By His Wounds You Are Healed

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 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. We all 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.

Isaiah 53:3 – 6 (ESV)

Reflection

The arrival of Jesus on earth came at a high price. He gave up His rights as God and took on human flesh. And He came with the ultimate purpose of being wounded for our sin and shame. Though Jesus was innocent, He was willing to offer His life as payment for our sin. He was pierced for our wrongs and took guilt upon Himself.

The price Jesus paid cleared our account of wrong once and for all. Thus, victory over our hurt and pain is not found by delving deeper into our wounds, but by clinging to the wounds of Jesus. He was willing to take the blows and bear the scars. His wounds bring us healing, wholeness, and peace with our God. Every wrong you have done and every wrong that has been done to you has been swallowed up in every right that Jesus has done and in every wrong that has been done to Him. By His wounds you are healed.

Meditation

From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee

From depths of woe I cry to Thee,

In trial and tribulation;

Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,

Lord, hear my supplication.

If Thou rememb’rest ev’ry sin,

Who then could heaven ever win

Or stand before Thy presence?

Thy love and grace alone avail

To blot out my transgression;

The best and holiest deeds must fail

To break sin’s dread oppression.

Before Thee none can boasting stand,

But all must fear Thy strict demand

And live alone by mercy.

Therefore my hope is in the Lord

And not in mine own merit;

It rests upon His faithful Word

To them of contrite spirit

That He is merciful and just:

This is my comfort and my trust.

His help I wait with patience.

Martin Luther, 1483–1546,

tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–1878, alt.

Stanzas 1–3

Prayer

Father, thank You for the gift of your Son, the perfect One given for an imperfect one like me. Thank you that Jesus died the way He died so I can come to You just as I am. Jesus, give me grace to reach for Your scars, believing that when You suffered and bled for me, my wounds were healed.

Let Your peace and power cover and heal my heart. Amen.