What does it mean that Christ was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5)?

Response

In the final of Isaiah’s Servant Songs, we find this passage: “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” «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. », (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV).

The “wounding” mentioned here would lead to a severe injury. The Hebrew term literally means “pierced” or “bored through.” The Message Bible vividly portrays the horror of the scene and the vicarious aspect of Christ’s death: “It was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!” Most contemporary translations of Isaiah 53:5 use the term pierced. The piercing of Jesus’ hands and feet (with nails), side (with a spear), and head (with thorns) fulfill this prophecy of Isaiah in a literal sense.

The Suffering Servant depicted in Isaiah 53 is a Sin-bearer. The entire chapter 53 of Isaiah focuses on the suffering of God’s Servant, the Messiah, as He bears the punishment for the wrongs committed by others. The Messiah had committed no wrong. He is the “righteous servant” (verse 11), and “he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” (verse 9).

A transgression is an act of rebellion. Isaiah 53:5 specifically states that Christ was wounded for our transgressions, for our rebellions. He had not rebelled against God; in fact, He always obeyed the Father’s will (John 5:19;John 6:38). It was our rebellion against God that caused the problem. Christ, in His mercy and grace, was wounded to address the issue.

When we saw Christ hanging on the tree, we gasped and, in our pride, assumed that He mustI have done something terrible for God to punish Him in such a way: “We esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted” «Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. », (Isaiah 53:4, NKJV). Or, as the Message Bible puts it, “We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.” But we were wrong. Christ was suffering on the tree for our sake. It takes humility to acknowledge that it was our own sin that was laid on Christ and that He was mercifully taking the punishment that we deserved.

The fact that Christ was wounded for our transgressions clearly points to the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement. His death was vicarious—that is, He died for us sinners. Christ suffered death as our substitute. He received the penalty our sins deserved, and we received, in exchange, the blessings His righteousness had earned. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21). It’s an amazing trade.

The fact that Christ was wounded for our transgressions establishes a direct connection between the passion of Christ and our iniquities. In the wisdom of God, the death of Christ was not only the penalty we deserved, but it was also the remedy we needed. Through the sacrifice of Christ, we are reconciled to God: “While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son” «For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. », (Romans 5:10, NKJV).

Mans 5:10).

Finally, it’s worth mentioning Isaiah’s perspective here: he writes, “He was wounded for our transgressions,” not “He was wounded for your transgressions.” Isaiah positioned himself among the transgressors who caused the Messiah’s wounds. The prophet could have enumerated numerous sins committed by the rebellious people of Judah, but he refrains from doing so in this instance. Instead, Isaiah includes himself among them and portrays himself as equally guilty. We are all sinners, and we all require the Savior.