The Punishment for Our Peace Was Upon Him

by Rittha Naftal | 13 September 2022 08:46 am09

QUESTION: What does the Bible mean when it says, “The punishment for our peace was upon Him”?

Isaiah 53:5  – “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.”

ANSWER: To grasp the full meaning of this verse, let’s first consider a simple example: Imagine someone is fined 5 million shillings for an environmental violation. They have three weeks to pay, or they will face a three-year prison sentence. If they cannot pay the fine, they will lose all peace, knowing the judgment of imprisonment is inevitable. In order to restore their peace, they must somehow pay the fine. But then, someone steps in and says, “I will pay the fine for you.” As a result, the person who owed the fine would experience peace again because the debt has been paid for them.

This illustrates what happened when Jesus Christ took our punishment. In the same way, in order for our lost peace to be restored, Jesus had to bear the punishment that was rightfully ours. Isaiah 53:5 shows us that Jesus, the suffering servant, took on the punishment of our sin and transgression to bring us peace with God.

Now, let’s examine this verse more closely. Isaiah 53 is a prophetic description of Jesus Christ’s suffering, which would occur hundreds of years later. When it says, “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,” it means that the punishment required for our peace with God was placed on Jesus. This is a reference to the fact that because of sin, humanity was separated from God, and there was no peace with Him (Romans 3:23). Our sins deserved judgment, but Jesus, as the Lamb of God, took upon Himself the penalty we owed.

In theological terms, this is known as substitutionary atonement. Jesus was our substitute. He took the place of sinners on the cross, satisfying the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8). By His suffering, death, and resurrection, He paid the penalty for sin and restored the possibility of peace between humanity and God.

Romans 5:1 , “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This peace is not just an emotional state but a restored relationship with God, made possible only through the work of Jesus Christ. Before Christ, we were at war with God, as explained in Romans 8:7

Romans 8:7 “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.”

But through Christ, our hostility has been removed, and we are reconciled to God as Romans 8:1 assures us further.

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

This is the amazing truth of the gospel: For those who are in Christ, there is no longer any condemnation. Jesus took the punishment that was meant for us, and in return, we receive His peace and forgiveness.

Sadly, many people still reject this offer of grace. They believe they can somehow withstand God’s judgment on their own. But Hebrews 9:27 warns us,

“Hebrews 9:27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”

and Revelation 20:15 clearly states,

“Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Outside of Christ, there is no hope, and there is no escape from eternal punishment.

This is why you need Jesus Christ today. The Bible makes it clear that once you die, your eternal fate is sealed. Ephesians 2:8-9  tells us,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

We cannot earn salvation by our works; it is a gift from God. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, now is the time to turn to Him. Repent of your sins, believe in His finished work on the cross, and receive His peace.

2 Corinthians 6:2 says,

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

The time is urgent. Do not wait until it is too late. Jesus is the only way to peace with God, and He offers this peace freely to all who will receive it.

The Lord is Coming.

Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2022/09/13/43343/

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