From Jesus' Back Series

Series: Jesus’ Blood for Me

“From Jesus’ Back”

Isaiah 53:4-6

A sermon for 3/16/25 – Second Sunday of Lent

Pastor John Bright

Laurel Hill Global Methodist Church

Isaiah 53 “4 Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

A chicken and a pig were talking about how people don’t truly appreciate what goes into making a breakfast of eggs and ham. The chicken spoke first: “Folks don’t appreciate me and all the hard work it takes to lay an egg. It really hurts!” The pig replied, “That’s the difference between you and me. It takes commitment to lay an egg, but it takes sacrifice to supply the ham.” 😊

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Let’s review the First Key Principle for Redemption: Blood must be shed, and blood must be applied.

Jesus was the sacrifice – the source of the shed blood. We need commitment to apply that blood to all the parts of our lives.

Today, we turn to Isaiah 53:4-6. This scripture points to transgressions. Those are the wrongs we do willingly. This scripture also points to iniquities – the inner pain that drives us to make wrong choices. This whole passage speaks to the central place of the Cross of Calvary in the redemptive work of God.

The desire of God to redeem sinful humanity was revealed to the Prophets of the Old Testament. When the time was right, God sent His son, Jesus, to live and die so that God could purchase redemption for all our sins, transgressions, and iniquities. Galatians 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” Part of the “fullness of time” is that Jesus would be condemned to die, and it would include being bruised and bleeding. It would include a whipping so we can know “by His stripes we are healed.” That can also be translated as “we are being healed.” It is ongoing.

Roman short whip - flagrum

Last week, I showed you this nail. This week, I want to show you the Roman short whip, also called a flagrum. It was made of two or three leather (ox-hide) thongs or ropes connected to a handle. The leather thongs were knotted with several small pieces of metal, usually zinc and iron, attached at various intervals. Scourging would quickly remove the skin. According to history, the punishment of a slave was particularly violent and often ended in death. https://bible-history.com/past/flagrum

In both Mark 15:15 and Matthew 27:26, there is a mention of Jesus being scourged. That word means being beaten with a whip like the one I have here. The process began with the victim being tied to a post. The garments are removed to expose the skin on the back. Then, it was usually two soldiers repeatedly striking the victim until the back looked like hamburger. The goal was pain and blood loss. It was meant to severely weaken the person being crucified.

From His back – for our bodies

In the redemption process we are discovering during Lent, the back represents no defense, like when we are weak and sick. Isaiah 53:5 “by His stripes we are healed.” This promise is repeated in the New Testament: 1 Peter 2:24 “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” Listen to Hebrews 10:19-23 “19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” You really should have that one marked in your Bible! It starts with the blood of Jesus and ends with the faithfulness of God. You see, God does not change. It was God, back in Leviticus 17:11, who declared that life is in the blood.

Divine healing can be a touchy subject in the Church. Most will agree that it’s God’s intention or desire for His children to walk in health and wholeness. Do you agree? Also, we live in a fallen world. Do you agree? So, our bodies are caught in the middle. Why aren’t we talking more about how to stay healthy? I believe we need to claim the blood of Jesus for health and wholeness BEFORE we get sick.