“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)

How mindful we should be of the pain and shame our LORD submitted to for the salvation of His people! Why was such suffering necessary?

(1.) That the Scripture might be fulfilled, which spoke of His being stricken, smitten, and afflicted, and the chastisement of our peace being upon Him (Isa. 53:5), of His giving His back to the smiters (Isa. 50:6), of the plowers plowing upon His back, (Ps. 129:3). He also had foretold it, (Mt. 20:19; Mk. 10:34;Lu. 18:33), knowing the path which the law and justice of God had traced for Him as the sinner’s Substitute.

(2.) That by His stripes we might be healed. We deserved to be beaten with many stripes, having known our LORD’s will and not done it. But Christ underwent the stripes for us, bearing the rod of His Father’s wrath, (Lam. 3:1). Pilate’s design in scourging Him was that He might not be condemned, attempting to skirt having to crucify our LORD. Yet, being condemned by the Father’s purpose, Christ’s being scourged prevented the condemnation of His people.The Great Physician was scourged, and thereby the patient healed.