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“But
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and
iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us
was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made
whole.”
~ Isaiah 53:5 Amplified Version ~
Kylie burnt her wrist last night.
It was just before dinner, and she was “stealing” hot chips out of the oven at the time. I guess you could say that she was caught “red handed”; although to be perfectly honest, she did point out that I’d been doing the exact same thing just moments before.
Very true, except for the fact that I’ve got years of experience on her.
That’s experience using a hot oven – not stealing fries!
For the rest of the night Kylie made a point of letting me know how sore her hand was.
“I heard it sizzle Mum,” she informed me with graphic and dramatic detail.
I can’t say that I heard the sizzle, but I definitely heard Kylie squeal when her hand made contact with the hot oven rack.
Poor girl! In a way that injury happened as a direct result of her very insignificant and not all that criminal “crime”, and now she’ll have to carry the slightly painful and not very attractive consequence around with her as a reminder until it heals.
As I reflected this morning on Isaiah 53:5, I couldn’t help but think of Kylie’s injury last night. That tiny burn hurt my dear daughter a lot, but it really was brought about by her own actions and impacted no one but herself (and even then, only in a very negative way).
To compare that with what our precious Saviour and Lord went through on the cross is like trying to compare being outside in a country garden on a clear, spring day, with being locked in a dank, damp, dark cell in the middle of winter. The two experiences are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Kylie’s injury was sharp and sudden, but really quite superficial and temporary. Christ, on the other hand, endured not only the long agony of the cross, but also the scourging, beating and taunting that went before.
Kylie’s pain was the consequence of her own actions. Christ’s pain was the consequence of everyone’s actions, except His own.
Kylie’s wound and suffering did nothing for anyone, except perhaps to act as a warning for her to use greater care in future. Christ’s wounds and suffering were for the benefit of all the people of the world.
Jesus went to the cross for our sin, and our sin alone. Even the Roman Governor, Pilate, confessed that he could find no basis for a charge against him (John 18:38). The sinless one gave His life, willingly, so that we could be set free from the law of sin and death, and have an open door back into the Father’s holy and perfect love.
Jesus did it all for me, and He did it all for you.
No wonder the words of Graham Kendrick’s beautiful song are echoing in my spirit today:
"Amazing love, O what sacrifice
The Son of God given for me
My debt He pays and my death He dies
That I might live,
That I might live."
Something to Think About …
I remember as a child being somewhat blasé about Christ’s death on the cross. I think that was mainly due to the fact that I’d heard the story so very often and in such a matter of fact way, that I really didn’t comprehend just what my Saviour had actually endured.
It was almost as though I had this image of a painless crucifixion that should be skipped over as quickly as possible, in order to get to the “good part” – the resurrection.
On the other hand, Kylie grasped the truth at a very young age while I was reading a children’s rhyming story about “Doubting Thomas” to her. As she heard the story of Christ’s death, and then later how he had shown his hands and side to Thomas, Kylie had looked up at me with her big, brown eyes and in shocked awe said, “Oh Mummy! That would have hurt him so much!”
It did hurt Him, and it cost Him everything that He had to give. Yet, He willingly paid the price for one reason – love!
So, in the words of the writer of Hebrews, this Easter and always, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).
Hallelujah! Death could not hold Him down! He is risen; and lives and reigns forever more!
Father God …
Thank You for Jesus.
What more can we say?
Our Saviour Redeemer,
Only He is the Way.
Thank You for giving
Your dear, precious Son
So that we might know freedom
Through His vict’ry won!
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