His Stripes

Today’s Text: Isaiah 53:3-5

“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…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.” 

Words of Devotion

The chief priests and scribes mocked. Jesus was before them on a cross. To them, this moment meant that He was a fraud and that His ministry was not true. They declared their judgment: “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.” They dared Him, “Now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” (Mark 15:31-32)

These religious leaders did not realize that, before their very eyes, Jesus actually was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the Messiah: He was a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;” He was “despised and rejected”—a Man who bore “our griefs and carried our sorrows.”

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.” He did all of this for us…for you!

Throughout our lives, we will find that others may disappoint us or fall short of our expectations. We will discover flaws in our friends and family. In fact, we all make mistakes. But we always can depend on Jesus. 

He knows and understands what we are going through.

In your life, remember that Jesus is not a pop star or a comic book hero. He is the Son of God, the Messiah. 

If you have a need, turn to Jesus. He will not disappoint you. He has experienced pain, and He knows the kinds of things you’re going through. He is ready to comfort, heal, and save you. Trust Him right now.

A CLOSING PRAYER: Father, thank You that Jesus was bruised for me and that He suffered and died for me. Thank You that by His stripes I am healed. In His name  Amen.