He was wounded for us, and by His suffering we find wholeness.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)
What does “Wounded” mean in Isaiah 53:5?
The Hebrew word for healed, rapha, means to mend and make whole. The verse says that the punishment that brings our peace fell on Him.
Going deeper
Isaiah wrote about a suffering servant seven centuries before Jesus, and Christians have read this chapter as a portrait of Him. The verse piles up the language of pain: wounded, bruised, chastisement, stripes. And it repeats a small word, for. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. What He endured was on our behalf. The chastisement that brought us peace fell on Him instead of on us.
Lent brings us near to this. It is not meant to make us wallow. It is meant to help us see the cost and the love together. Peter quotes this verse in his letter, applying it to our sins and our return to God. Take a few quiet minutes today to read the whole chapter slowly. Let it be a reminder of what was given. And answer it with gratitude, which is the truest response to something you could never repay.
Reflect
What would it mean to answer what Jesus endured with gratitude today?
Pray
Lord Jesus, thank You for being wounded for my sake. Let Your love make me whole, and let gratitude fill my heart. In Jesus' name, amen.
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