February 15, 2026

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

This verse reveals two sides of rightly contemplating Christ’s suffering.

First, true contemplation should produce a terror-stricken heart and a despairing conscience. Why? Because His suffering on the cross displays God’s unwavering hatred for our sin. God’s revulsion is so great that He will pardon sinners from His just judgment only at the cost of His beloved Son as the bloody propitiation for our transgressions.

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities…”

We must recognize that it is our sins that nailed Jesus to the cross and our transgressions for which He suffered. To contemplate Christ’s sufferings rightly, each believer must grasp that you are the one who tortures Him there. It is for your sins that His blood is shed. As one writer expressed it, “Therefore, when you see the nails piercing Christ’s hands, you can be certain that it was your work. When you behold his crown of thorns, you may rest assured that these are your evil thoughts…” Every nail that pierced Jesus should have pierced us.

Feel the weight of that truth: it was your hands that deserved those spikes, your guilt that merited every lash, every thorn, every gasp of agony while we have sinned without a blush. Don’t stop here! There is good news for those who continue to ponder His sufferings on our behalf.

“The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him…”

What does “for our well-being” mean?

It means, at minimum, our salvation—the forgiveness of sins and deliverance from God’s just judgment. But it means more. When we grasp it’s our sins that caused Christ’s suffering, despair follows. Therefore “well-being” must also include conquering our despair. As Isaiah writes, “…by His scourging we are healed…”

Though Jesus died for our sins, He was not destroyed. On the contrary, as Paul declares, death and sin’s power were defeated through His cross and resurrection:

“…Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

“He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25).

Your healing and well-being includes not only the forgiveness of your sins but also the gift of His righteousness, credited to you through faith in His suffering and resurrection. Rest in Him, for all that you need has been accomplished in Christ.

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).