Twenty-seventh Mountain Peak
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his. mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." Isaiah 53:4-8
THE PROPHET ISAIAH prophesied in detail how the Lord Jesus Christ would bear our judgement and sin. v. 4 He bore the griefs caused by our sinful thoughts, words and deeds. He had to pay the full price. Because of our sinful thoughts our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sakes. In a court, sometimes they cannot find a witness against the person who commits a crime. A man may commit a murder, but if there is no witness against him, the judge can set him free. In fact. there must be two or three witnesses against him. In many cases the police cannot get proper witnesses, and the case is a failure. In the case of the Lord Jesus Christ, He took it upon Himself to suffer for our thoughts, words and deeds, because we commit sin in the threefold area of thought, word and deed. The Lord Jesus Christ has borne the punishment for our three-fold sin. For our sinful thoughts He was spat upon; for our sinful words. He was reviled; and for our sinful deeds. His hands and His feet were nailed and His side pierced and His body scourged. He bore this for our sake, that we might be absolutely righteous and just before God. This gives us liberty and boldness in God's presence, and takes away the memory of our past sins. The devil tries to make us remember past sin. but we can say: "Lord, the devil is reminding me of my sin, but Lord, for my sake, you have been scourged, pierced and spat upon and have removed my condemnation, and made me righteous in your righteousness."' This gives us perfect liberty and boldness to go into His presence and encouragement to get up again and again when we fall. (Ps. 37:24; Micah 7:8; 2Cor. 4:9). Though we may fail because of some trial or temptation. yet the Lord's hand is there. How often we say, when we go on failing and failing, "How long will I remain like this?" But His hand is sufficient to raise us up. We find there are many who have failed for years and years, but who are now restored by the mighty hand of the Lord, and have overcome their weakness. No matter how deeply we have fallen into some sin. He is ever ready to forgive us and lift us up by His mighty hand, because the Lord has paid the full and complete price to redeem us from all our sins. It does not matter how shameful and humbling our sin may be. we can claim the atoning Blood for washing and cleansing by simple faith, and enjoy full liberty in God's presence.