But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our inequities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (NIV)
Does God promise physical healing in this lifetime to all believers? This is a rally cry for many Charismatic and Word of Faith adherents. The claim is that since we are Christians and Christ bore not only our sin but also our sickness, then there is no reason sickness should dwell in our body. Often, Isaiah 53:4-5 and taken out of context to support this point. We will primarily be looking at this verse, as well as Matthew 8:17 and 1 Peter 2:24 to gain clarity on what these verses mean and how we should apply them to our life. Isaiah 53:4-5, when read and studied in context, has little to do with physical healing. Although there is a place in Christ’s sacrifice and atonement for physical healing (more on that later), this particular verse doesn’t necessarily speak to it.
First, as with any biblical verses we deal with, it is important to understand the context of when it was written, who it was written by and to, and the contextual concepts that appear in the writing.
History
This verse appears in the latter part of the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was one of the major prophets and lived during the reign of King Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BC). This was during the decline of the Israel and the expansion of the Assyrian Empire. Assyria would ultimately conquer Israel (the 10 northern tribes) with the help of Judah in 722 BC. Because of Judah’s compliance, Isaiah warned that Judah would be brought into captivity via Babylon. This is predicated by Assyria’s visit to King Hezekiah’s kingdom, when the boastful Hezekiah eagerly shows the Assyrian leadership his reserves of riches and protection (Isaiah 36:1,6).
This is important to note because the fall of Judah is well beyond Isaiah’s lifetime. This is also true of Judah;s restoration (539 BC). Isaiah even calls out Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1-3), the king who would be led, by God’s hand, to let the Babylonian Judaeans back into Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (516 BC).
The book of Isaiah is split into two parts, with a number of subheads:
Part 1: The Book of Judgment (chapters 1-39) 1. Messages of Rebuke and Promise (chapters 1-6) 2. Prophecies of Armenia and Israelite Threat against Judah (chapters 7-12) 3. Judgment against the Nations (chapters 13-23 4. Judgment and Promise (The Lord’s Kingdom) (chapters 24-27) 5. The Six Woes: 5 on Israel and 1 on Assyria (chapters 28-33) 6. More Prophecies on Judgment and Promise (chapters 34-35) 7. Historic Transition from the Assyrians to Babylonian exile (chapters 36-39)
This first part details the fallen nation of Israel and the coming threat of judgment. It is important to remember that God’s judgment isn’t a fire and brimstone application, but a human one. Just as the Israelites were used against the Canaanites in the Promised Land, so God uses the Assyrians as a blunt force instrument against an unbelieving Jewish nation. Israel, from the very beginning of the great split, started off badly and continued to get worse. When a people begin in defiance to God (see the story of Jeroboam) and continue in their defiance through the generations, God, who doesn’t want a single beloved person to perish (2 Peter 3:9), is ever patient - until he isn’t.
Part 2: The Book of Comforts (chapters 40-66)
1. The deliverance of restoration of Israel (chapters 40-48) 2. The Servant’s Ministry and Israel’s Restoration (chapters 49-57) 3. Everlasting Deliverance and Everlasting Judgment (chapters 58-66)
So if you are to peruse this book, you’ll find a very deliberate tone change from the Book of Judgment and the Book of Comforts. The first section ends with a series of woes that befall Israel and send them on a path to destruction (chapters 28-33). Furthermore, Isaiah predicts the deliverance of Jerusalem through this but also predicts the Babylonian exile (chapter 39).
But when we get to the very next chapter, Isaiah begins a new line of restorative concepts, beginning with the coming of the victorious God (40:1-26). The first section, up to chapter 48 deal mainly with this restorative message, meaning that the Messiah is coming to offer a new restoration to his people.
When we get to chapter 49, we begin to see the references to the servant, Christ, through Isaiah’s writings. This becomes the story of Christ’s sacrifice, which is detailed in Isaiah 52 and 53, which we will break down here:
Isaiah 52
1 Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. 2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive. 3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
The “awake awake” statement is the last of several which are a call to Jerusalem to put on strength and remember God’s promises and judgment (51:9, 17). Jerusalem “sold for nothing”, meaning Jerusalem (Judah), just like Israel, wandered after other gods. Yet, they would be blessed through the redemption of another. In other words, the great and depth-filled mercy of God would answer their life of sin and disobedience. And in the rest of chapter 52 and especially in chapter 53, we will see the depth of that sacrifice, the cost of redemption, paid by another.
4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them. 5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the Lord. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”
God’s people were continually oppressed through history. First in Egypt, then through Assyria and finally they were “taken away for nothing” by Babylon. These oppressive powers didn’t recognize the sovereign God and thus operated in blaspheming, bringing disrespect, and simply not believing. But even through this unjust behavior, God will glorify His name.
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
How does the word of God become known? Through the people who bring it. Those who bring the good news are actively partnering with God to bring salvation to others. This is a beautiful thing, illustrated in the beautiful feet (activity) of the those in God’s service. Through those who bring the word, there will also be those who listen. Those who listen bring it to others. Suddenly people begin to know God’s word through the action of those willing to bring it. This is a joyous thing that the word of God can be preached to nations and peoples. His holy arm, those bringing the word, completes the thought at the beginning of the chapter: Awake, awake, put on strength!
11 Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house. 12 But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
These verses are both intended for the Babylonian captives and those at the end of time. When we see this it is called a near and far fulfillment. This is a call to separate from Babylon, both physically and spiritually, so that we can become pure and unattached to the world. If we are to become pure in the sight of God, we must detach from he world around us, the corrupt world that aims to defile us. God, of course, will be with us in this journey.
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant 13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness-- 15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
This servant was spoken of in Isaiah 42:1, 49:3 and 49:6. He will be the focus through the rest of Isaiah 52 and all of 53. We will also note that this is the passage the Ethiopian asks Philip in the book of Acts (Acts 8:34-35): The Eunuch asked Philip, “tell me please, who is the prophet talking about , himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. This word for servant, Ebed, can refer to a slave, subjects, worshipers, prophets, Levities, servants of Israel, or as a form of address between equals. But if we read it in the context provided, we can see that Isaiah is referring to the Messiah, the servant of mankind, Jesus. It distinguishes it from any other servant in the book of Isaiah, since Isaiah uses the word in a number of different spots: Isaiah refers to himself as a servant of the Lord (Isaiah 20:3) Eikiakim (22:20) David (37:35) Israel (41:8-9)
So when we read in context (and what follows) we can see that this is a reference to Christ. This follows as we continue, for the Lord speaks through this passage, calling Christ a “servant”. This servant (if you go to the King James version, you will see the S is capitalized, giving further credence to the importance of the servant), will be victorious. This is before we get to the massive amount of suffering he must endure. This further points to God’s ultimate plan, laid out before the beginning of the world, a plan of redemption through blood. His visage would be so damaged through the cruelty of the Romans that he was unrecognizable (Luke 22:63-64). But, even though Christ would go through a vicious torment, he would “sprinkle” many nations. Sprinkling, in Old Testament jargon, often refers to cleansing from sin (Exodus 24:8, Leviticus 3:8, Number 19:21, Ezekiel 36:25). Through this atoning work, Christ will cause the authorities of the world to quake and have nothing to say at his appearance (Daniel Chapter 2). They will understand that they have operated in blindness, but upon Christ’s return, they will be able to see.
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
V1: Who indeed has believed what the prophets have revealed? It seems contradictory that a servant would come as the key to salvation. This was not what the Jews were looking for in a Messiah. They were looking for a military leader that would bring Israel back to it s former glory. But this agrees with Israel’s fallen nature. Remember, Israel is so far gone spiritually that they cannot see the Messiah as he stands before them. The arm of the Lord is revealed, but this too seems contradictory. The arm of the Lord is an expression of power. But this Messiah, as displayed in human terns, is weak and powerless. He succumbs to the authorities; he doesn’t fight back; there are no insults hurled from him. He accepts his fate and marches toward it. But the truth is this: Christ’s strength, power and glory will be expressed through suffering. V2: Jesus grew up as a tender shoot. A tender shoot (plant) is weak and vulnerable. But in God’s power and presence, something that seems weak is actually strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). Over time, Christ, who grew up as a human child, would have increased in knowledge and wisdom (Luke 2:52). He grew out of the dry ground of Galilee. Spiritually, politically and standard of life was all low in this region, dry ground. According to Isaiah, Jesus also was not given the advantage of good looks. In the KJV version, the word comeliness is used, meaning he did not have physical attractiveness. He came from a repressed place and had nothing really going for him socially or physically. V3: Although we don’t know a great deal about Christ’s formative years, Isaiah acquaints him with great personal sorrows. Familiar with pain. Beyond not having a social standing and not being blessed physically, he was also burdened through a great many life trials, perhaps personal tragedy. When his ministry began, he was certainly despised by many. Humanity values standing, physical beauty, charisma, all of these things Christ did not possess.
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
V4: Verse 4 & 5 are where we will spend an ample amount of time dissecting what the scripture means. But before we do, we have to look at the context what Isaiah is writing. First, beginning from chapter 52, we see that he is talking about the Messiah to come, who will suffer and die for our sins. But as we’ll see, these verses are telling us an interesting truth, complex, but a truth nonetheless. First, the NIV translates the Hebrew as pain and suffering. But let’s look at some other translations:
NLT Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
ESV, NKJV, KJV Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
AMPLIFIED But [in fact] He has borne our griefs, And He has carried our sorrows and pains; Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken, Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him] When we go the Hebrew for clarification, we get a further complication of the original text. The word used here is holi (Kholee), which means sickness or suffering. So when we see this word used in scripture, half the time it is used as a reference to sickness, disease or illness. In this case, it appears to be used for physical sickness. It can also be used as a malady, anxiety or a calamity. Verse 4 is about the burden Christ took upon Himself for us. Remember, Isaiah doesn’t have a complete picture of the Messiah or what God is doing. He is “reporting” what God is initiating. In 1 Peter, we see that the prophets did the best they could but didn’t have the entire picture. Their telegraphing of prophecy was meant for future generations, even though they had a cloudy idea of what they reported (1 Peter 1:10-12). Isaiah is showing us that Christ took our pain upon Himself. Those griefs (Kholee) and sorrows (Makobe) were carried by Him. In this, man saw the suffering Jesus, but that’s all man saw. They didn’t see what Jesus was doing when he bore our pain on his back on the trudge toward Calvary. Man assumed he was stricken by God, afflicted by the almighty, without understanding at the time of what was happening.
V5: This verse brings together the larger thought that began in Isaiah 52 and that will continue onto the end of 53. Let’s look at it in several translations.
NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
NLT But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
ESV But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
KJV, NKJV 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.
AMPLIFIED But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.
When we look at the root words that are common to all these translations (transgressions, iniquities), we see the following:
Transgressions: The Hebrew word is Pessa, which means a crime, offense, some sort of wrongdoing. This is the word Isaiah uses to help us understand why Christ bore our pain. It was because we were horribly and decidedly sinful. Our rebellion outweighed anything else we could use to call ourself good.
Iniquities: The Hebrew word Awon is used to convey the point of a misdeed, but in particular guilt caused by sin. It deals with the punishment that we should face in the presence of a loving God. This fate was on Christ, taken on by Him to give us the chance to redeem ourselves before our maker.
It is through what Christ has done for us, the scourging he experienced, that the healing of redemption is available to us. If we go back to Isaiah 53 and read in context we can see this come into clarity:
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
The strength of the Lord is coming, but not the way you think
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He had nothing going for him politically, socially or financially
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
He was despised and humanity didn’t think much of him
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
Regardless of his position, he had the power of God and took our sins upon himself
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
He bore our sins and our rebellion and took them to the cross, and by what he did, we are healed through a belief in him
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He did this because we all have gone astray; but Jesus did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves
Now the rest of Isaiah 53 is really important, because beyond the two verses that are often quoted as pre-eminent verses that verify healing is part of the atonement and we should expect, demand, and be healthy all the time, the rest of Isaiah 53 shows the true context of what Isaiah is explaining.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Jesus did not retaliate. He accepted his fate
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
Why didn’t Jesus oppose? Because he knew that what he did was meant to save me, you, and everyone in the world 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Even by human standards he was killed for no real reason.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
It was God’s will that Jesus went through the agony of the cross as an offering for sin
11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Christ died for our sins.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Christ made a way for sinners to repent and be redeemed to God
Healing As noted before, there is some complexity in the ideas, especially in verse 53:4. The idea of verse 4 and 5 are merged to imply a concept of healing being part of the atonement of Christ.
Verse 4 is a different thought than verse 5. Let’s look at it again:
V4: Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
This verse is about what Christ took on himself from a pain standpoint. Grief can be translated as sickness, but that simply means that Christ took on the human experience of grief, suffering, sickness and affliction.
V5: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
So Christ took on our pain but he was punished for our sins, our transgressions, our guilt and our rebellion. He was not crucified for our sicknesses and our illnesses. Now, this is what I believe to be the correct interpretation of Isaiah 53:4-5. When read in context it shows that Isaiah is talking about a spiritual healing that occurred at the cross. But what about physical healing? Is there provision for that in the atonement as well? Yes.
When we go to Matthew 8, which is a chapter that shows many of Christ’s healings, we get an understanding of how God works in healing through Jesus.
First, this chapter shows the healing of four different people in four different ways:
People 1. A Jew with no social or religious privileges 2. A Roman Centurion 3. A woman related to one of Jesus’ followers 4. Unnamed people
They made their requests (asks) in different ways: 1. A direct request from he sufferer, made in his own faith 2. A request made on the behalf of another 3. No request made and no evidence of faith from the healed 4. Sufferers were brought to Jesus
Jesus healed in different ways: 1. Jesus touched a leper 2. Jesus used a word from a distance 3. Jesus used a tender touch 4. A variety of unnamed methods
These stories are found in Matthew 8:1-16. But the important part that pertains to our discussion is found in verse 17:
He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.
We have to understand verse 17 is in reference to Jesus’ healing ministry. It is in reference to the very miracles that Matthew recorded in his gospel. But he does quote Isaiah, and as we’ve seen, some of the words we’ve explored so far can mean sickness. The words Matthew uses are astheneia (diseases) and nosos (sickness).
So, is there physical healing in the atonement? Yes, of course there is. But we must note this: all of the atonal promises aren’t all for this lifetime. For instance, as we’ve learned in Isaiah’s writings, Jesus suffered and bore our sickness, our infirmities, but he went to the cross for our transgressions. He suffered and died for our sins, not for our physical healing.
So how do we square what Matthew and Isaiah say? And what about Peter, who quotes Isaiah in 1 Peter 2:24? Let’s throw that in the mix before we come to a conclusion:
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
As always, it is a good practice to read everything in context. Let’s look at the broader picture of what Peter is talking about:
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
To what are we called? Again, when we look at scripture in context, we find that Peter has been talking about authority, and how important it is for us to understand authority and submit to it, even if we don’t agree with it. He takes us through two examples. The first is governmental authority. The second is between slaves and masters. Before we get to chapter three, which tells us about authority in a husband and wife relationship, he tells us that part of our journey on earth is to suffer. We suffer under authorities we don’t agree with, under laws that suppress us, bosses that are corrupt, situations that test us. It’s all part of our journey in this world.
Christ is an example of this suffering. Instead of protesting his innocence or hurling insults at his captors, Christ did neither. He submitted himself to the ruling authority. Why? Because he knew that God instituted that authority, and to rebel against it was to rebel against God’s will. He entrusted himself to the ultimate judge, God, who judges in a correct, fair and impartial fashion. He bore our - what- our sins, so that we may die to our sins and live for righteousness. So that we could come in repentance and be forgiven, become new, move forward in life with a new set of values that reflect what God values. Our sins are the wounds that are healed.
So, Isaiah 53:4-5 and 1 Peter 2:24 are talking about spiritual healing. Matthew is talking about physical healing. And yes, there is physical healing available through the atonement. But physical healing is not guaranteed in this lifetime. It isn’t something we claim or declare, it isn’t something we can speak into existence. Physical healing is something granted by God to whomever he chooses. If we look at some of the things promised in the atonement, we may get a clearer picture.
The Atonement Promises in the atonement include:
Eternity Forgiveness of sins A new heart and spirit We will be kept by God Rest for your souls Salvation Glorified body No more sin, pain, sickness and death
What we need to understand is that God’s promises are trustworthy and we shouldn’t doubt them. But we also need to realize that not all of the atonement promises are meant for this life. When we believe in Christ and are changed forever, our sins are forgiven. We have salvation. It is bought and paid for. But we don’t have eternity yet. We don’t have a glorified body. Some of the promises of the atonement aren’t for this life. In this life we still carry things like sin, pain, sickness and death. Christ himself warned that we will have troubles in this life, meaning that because we believe and follow, we aren’t immune to the physical nature of this world (John 16:33). We all grow older and die. We go through sickness and adversity. But one day, after our earthly life is done, we will meet God and every tear will be wiped away (Rev. 21:4). Some of the atonement promises are meant for this world, others are not.
Now in regard to healing, God can heal whomever he wants. If we stroll back to Matthew 8, we see that Jesus healed different people, for different reasons in different ways. That is how God operates. He heals whom he wants to heal. He is sovereign. He is God and he does what he pleases with his creation (Psalm 115:3, Job 42:2, Proverbs 19:21, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11, Psalm 103:19, 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, Psalm 135:6, Proverbs 21:1, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 46:9-10, Genesis 50:20, Romans 9:8, Romans 9:21, Lamentations 3:37, Proverbs 16:33, Ephesians 1:11-12, Isaiah 43:13, 1 Timothy 6:15, Proverbs 16:4, Deuteronomy 32:39, Isaiah 45:7, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Colossians 1:16, Acts 2:23, Revelation 4:11, John 6:44, Isaiah 14:27, Ephesians 2:8-10, Isaiah 14:24, Exodus 4:11, Genesis 1:1, Matthew 10:29-30,Jeremiah 32:17, Philippians 1:6, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Daniel 2:21, Romans 9:11, John 1:3-4,Romans 11:36 ).