By Jesus Stripes We are Healed

"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

I believe Isaiah 53:5 is on of the most misquoted and misinterpreted bible verse amongst those who attend Pentecostal churches today. Isaiah 53 is describing to torture that Jesus Christ endured on his walk towards Calgary. What kept Jesus walking despite the humiliation, pain and exhaustion (remember Jesus because too weak to carry his cross) was his unconditional love for us.

He loved us so much that even when it was becoming physically impossible he continued on his journey towards the cross. Not because of any laws he had broken, but because you and I had broken the laws and not kept his commandments. The Scriptures tells us, we are like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way. Jesus’ road to the cross was all about restoring us to right relationship with God.

His last words were ‘it is finished’. His work on earth was completed and could not be added too. Yet today so many Christians want to add to his perfectly completed work. They see the evidence of us living in a fallen world, pain, sickness, crime and natural disasters. Some chose to see this as Satin’s on going work.

Satin was defeated on the cross by Christ. Jesus said, it was finished! Not go forth and complete the work I have done. The way I see it is Jesus restored us to right relationship with our heavenly Father, but the physical restoration of our bodies and the earth can only be done through a total replacement. The kingdom in all its fullness is yet to come and Jesus himself told us he will return to bring in His new Kingdom, where every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Right this minute millions around the world deny his very existence and worship false gods, which is a far cry form where every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  . Perfection, that is  a world void of suffering requires total submission to Jesus. However there are many Christians to day clam that as believers we should be free of sickness and decease. Quoting the last part of Isaiah 53:5 with his stripes we are (physically) healed’

I know this from my own personal experience. As some who has multiple disabilities and suffers chronic illness, there is never a shortage of people praying for and claiming my healing and yet I sit here struggling to type aware of all my physical limitations. I have confessed all unconfessed sins, had demons driven out, blood tires cut and family cruses broken. Sadly some chose to hang their heads in shame, because I act like I’m not healed.

Still others have said, I am healed I just need to claim that otherwise I am calling God a liar. Sadly I believe these people have missed the sacrificial love spoken about in this verse. The beauty of this verse is it tells me about the few short hours Jesus experienced many if not all of the limitations I now face. I serve a God who know how I physical feel, because for a few short hours in history he chose to carry the sins of the world on his shoulders.

I believe the true meaning and beauty of this verse is God of the universe identify with me and reading this verse allows me to fully identify with him. Through his stripes I was restore into right relationship with him for eternity. I am healed indeed!