In touch with the cross

But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. We saw his suffering. We thought God was punishing him. But he was wounded for the wrong things we did. He was crushed for the evil things we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him. And we are healed because of his wounds. We all have wandered away like sheep. Each of us has gone his own way. But the Lord has put on him the punishment for all the evil we have done. Isaiah 53:4-6 NIV

Christians from all over the world have recently marked the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My dear husband also blessed us with his exposition on the cross: For Real. Therefore it was somewhat surprising that I found myself drifting into Isaiah 53, where we get an accurate depiction of the life, humiliation, suffering and finally, the exaltation of Christ. Wondering why God will highlight these short verses to me, I couldn’t help but realise that there’s some richness in these verses God wants to pour into us. This passage draws attention to the intimate relationship God desires with His children.

Without getting ahead of myself, let me introduce you to Isaiah 53. My first encounter with this bible passage was as a young girl in a secondary school when my class discussed this during our morning devotion. I’ve got a vague memory of our thoughts on this, but I doubt we did an excellent job with it at that age.

Isaiah is the only prophet in the Old Testament who prophesied extensively about the person of Christ. You may be well aware that Christ’s entrance into the world and the life He led pale in comparison to the Jew’s expectation of the Messiah. In all fairness, no one at that time could grasp how this prophecy from Isaiah could be describing the Saviour of the Jews. In Isaiah 53, we meet a cruelly despised and rejected servant by the people around him. This sorrowful servant bore his people’s griefs and sufferings, yet they assumed God was punishing him. In reality, every wound, bruise, chastisement and stripes he received was for their sake. He endured all these like a silent lamb ready for the slaughter. Then the Father was pleased with him and exalted him. Like me, this imagery may have awed you, and you have often wondered about the why behind all these. After God’s grievance over His first creation, God was eager to relate to His creation again; however, animal sacrifices couldn’t fix the problem. Therefore right from the beginning, God embarked on a mission to restore His children through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross.

The only way God could relate to His children was for His Son to go through every pain and humiliation we would ever face. Have you noticed why it’s easier to pour your heart out to someone who has been through a similar experience? People who have been through an experience are better suited to advise and counsel others on that subject. There is a role called Expert by Experience in Mental Health. These are people who have had personal experience in mental health, and they are qualified to provide the support required. They are in touch with whatever emotions people are experiencing because they have walked on that path. Someone with no experience may struggle to relate to and understand the situation.

The detailed description of the sufferings of Christ in the passage tells me that God is interested in whatever pain we go through. Jesus went through the ultimate pain so He can feel our pain (Hebrews 2:18 NLT). In your suffering or pain, remember Jesus already took that upon Him, so you don’t have to go through it alone. We make Christ’s crucifixion of no benefit if we carry our pain around and suffer in silence instead of allowing Jesus to bear our pain and help us.

These profound blessings have been released to us by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

1. Jesus took our sufferings, so we don’t have to suffer.
2. Jesus felt our pain, so we don’t go through any pain alone.
3. God wounded Him for the wrong things we did, so we don’t receive the punishment due to us.
4. God crushed Him for the evil things we did, so we are never condemned.
5. God gave our penalty to him so He can eternally forgive us.
6. We are healed because of his wounds so we can live in good health.

Interestingly these blessings ties in beautifully with some promises I found in Psalms 103, and I want to share these with you.

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle! Psalms 103:2-5 NIV

He forgives

I, yes I, am the One and Only who completely erases your sins, never to be seen again. I will not remember them again. Freely I do this because of who I am! Isaiah 43:25 TPT

God has the power to forgive when we sin because He already crushed Christ with our sin on the cross. The death of Christ erased every offence you will ever commit. People can say they have forgiven you and genuinely mean it. If their circumstances change, they might forget about forgiveness and remind you of a past mistake you thought had been forgiven and forgotten. Married couples especially are culprits of this. How many times do we not bring up past offences in our current disputes? I know I am guilty of that. Only God can truly forgive and not keep reminding you of the wrong you did. The forgiveness God offers you has no limitations.

He heals

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NLT

God created us in perfection; the Bible says God created man in His image. God finds no pleasure in your pain because there is so much purpose in your life. Your Father has the heart and desire to heal your hurt because of the stripes Jesus had on the cross. The soldiers beat Jesus with rods, and the wounds inflicted on Him heals our diseases and makes us whole. There are testimonies of people in my life who experienced supernatural healing through prayers. God is the great healer, and His healing power is available to heal and set you free. Whatever pain you may be experiencing, whether physical, emotional or psychological, may the healing power in the blood of Jesus come over you right now. May you experience the goodness and mercy of God in your life right now in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen!

He redeems

He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant to be forever; holy is His name, inspiring awe, reverence, and godly fear. Psalm 111:9 AMPC

God is the restorer of life because He has the footprint of our life. God knows where you need to be at each stage of your life. Peter had his fair share of falling and being restored even beyond his comprehension among the people of faith. John said in John 10:10 that “the thief comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy“. The devil has no good thing in store for us; all he seeks is our destruction. Imagine what will happen in your mind and heart if you went a whole day or an entire week without praying or reading your Bible! You guessed right, all the worries, junk of the world, everything worldly will fill you up. Only God can keep you high and lifted above the woes of this world so the enemy cannot touch you. Even when the enemy comes your way and tries to pull you down, God has a hedge of protection around you. In 2 Kings 6:16-17 NIV, Elisha saw an entourage of heavenly angels surrounding him when the enemy came against him, and this is what our lives look like too. God is the great redeemer, and He delivers us from bondage into freedom.

He crowns with love

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life”. John 3:16 MSG

Out of the immeasurable love of God for us, He crowns us with love. His compassion knows no bounds. Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV tells us we can’t measure God’s love; even in our sin, He still loves us. We are in a relationship with our heavenly Father, who has put a crown of love on our heads. Take this in – you are walking and bearing a crown of love on your head. We live in a world devoid of love; people easily hurt each other, and as love-crown bearers, we have a responsibility to pour the love of God on others. We need to pray daily that our hearts will be so tender for the people in our lives. That we can painlessly pour out love on others in the midst of whatever life throws at us. God is calling you to live in this awareness and embrace the crown of love on your head.

He fills your life with good things

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

God is the great provider, and He has so much that He wants to give us. He supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. David said in Psalms 37:25, “I am old, and I have been young, but I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken and their children begging for bread”. When you stay under the banner of God, and you look up to Him as your Jehovah Jireh, you can be sure you will never be in need. He will satisfy your mouth with good things. I can look back on my life and see that when my family stayed under the feet of God, He always provided for us. In seasons when we didn’t honour God and lived our lives the way we wanted and spent our money however we wanted, we were depleted and incurred many debts. When we gave our lives to God, He turned our lives around, and now we have enough for ourselves and can be a blessing to others. He said in Psalms 81:10, “open your mouth, and I will fill it”. All He wants is for you to open up yourself, and He will open the resources of heaven over you so that He will bless you and make you a blessing.

He renews your youth like an eagle

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV

No matter your age, when your life is is hidden in God, you will find that He will renew you over and over again. As you get older, you don’t feel wearied and worn out; you will feel strengthened. I have my parents to testify to this. They are in their 70s, and they are still on their feet, pushing and pressing into the Kingdom. They can do all they are doing now because their heavenly Father renews them.

Finally!

God is offering these blessings to His children, including you! God forgives you when you fall. He heals you when you are sick. He redeems your life from the traps of the enemy. He crowns you with love and tender mercies. He satisfies your mouth with good things, and finally, He renews your life like an eagle. There is no place you can hide from His love. God wants to be in your life intimately. He wants to pour Himself on you. Open your heart and receive this from your heavenly Father! Praise God! Hallelujah!

Prayer

Thank you, Father, for Your only Son, Jesus Christ, whom you gave up to go through all this humiliation and suffering so we can enjoy an intimate relationship with you. We thank you for forgiving us for all the wrong we have done. We thank you for your healing power that is at work in us. May we live our lives as people who have been redeemed and crowned with love and mercy. We pray that all our lives, we will see you satisfy our mouths with good things as you renew our lives. May your name be praised, now and forever.

May you be filled with the Fullness of God and the Power of His Love!