He Took Up Our Pain And Bore Our Suffering

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:1-6

Soldiers forced Jesus to wear an entire crown of thorns. If one thorn hurt immensely, how much agony would an entire crown of them inflict? And that’s just a small portion of the physical pain He suffered. A whip flogged His back. Nails penetrated His wrists and ankles. A spear pierced his side.

Jesus also endured spiritual pain too. Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; “the punishment that brought us peace was on Him.” Jesus allowed Himself to be pierced by a sword, by nails, by a crown of thorns – to bring us spiritual peace with God. His sacrifice, His willingness to die on our behalf, paved the way to make a relationship with the Father possible. And He did it, Scripture tells us, for you and I.

Jesus allowed Himself to be pierced – by a sword, by nails, by a crown of thorns – to bring us spiritual peace with God.

Our Daily Bread – October 18, 2018