The Suffering Substitute
Chad Johnson
July 22, 2011

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

The very heart of the gospel is the substitutionary death of Christ. The fact that He who knew no sin became sin for those whom He would save is a great blessing.

Christ bore our sins in His own body upon the tree. The sins of God’s elect people were paid for on the cross.

No one for whom Christ shed His blood will die in their sins. All men are born dead in trespasses and sins.

Even God’s elect are dead and must repent and believe the gospel.

If Christ died in the place of a sinner and paid His sin debt, and that sinner died and went to hell and paid for his own sin, this would be double payment…

Our text tells us that Christ was wounded for our transgressions.

When we think of the beating and torture that Christ suffered, it is an awesome thought. No man was beaten like this man.

History tells us that his organs were hanging out of His body. Then when we think on the reason Christ suffered this way, it is very humbling.

It was for our transgressions.

He was not wounded for His own sin, but my sin. I don’t understand why God would do this for a worm such as I.

He must be forever praised for such mercy and grace. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. He was punished for us to obtain peace. The stripes that He endured healed us from sin.

Sin is like a cancer of the soul and can only be healed by the blood of the substitute – the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!