It is written, Part 5

We continue reflecting on Scripture (with the next seven days downloadable below):

29. His Suffering for Our Healing

“He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the Cross,

so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;

“by His wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

 When Jesus became fully God and fully man, He submitted Himself to the eventuality of experiencing death itself. God became vulnerable in the same ways our flesh is vulnerable. The enemy of all mankind knew the God-man’s susceptibilities very well. Christ began His ministry with pushing the limits of His physical body by fasting, and Satan was there to tempt Jesus’ very flesh.

When Jesus was hungry, Satan tempted Him to use His divine power to end His physical suffering by simply turning a rock into bread. Jesus knew His physical strength was not the solution to physical suffering. The mission of Christ wasn’t to end death and suffering, but to defeat them. Jesus did not defeat the horrors of life by avoiding them or overcoming them with miraculous powers. He defeated the horrors of life by experiencing them—all of them, even dying by being nailed to a cross. 

Why did He do that? His Word tells us: by His wounds—His sufferings—we are healed. Jesus defeated the horrors of life and the finality of death by dying and raising to life again.

What we do with our bodies or in response to our bodies has eternal consequences. The choices we make everyday should reflect our eternal destination. We are created and redeemed at a hefty price for relationships we make, break, or ignore. Let the pain bore by Jesus lead us to act rightly to Him and our neighbors. 

At the end of our lives, we who trust in Jesus will experience a resurrection as we continue our lives eternally. No physical wound, not even death, can take away the life Jesus freely gives us. He has made us right with Himself eternally by taking our sins on Himself. His sacrifice was not only for ourselves but also that we may live for righteousness. His wounds are to heal us that we live rightly with others. 

Jesus, we thank You for suffering so that we might experience healing. 

Click the link to download the third set of seven day reflections: