All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one 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 53:6-8
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
— Isaiah 53:11-12
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
— Isaiah 53:10
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
— Genesis 3:15
Christ Wounded for Us, by Martin Luther.
He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
— Isaiah 53:5 a, b
This description of the suffering of Christ is very much suited to oppose other doctrines and religions. He was wounded for our transgressions. The prophet means, it is impossible to be justified by our own works. Our sins are not taken away by us, neither are guilt and punishment. Only Christ bears them. John the Baptist says, “behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”—John, Chapter One. Calling him a lamb shows that he is a sacrifice. This lamb, Christ, bears sin. This confirms what Isaiah says here. From this text, the apostles have delved up all their wisdom.
When Christ is wounded for our transgressions, then our works are condemned. No merits can obtain forgiveness of sins and grace. In the Holy Scriptures, there are many texts that seem to accredit to works while some other texts accredit to faith. And then also our nature, poor education, and wrong habits make it difficult for flesh and blood to continue in simple faith, not doubting but being sure to note that it makes no difference to do right or wrong. Christ suffered for my sins. If Christ is the person who bore our transgressions, then our good works certainly did not do that. Romans, Chapter 5—while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Our works are not Christ. Not the least human work contributes to justification and remission of sins—no matter how good and beautiful they seem. Not a single religion allows for this doctrine of justification, and even we ourselves have a hard time believing it, although we preach it openly. Our text is the foundation for the entire New Testament and the gospel, and this distinguishes us from all other religions. Only Christians believe that Christ was wounded for our transgressions, and they are just before God.
Not because they do good works or have done them, but because they take hold of the good works of another, namely, the suffering and death of Christ. Whosoever believes this truth of the suffering and death of Christ for our sins is safeguarded against all errors, and has the Holy Spirit, for without the Holy Spirit, you cannot learn or believe it truly. All those who left this doctrine are carried about with every wind of doctrine.
A Christian must have a peculiar wisdom to know what the true purpose and use of the law is and that of the works. Paul says in Romans, Chapter Three: therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. This text is as high above all laws and works as heaven is above earth. A Christian has entered a new world and wants to have nothing to do with works and merits. When he feels his sin, he must not see how they are on himself, but how they are on him upon whom God has laid them. This means he must see not how his sins are in him or in his conscience, but how they are in Christ, as Christ has reconciled and conquered them.
Then the Christian will have a pure heart, is free from sin by faith, and believes that his sins are conquered. He is safe against death because he believes that by the suffering and the merits of Christ, eternal righteousness and salvation are offered and given to him. This is included in our text from Isaiah. To look upon the sins of your heart dishonors God. The devil puts sin there, God does not. You need to look to Christ. When you see sin laid upon Him, then you are beyond peril of sin, death, and hell. Then you can say, my sins are not mine, as they are not on me, but they are of another. They are on Christ. Therefore, they do not wound me.
It is very difficult to accept and believe this in faith. To say, I have sinned, and yet, I have not sinned. Then you conquer that mighty lord, the conscience, which so often brings Christians in despair, even so much as to take their own life. Sin must be so far away from your sight that you do not see your actions, life or conscience, but you only see Christ. Then you will be cut off from yourself and be implanted in Christ.
Paul says, being a wild olive tree, we were grafted in on the root and the fatness of the good olive tree—Romans 11. Then you have been translated from the world into Christ. I use a lot of words around this bible text because I know how helpful it has been to me. To be a Christian is nothing else but continually being educated from this scripture, to keep in mind, I have no sins, although I have sinned, my sins are on Christ.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. — Isaiah 53:5
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