word became man, it was a sacrificial act beyond compare, it was so great that the heavenly hosts, bursting with love and admiration, just had to come and tell the shepherds about it. The omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and unlimited unchangeable eternal God the Word, who knew none of the constraints of time and space, emptied himself of all these attributes and abilities and became a little baby, with all the huge limitations that implies. We read in Phil.2v5-11., v5 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: v6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: v7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (KJV)

Before His incarnation Jesus was, "in the form of God," "en" 1722, "morphe" 3444, "Theou" 2316. By the use of "morphe," Paul proclaims that Jesus possessed the essential and exclusive attributes of absolute Deity. Jesus laid all this glory and power aside and took upon Himself our humanity. See "The Glory and Victory of our Lord's Humanity," on page 39. in the Conclusion.

In Phil.2v7., the King James Version, "But made himself of no reputation," does not convey the sense of the original Greek, "alla 235, heauton 1438, ekenosen 2758." "Ekenosen," is the aorist active indicative of "kenoo," 2758, which means literally, to empty, "to make empty, to make vain or void." It only occurs in the following places in the New Testament, it is translated as; "made void" in Rom.4v14., "made of none effect" in 1Cor.1v17., "make void" in 1Cor.9v15., and "should be vain" in 2Cor.9v3. Young translates Phil.2v7., "But did empty Himself," others read, "But emptied Himself."(NAS) (RSV) (ASV) v7. the Amplified reads, "But stripped Himself." Jesus was truly emptied and stripped, and had to refill His mind with truth and wisdom, we read in Lk.2v40,52., v40. "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. v52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (KJV) This refilling with wisdom took 30 years, and Jesus started His ministry "full of grace and truth." Jn.1v14. The courage and cost of the incarnation cannot be overestimated, it was truly immeasurable. "Our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man." This was the first great bruising of Jesus. The cost was incalculable, but He did it out of pure love for us. Blessed! Blessed indeed, be His holy Name!!

N.B.2. Jesus bravely endured terrible bruising of His body, soul and spirit, for all of His life.

An examination of Is.53v5., shows that this bruising is referring to the whole of Christ's life, and not just in His scourging and the events around His atoning death. In Is.53v4., the Hebrew word for the King James Version, "sorrows," is "mak'ob" 4341, which can speak both of physical and mental pain. The commentary by the eminent Hebrew scholars Keil & Delitzsch on "mak'ob," is very enlightening, it states, "He was [makŠ'obowt 4341) 'iysh 376)], a man of sorrow of heart in all its forms, i.e., a man whose chief distinction was, that His life was one of constant painful endurance." End of quote. This comment on "mak'ob" reveals the enormous painful pressures that were inflicted on Jesus during the whole of His life.

In Is.53v5., "bruised," is "daka" 1792, which means, more accurately, "to be broken in pieces, to be utterly shattered and crushed" by calamities and trials. See Job.6v9. Ps.72v4. It speaks of the most severe inward and outward sufferings. In purchasing our redemption, Jesus was under such a weight of sorrows that He was broken in pieces, utterly shattered and crushed to the earth. Men said that Jesus suffered because of some great sin of His own, but they were dreadfully and totally wrong, He was not smitten of God for His own sins, but for ours. We will consider the terrible lifelong bruising that Jesus endured at greater length later on.

a. The main emphasis in Is.53v5. and 1Pet.2v24. is on forgiveness of sin.

In both Is.53v5., and 1Pet.2v24., the context in each verse is about forgiveness of sins, and healing of the soul, not healing of the body. This can be seen by the following translations of these Scriptures.

Isa.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." (KJV) (ASV)

Isa.53:5. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed." (RSV)

1Pet.2v24. "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." (KJV)

1Pet.2v24. "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." (NAS)

1Pet.2v24. "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-- by whose stripes you were healed." (NKJ)

b. In Is.53v4. God's promise of healing is an emphatic "SURELY," and "VERILY," not a doubtful "maybe."

Jesus informs us in the account of the healing of the paralysed man in Mt.9v1-8., Mk.2v1-12., and Lk.5v17-26., that healing of the body should be an expected attendant and result of healing of the soul and forgiveness. This is confirmed by Is.53v4., where God deals with healing of the body in an unambiguous and very direct and powerful way. "Surely," is "aken" 403, which means, surely, truly, verily, indeed; it carries a very strong assertive force.

Is.53v4. (NKJ) "SURELY He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted."

Is.53v4. (NIV) "SURELY he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted."

Is.53v4. (Keil & Delitzsch) "VERILY He hath borne our diseases and our pains: He hath laden them upon Himself; but we regarded Him as one stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

N.B. The Jews, like Job's "friends," mistakenly looked upon Jesus as "one stricken" ("naguwa" 5060), and "smitten" ("nakah" 5221), by God. They looked upon Christ's sufferings as the punishment for His own sins. However, the truth was the very opposite of this. Jesus took upon Himself the fellowship of our sufferings, the sufferings which we deserved to bare, and not only took them away, Mt.8v17., but carried them in Himself, in order that He might deliver us from them. When Jesus took upon Himself the suffering, which we would, or should bear, and endured it, with, and for us, in our place, this is called substitution. Jesus took upon Himself the sicknesses and sorrows of the world; and taking them upon Himself He bore them away.

In Is.53v4., the word for "carried" in the King James Version, is the Hebrew, "cabal" 5445, which means to carry or bear a heavy burden, Jesus lifted and bore away the heavy burden of our mental and physical pain and sickness. Jesus not only took our physical diseases, and bore and carried them away, He also took and bore and carried away our mental pain and griefs.

Isaiah 53v4. is accurately translated in Mt.8v17.. The King James Version reads, "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

The New American Standard Update reads, "This was to fulfil what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES."

The Hebrew "choliy," in Is.53v4., translated as "griefs" in the A.V., is accurately translated in Mt.8v17., as "astheneias" 769, that is "infirmities," for "choliy" 2483, "means sickness, disease, and affliction, it is not referring to sins, but to physical suffering. Matthew uses the quote from Is.53v4., to prove that the healing ministry of Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. The Hebrew "nasa" 5375, "borne," or "took," carries the double thought, that Jesus not only took our sicknesses on Himself, He also in doing so, took and carried them away.

In Mt.8v17., Matthew translates the Hebrew "mak'ob" with the Greek "nosos" 3554, which means properly sickness, disease, and it is used in this way in Mt.4v23,24. 9v35., but it can also be used of the mental and physical pains, sorrows, and trials of life. Isaiah states that Jesus has taken upon Himself, and carried away, our physical and mental pains. He was afflicted for our physical and mental pains, and through His atoning death, removed them from us.

Our Great High Priest subjected Himself to the most severe physical and mental pressure and pain for our sakes, not just to be a sympathetic Saviour, but a delivering Saviour as well. The emphatic nature of this promise of healing is confirmed by the word, "surely," "aken" 403, which means, surely, truly, verily, indeed; it carries a strongly emphatic and assertive force. God Himself emphasises His promise of healing. He knew that this was absolutely necessary, for He knew that both the Old Testament Israel and the New Testament Church, would neglect and frustrate His loving desires in respect of healing.

c. Some more striking revelations about salvation in Jesus, found in the rest of Isa.53v5. and 1Pet.2v24.

Isa.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." (KJV) (ASV)

We read in Isaiah 53:5., "But he was wounded for our transgressions." "Wounded," is 2490 "chalal." It literally means, to pierce, to bore through, to perforate, hence, to wound, even fatally. 1Sam.31v3. 1Chron.10v3. The word gives a prophetically accurate picture of the physical sufferings of Jesus, the promised Messiah, whose hands, feet, and side were pierced. Ps.22v16. This word speaks of a painful and lethal piercing and wounding of the body, and not just mental pain. It can also speak of the desecration and violation of a person.

In Is.53v5. "But he was wounded for our transgressions," is a striking parallel to the passage in Rom.4v25. "Who was delivered for ("dia," 1223) our offences." See 2Cor.5v21. Heb.9v28. 1Pet.2v24. The Hebrew preposition "for," "min," 4480, is here equivalent to the Greek "dia," 1223, which means "through," or "on account of," and denotes the real reason why Jesus suffered and died, it was our transgressions that killed Him, not the Jews, or the Romans.

We read in Isaiah 53:5., "the chastisement of our peace was upon Him." "Chastisement," is 4148, "muwcar," which means, discipline, a chastening, correction. In the Greek Septuagint it is translated as, "paideia," 3809, it literally means, as in Heb.12v5-11., the training of, and correction, by a parent of a child for their good. Jesus was not guilty of any sins to be punished for, but He took on Himself our chastisement by God the Father, so that we could be reconciled, and be at peace with God our Father. See Rom.5v1,2. Eph.2v14-17. The death of Jesus brought about the redemption of those, who in God's amazing and wonderful foreknowledge, were to become His beloved children. Heb.2v14.

We read in Is.53v5. that Jesus came to heal our sin burdened, diseased souls. "We are healed," literally means, "it is healed to us," or "healing has happened to us." "Healed," is "rapha" 7495, it literally means, "to mend by stitching," and figuratively to cure, to heal, to make healthful, it is used of both divine and medical healing, as well as the healing of national hurts, and personal distress. So we see that it means, to heal, to make healthful, both spiritually and physically. Ps.41v4. Is.53v4. Jer.8v22. The removal of our appalling and horrendous burden of sin is represented as an act of healing. David writes in Ps.41v4., "I said, O Lord, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee." In Ps.103v3., David rejoices that the merciful grace of God heals both our souls and our bodies, "Who forgiveth all thine, iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases."

Jesus also came to heal our sicknesses. In Is.53v10. "He hath put Him to grief," "grief," is the same Hebrew word, "choliy," as in Is.53v4., "He hath borne our griefs." "Choliy," 2483, means, "sicknesses," and is so translated in the Greek of Mt.8v16,17. In Is.53v4., "surely, " is "aken," a strong and forceful word, meaning truly, surely, indeed. God reveals the totally emphatic nature of His promise of physical healing. We know that healing of the soul is more important than healing of the body, but here God puts a "surely" on healing of the body, it appears that He knew how the Jews and the Church would neglect, and fail to take hold of this "charismata" of Divine grace.

Sin is a disease, which results in the death of our souls, and Jesus provided the cure for this disease by the sufferings He bravely endured, in Heb.12v2,3., "endured," is "hupemeinen," the aorist active indicative of "hupomeno" 5278. The sin of Adam brought sickness, disease and death to the human race. Our dear Lord Jesus purchased for us both forgiveness for our sins, and healing for our souls and bodies, by His atoning death. We were sick to death because of our sins, but Jesus, the sinless one, by His suffering and death, brought us both spiritual and physical healing.

"The joy that was set before Him," Heb.12v2., was not the joy of receiving exalted position and adulation in Heaven, but rather the joy of redeeming us, and bringing salvation and healing to us, and the joy of opening Heaven to all who would believe in Him.

We read in 1Peter.2v24. that Jesus "bare our sins." "Bare," is the aorist active indicative of "anaphero," 399, "to carry or bring up," a common verb which is used for bringing a sacrifice to the altar. See Is.53v12. with Deut.21v23. Jesus was the perfect sin offering. Heb.9v28. 1Cor.11v24. See Heb.1v3., "when he had by Himself purged our sins." Jesus did not make expiation for our sins by offering a sacrifice, He Himself was the sacrifice. Is.53v4,12. Jesus did not take upon Himself the sins of people so as to Himself become a sinner, He bore the judgement of God that our sins deserved. See 2Cor.5v21. Barnes states, "He was treated as if He had been a sinner, in order that we might be treated as if we had not sinned."

"In His own body on the tree." Though perfectly innocent, Jesus suffered the horrific sufferings of execution by crucifixion, just like the most wicked criminal, in our place. "on the tree ("xulon," literally "on the wood," that is, the cross, which is translated as "tree" in Acts.5v30. 10v39. 13v29. and Gal.3v13.). In Gal.3v13., Paul quotes Deut.21v22,23., to show how Jesus suffered the penalty laid down by the Law.

"That we, being dead to sins, "hamartiais" 266. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus enables us to become dead to sin, and live to God. The phrase "being dead to sins," is, literally, "to be absent from sins." "That we might live unto righteousness, "dikaiosune" 1343." Through the death and High Priestly ministry of Jesus we can actively and positively live a new and beautiful life with God and people. See Rom.6v1-23. N.B. v20.. and 1Pet.2v2,10. The atoning death of Jesus demands that we, "should live unto righteousness," and enjoy the reality of a beautiful life lived in righteousness and holiness. See Rom.6v11. Gal.2v20.

The word Peter uses for "stripes," "molops," in 1Pet.2v24., is not used in the Scriptures to describe a scourging.

The word "plege," 4127, a blow, stripe, wound, (akin to "plesso," which was used to describe Paul's scourgings, in Acts.16v23. 2Cor.6v5. 11v23-25., is not used by Peter here in 1Pet.2v24.. "Plege" it is translated as "stripes" in Lk.12v48., and if 1Pet.2v24. had been speaking of our Lord's scourging, "plege" would have been one of the words to use. "Mastix," 3148, is another word that is used for scourging, it literally meant, "a whip," the terrible Roman whip for flogging criminals. See Acts.22v24. Heb.11v36. "Mastix," was used figuratively of the scourges and plagues of sickness. Mk.3v10. 5v29,34. Lk.7v21. People can feel that they are under the whip, when they are scourged by sickness, and God feels their pain, and wants to deliver them.

Sin is often spoken of as a terrible disease, and redemption from it as a healing of deadly sickness. "Healed," is "iathete," 2390, the aorist passive indicative of "iaomai," 2390, a verb, which means "to heal." See James.5v16.

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