Got a Question...

[Murph]

Jesus died on the cross in our place for our sins...He took what we deserved...for us and as us...

Now here is my question..."...By whose stripes ye are healed..."

Here's the whole verse from 1 Peter 2:24..."Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

and Isaiah 53:5 "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."

If Jesus died for our sins...why then "by whose stripes ye are healed..." ?

[Keith]

Albert Barnes Nptes om the Bible explains it well:

"The idea seems to be that the Saviour was scourged or whipped; and that the effect on us is the same in producing spiritual healing, or in recovering us from our faults, as if we had been scourged ourselves. By faith we see the bruises inflicted on him, the black and blue spots made by beating; we remember that they were on account of our sins, and not for his; and the effect in reclaiming us is the same as if they had been inflicted on us."

[Murph]

It's one of those things we read and re-read but one day we stop to really think about it...

hence the question...

Virgil?

Bob?

Drew?

Sylvia?

[Keith]

John Gill's Exposition on the Bible is even better:

"Sin is a disease, a natural and hereditary one, an epidemic distemper, that reaches to all men, and to all the powers and faculties of their souls, and members of their bodies; and which is nauseous and loathsome, and in itself mortal and incurable; nor can it be healed by any creature, or anything that a creature can do. Christ is the only physician, and his blood the balm and sovereign medicine; this cleanses from all sin; through it is the remission of sin, which is meant by healing; for healing of diseases, and forgiving iniquities, is one and the same thing."

[ldysly]

Keith has already given a very good explanation but I'll throw in my .02. Christ died for us and His blood covers us so that we may stand in front of God who is Holy and in whose presence NO sin is acceptable. Christ could have simply been taken to the cross (as so many criminals were in that day and time) as His "punishment" and been crucified. Most criminals were killed in this way and they were simply sentenced and not tortured or scourged first. So why was Christ the exception? I always felt that it was so we would see the scars and wounds that sin leaves on our souls. A physical manifestation of the rending and tearing of what each sin, no matter how small, does to us. For sin is not simple and it beats us and tears us over and over leaving scars on the perfection that God created. Christ shows us how truly tattered and torn we are, and how only He can heal us. He bears those scars so that we may only show perfection when we stand before God. The blood covers the sin and washes us clean but the scars are a permanent reminder.