Sunday, July 25, 1999   

     A. "But he was wounded for our transgressions..." Christ was wounded for us. He was wounded for His sheep.

     B. He was wounded. Psalm 22:16 said He would be: "They pierced my hands and my feet."

          1. The Hebrew word for "wounded" is chalal meaning "to bore through, to perforate, to pierce." This word means a bodily wound.

          2. David saw by faith the wounding of the Lord Jesus.

      C. He was wounded at Calvary:

           1. His head was pierced by the crown of thorns.

          2. The long thorns pierced His brow as Mark 15:16-17 says. "And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium....and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head."

     D. He was wounded. They pierced His hands and His feet.

          1. This was the way of crucifixion. Nails were driven in the hands and feet to hold the person to the cross of wood.

          2. Upon hearing of the resurrection, Thomas wanted to see the hands and feet of the Lord to verify that it was He (John 20:24-25). (Note also John 20:26-27).

     E. He was wounded. The spear of a Roman soldier pierced His side (John 19:32-34).

     F. He was wounded. And one day the Jewish nation will realize that He is their Messiah. They will see the one they pierced (Zechariah 12:10). When Jesus returns to earth at the end of the tribulation, those on earth will see the wounded Lord (Revelations 1:7).

      G. He was wounded. His sufferings were severe; they were violent.

      H. He was wounded. His wounds were fatal:

          1. Philippians 2:8, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

          2. I Peter 3:18, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickeneth by the spirit."

II. THE WHY OF HIS WOUNDING

      A. "He was wounded for OUR TRANSGRESSIONS...."

     B. Christ died for us because we are ungodly and unholy (Romans 5:8, "God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly."

      C. Christ was not wounded for His sins, He had none.

     D. Note the preposition "for" in this verse. In the Hebrew, it means, "on account of." He died "on account of" my transgressions.

          1. He was wounded because the people He died for were transgressors, sinners.

               a. Romans 3:10, "As it is written there is none righteous..."

               b. Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

          2. He did not suffer with others; He suffered for others.

III. BRUISED

      A. "...He was bruised for our iniquities...."

          1. "Bruised"-Hebrew daka which means, "to be broken to pieces, to be bruised, to be crushed."

          2. The Lord Jesus was crushed by the heavy burden of our sins. He took our sins upon Himself and the wrath of God lay upon Him because of our sins.

      B. "Bruised"-He was actually bruised by men.

           1. The Jews bruised Him (Matthew 26:67-68).

          2. The Romans soldiers bruised Him (Matthew 27:30). (Smote Greek tupto - to strike, to beat, smite: with a staff, a whip, the first, the hand.)

          3. Isaiah the prophet quotes the Christ in Isaiah 50:6, revealing the beating he would take.

     C. He was beaten black and blue. The smiters came near beating Him to death. He was beaten and bruised more than any man who ever lived. no painting exists showing how badly He was beaten.

     D. At the hands of His Father, He was punished for our iniquities.

          1. He was broken and bruised under the burden of our sins.

          2. He had no iniquities of His own. He was made to endure the iniquities you and I have committed against God (II Corinthians 5:21).

               a. Romans 4:25, "Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised..." He was given over to the hands of evil men that they might bruise Him. All of this for our sins.

               b. He "suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust" (I Peter 3:18)

IV. CHASTISED

      A. "The chastisement of peace was upon him..."

          1. "Chastisement" is the Hebrew word muwcar meaning, "discipline, correction, punishment, chastisement."

          2. Christ told the disciples that He would be scourged and crucified (Matthew 20:19). The scourge is an instrument of chastisement.

           3. Isaiah 50:6, He gave His "back to the smiters."

          4. Pilate suggested chastisement twice. Luke 23:16, "I will therefore chastise him..." and again in Luke 23:22.

          5. Pilate had Jesus scourged before His was crucified (Matthew 27:26)

     B. He was chastised for us. He was chastised for our peace.

     C. "Upon Him." The burden by which we received our peace was given Him. He bore our burden.

          1. God took vengeance on Christ. Divine wrath was satisfied and peace between God and man was made.

          2. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:1). (See also Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 1:20).

V. HEALED

      A. "...and with his stripes we are healed."

          1. "Stripes" - Hebrew chabbuwrah, "bruise, stripe, blow, the mark of print of blows on the skin as a result of scourging."

          2. Christ was beaten black and blue. His back was opened for us.

     B. "We are healed." This means, "He healed us or "healing has happened to us."

     C. This healing is not a probability, it is a certainty. All who trust Christ are healed.

     D. We are healed by the stripes, wounds, blood and sacrificed of Christ the Son of God. He alone did the atoning work for sinners.

CONCLUSION: Christ died for those who deserve to be wounded, bruised, and chastised for their rebellion against God.