THE BRUISED SAVIOUR TO REDEEM US

Isa. 53:5

Morning Meditation 1/19/2013

"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."

While He was God, He was also a man. He was born of a human mother without having been touched by a man. It was a miraculous birth

So many different things are written of Him that it would take volumes to expose to our minds what Jesus did for us when He was on earth. At the closing of John's Gospel, he wrote a verse that tells the story: John 21:25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."

John was a disciple, one of the twelve, that was the mystic of the twelve. He plumbed the depths of what Jesus was saying. This is not to reflect any lack of commitment on the part of the rest. But I think when we begin the gospel of John we are waist deep in God if I might put it that way. John begins his gospel like none of the other apostles. John 1:1-5, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

John wants us to know that Jesus is God and he wastes no time in dealing with that subject. And it is an absolute fact that Jesus was God incarnate. He was not in the likeness of God, He was God. It is amazing how the apostates have tried to do away with "God Incarnate." They do not believe that God came in the flesh. John was in a battle with this false doctrine. 1 John 4:1-3, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

The word "bruised" comes from a word that means, "to be crushed, be shattered

to be made contrite." He was beaten to a bloody pulp, He was crushed, He was shattered, and made contrite--and He did it all for us. The one who takes sin lightly needs to have a new look at the cross. There will never be a time in eternity when the cross will be insignificant. To God be the glory great things He hath done.

Speaking of the "bruising" John Gill says, "that is, the punishment of our sins was inflicted on him, whereby our peace and reconciliation with God was made by him; for chastisement here does not design the chastisement of a father, and in love, such as the Lord chastises his people with; but an act of vindictive justice, and in wrath, taking vengeance on our sins, of our surety, whereby divine wrath is appeased, justice is satisfied, and peace is made."

Then his comment on "by his stripes" or "bruise": "properly the black and blue mark of it, so called from the gathering and settling of the blood where the blow is given. Sin is a disease belonging to all men, a natural, hereditary, nauseous, and incurable one, but by the blood of Christ; forgiving sin is a healing of this disease; and this is to be had, and in no other way, than through the stripes and wounds, the blood and sacrifice, of the Son of God. Christ is a wonderful physician; he heals by taking the sicknesses of his people upon himself, by bearing their sins, and being wounded and bruised for them, and by his enduring blows, and suffering death itself for them."

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White