Pierced for Transgressions
Friday · Anchor: Isa.53.5
From the sermon Foretelling Future Trouble
From the sermon
Why does the Lord Jesus Christ go to the cross? He does so. It's punishment, but not for him, but for others. He goes to atone or pay for the sins of other people, not His.
Scripture · Isa.53.5
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.
Reflect and pray
The prophet Isaiah declares that the Messiah was pierced, not for his own wrongdoing, but for ours. The chastisement that produced our peace fell on him. This is substitutionary atonement: the innocent suffering in the place of the guilty. As you reflect, resist the temptation to treat this as mere theology. It is the act of a personal Savior who took your specific transgressions upon himself. Confess where you have strayed, and receive the peace he purchased with his wounds. Thank him that by his stripes you are healed.