For Our Transgressions

We may again commemorate the very meaningful days in which we recall the suffering and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are days wherein the Lord often lets His people experience something of the mediatorial labors of the King of His church. Who can ever express the value of it fully?

The glorification of the attributes of God is declared in that labor of Christ but also the complete salvation of the lost sinner. Christ in all of His glory is the great content of the gospel of God’s grace. Regrettably, man sees no value in this Mediator. The most gifted preacher is not able to show a hearer the glory in Christ. Even if an angel would, without interruption, speak to us for one thousand years about the inestimable splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ, even then, there would not be one person who would consider Him precious if the Lord Himself did not make place for Him in the heart and declare Him unto us by His Word and Spirit.

The prophet Isaiah, who is properly called the evangelist among the prophets, also knew of that. “Who hath believed our report?” he called out. That was his personal experience, for even if he would have preached for many more years, his preaching was despised and mocked.

Yet, this word is also a prophecy, for comparatively in its meaning it points to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. His appearing upon earth is a preaching in itself. It is a preaching of godly mercy whereby the Lord has sent His only begotten Son so that through Him lost ones may yet be saved. Who has believed His preaching? Just look at the history of the people of Israel. They have looked upon Him as One who was tormented and oppressed by God. Such a Messiah they did not expect, One who would suffer and die. No, they did desire a Messiah but One who because of His appearing in glory would capture their heart. One who would suffer and die could not be their Messiah. Even if Christ preached it Himself, they still would not believe His preaching, but they despised Him who is truly the Messiah.

That Jewish train of thought lives in the heart of the selfrighteous person who has never rightly understood his own lost condition by the knowledge of God’s righteous justice. A self-righteous man thinks that with all of his busyness with religious duties, with the worth of his prayers and church attendance, Bible reading and tithing, he is quite far on the way to heaven.

What must such people do with a wounded Jesus? Their heart breaks out in enmity when it is mentioned to them that with all that is ours, we cannot exist before God, for God has an aversion to all our works and all our so-called meritorious activities; they are insufficient.

According to His justice, He casts away all imperfect works—works defiled by sin. God instructs His people of that by means of the Spirit of reconciliation. That Spirit is so necessary if Jesus will ever obtain any value for a person. It is that Spirit which makes us acquainted with sin and judgment. It is that Spirit which completely uncovers so that the robe of righteousness only shall obtain its true value. Erskine says somewhere so beautifully that the Spirit of the Lord convinces, persuades, breaks down, humbles, and gathers, until a person does not know any better what to do, than to flee to Jesus—to that Jesus, who mankind has always resisted, stood in the way, and rejected with his religious activities—that Jesus in whom he saw no value because he was of the opinion that he could satisfy God in a different manner. Only when a person may come to the realization of his hopeless condition and becomes aware of the irredeemableness of his state and condition, is there place for Jesus.

Then it will be said with holy adoration, in wonderment, what the prophet calls out here, “But He was wounded for our transgressions.”

1. What great depths are hidden in this word of Scripture. In the first place, the word but. This word expresses a contrast. People have never thought that way before. He was despised and rejected. His calling to them of His eternal love was cast to the wind. In spite of all of His invitations it was decided to trust in our own works and merits, but when it became a cut off work, then it was as if a light arose in the darkness. “He was wounded for our transgressions.”

2. Our transgressions of heart, talk, and walk are why we have deserved eternal death. Because of those transgressions we are worthy to be cast in hell, for but one transgression makes us worthy of eternal death, and how many transgressions there are without number. We can never undo them, and that is why it is lost from our side.

3. Oh, the wonder of God’s mercy! It is written here: “He was wounded”—the eternal Son of God who was born holy, He who had lived a pure life and who never committed any sin, He who was perfectly sinless—He was wounded by the righteous sword of God’s wrath, He in the place of those who deserved to be cast into hell. He went into the fire of God’s judgment. They placed the crown of thorns upon His head and hung Him on the shameful cross, and that in our place. See, here is the object of adoration. Adore, here, eternal wisdom and love, goodness, and justice. Glorify, here, the great God who does wonders. Oh, lost one, here lies your salvation, not in your works, your tears or your merits but in this blessed Son of God. The soul who may repeat this with a mouth of faith, “Wounded for our transgressions” is himself worthy of hell and acknowledges this, but he is also full of a holy joy and wishes to proclaim it. A person cannot just keep it to himself. He who with an eye of faith still dares to speak of the Lord Jesus with a narrowness of mind, has never looked upon himself as one who is worthy of hell. Perhaps he is full of an imagined self-righteousness, but he has never experienced through a saving faith what that contains. Testify of it, soul, you who have seen something of it. Then there was a humbling wonderment in your heart and a holy joy in your soul. Oh, that you might also proclaim something of it in these days.

Is it possible that you have always tried to remove Jesus’ crown by seeking your salvation outside of Him, in yourself or some other creature? Oh, that for once you would say farewell to all of your self-righteousness and become a partaker of His righteousness alone.

There is room in that completed work even though your sins were more than the sand at the seashore. Of a certainty, your sins are not too many for Him. Do not through unbelief deny the power of His blood by saying that you are too black to be saved by Him. That is the greatest dishonor which you can ever lay upon Christ. “Still,” says someone, “I have dishonored Him so many times already, and for such a long time.”

Have you done that and He now will no longer be a Deliverer for you? Take the time to read this chapter. The prophet predicts that this would happen. We have despised Him. That is now your picture. You have despised Him because you have considered the weight of your guilt greater than the power of His blood. Yet, in truth, that blood is weightier, more precious, more glorious and more sufficient than any person can say, yea than even an angel could say.

Oh, cast yourself at the feet of Christ as the greatest of all of His despisers, and you will experience that He will stretch out His hands of godly mercy over you, and you will also experience what it means to say, “Wounded for our transgressions.”

Then there are no words which may express it; all that is left is adoration. Then you will join in with the song of praise of the congregation which above, but also here below, will already sing His praises. On the other hand, my reader, if you will continue to dishonor Him by loving sin, to adore your own self-righteousness and despising Christ, know that He who was once wounded only out of love towards the salvation of His people, will soon be your Judge and that He then will exert His holy wrath upon all who have not valued Him and who have continued to dishonor Him. “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.”

Blessed are the people that have been able to kiss Him with lips of faith, who here stammer but who will eternally rejoice, “Wounded for our transgressions.”

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