Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. NKJV In the name of the One Who was bruised for our iniquities, amen.
Here we come face to face with the ugly reality of what it means when the Bible tells us that Christ suffered the punishment of sin on our behalf. After leading an absolutely perfect life, as we discussed yesterday, and doing nothing to deserve punishment, punishment is exactly what Christ had to look forward to at the end of it all. It is bad enough that he had to endure the scorn of men His whole life. But in those last hours and minutes before His death he endured physical and mental suffering and torture, the likes of which no man has never endured before, or ever will endure, all for you and me dear friends. God took out His wrath against our sins on Jesus as Isaiah says. Yes, Jesus suffered even the eternal anguish and torment of hell itself when He cried out from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Thanks be to God for this, that because of the shame and suffering He endured, you and I, for His sake, have received salvation, and will someday receive eternal glory. Amen.
Prayer: O Almighty God, I thank You that You sent Your Son Jesus to suffer the anguish and torture, shame and scorn that I so richly deserve because of my many sins. I thank You that, for His sake, You have shown mercy to me and given me the gift of salvation. Give me faith to receive this precious gift, and keep that faith strong unto the end. In Jesus' name, amen.
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