Wounded For Us

Text: “He was wounded (pierced) for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5).

The King James Version of God’s Word uses the word “wounded” while the New International Version uses the word “pierced” in reference to our transgressions.

When we speak of a “wound”, we usually refer to an injury in which the skin is cut, torn, or opened exposing the tissue below the surface of the skin. The dictionary also refers to a wound in terms of hurt feelings.

The word “pierced” indicates a wound caused by a sharp pointed object, letter opener, ice pick, screwdriver, pencil, etc. The object makes a hole instead of a cut, but the result is still a wound. This word can also be used in reference to feelings such as a feeling of anguish or a feeling of deep understanding.

Throughout this message I will use the word “wounded” because I believe it brings forth more heart-felt meaning as to what was being prophesied concerning our Messiah.

We have the advantage of knowing this prophesy came true. We also know the Messiah was a man named Jesus Christ. We need to know something about this Person named Jesus. There has been no other man like him. He was different.

Who was this Jesus? Scripture tells us that Jesus was non-other than God Himself. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is the Word, God incarnate or God in the flesh or God in human form – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

Jesus is the Son of God. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world… (John 3:16, 17). There is no question that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus’ intelligence is brought to light as He was “… sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:46, 47). Remember, Jesus was only 12 years of age when this event took place.

Jesus is the key that is capable of unlocking the mysteries of all ages. “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Jesus created everything from nothing.

Since He created everything nothing is a mystery to Him, but it is a mystery to mankind. Anything that is a mystery can be revealed to us through our faith in Jesus, our obedience to Him, our trust in Him, and our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Savior.

Jesus was in the bosom of His father… “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18). Jesus did not have an earthly father so He did not have an earthly conception. He was in the Father’s bosom so His relationship with the Father was that of Son.

Jesus was in the lap of the Father which indicates He was in the lap of divinity. He was with the Father from the beginning of time and therefore He is divine. No person in the world can ever claim to have been in the lap of the Father. Jesus and God are one and they are Deity. No human being has ever been conceived by Immaculate Conception. All of us have or had an earthly father and mother.

Jesus was God’s revelation to man. God revealed Himself to man through the person of Jesus. Before the birth of Jesus, God spoke to people like Moses, but none of these people ever saw the face of God. When God spoke to Moses, He spoke to him through a pillar of cloud (Exodus 33:10).

God said to Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). Man is finite (limited or restricted) and morally or ethically imperfect, therefore, man cannot see God as He is.

Jesus said, “No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only He has seen the Father” (John 6:46). Those who were fortunate to have seen the Son saw God because the Father was revealed to man through the Son. All the attributes the Father has the Son also has.

Jesus was God’s letter written to the world and containing the deepest secrets of His heart. The heart of God was so filled with love for mankind that He wanted to give mankind an opportunity to reject the sinful nature of disobedience and attain righteousness.

Jesus exemplified the attributes and characteristics of God. The love of the Father emanated through Jesus in such a way that people were drawn to Him like steel is drawn to a magnet. For example, a certain scribe came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go” (Matthew 8:19). This scribe was willing to follow Jesus regardless of the cost of discipleship.