By His Stripes we are Healed - what does it mean?

Isaiah 53:5 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.

Jesus suffered for our sins. He was beaten, whipped, and crucified. He died a painful and humiliating death. But Jesus's suffering was not in vain. It was for our benefit. It brought us many blessings.

Consider: “By his stripes we are healed”.

People can often take these words and misunderstand and misapply them.

Now our Lord can and does heal of physical sicknesses. But not always.

There’s a key principle of Bible interpretation that says, Context is king. Some believe this verse is a promise of physical healing for Christians. That we have a guarantee of physical healing.

They confuse the promise of salvation with what they misunderstand as a promise of physical healing. It’s a common modern view of this verse. But it is actually a big mistake.

We have to take scripture in context. The context is of the sickness of sin – of guilt.

The Lord Jesus can heal that.

No matter what your views are about divine healing. And certainly we believe God can and does heal, in answer to believing prayer, when he so wills to. We can use many verses that encourage us to pray and trust God when we are sick.

But THIS verse is NOT talking about physical healing.

It’s talking about sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease.

The being “healed” it’s speaking of is being forgiven and saved, NOT physically healed.

You need this healing. We all do. You have this condition. Sin. He can cure you of that.

This is the greatest of all healings - emotional and spiritual healing.

If Isaiah 53:5 was talking about getting better from physical sickness, every person would have been made well.

And you would have to misapply these words to condemn every person who is sick as just not having enough faith to be healed. That it’s somehow their fault.

Actually, truth is, we will all get sick and die. That’s the reality. For all of us. Death is inevitable for all of us.

We have to look at the context of Isaiah (Isaiah 1:5-6), the book, and the passage… Isaiah is talking about the nation of Judah as being spiritually sick.

Jesus took the cup. What was his suffering for?

He was wounded - pierced for our transgressions (rebellion) and bruised - crushed for our iniquities (depravity).

It’s talking about sin. His sacrifice is for our sins, not for our sicknesses.

This is good news!

Fact is, you can be made whole.

You can have peace. Peace with God.

It’s saying we are restored, delivered, made whole.

By God’s providence, thank God, he can and does heal.

But the healing from his stripes is talking about that deepest need of the healing of our soul.

The whole context of Isaiah 53 is spiritual. It is about redemption. About restoration. It’s about addressing the broken relationship between God and humanity.

It says we have peace. Shalom. That’s what we need. And he answers that need.

Our minds need healing from anxiety. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Our souls also need to be healed when we go through traumatic experiences.

By his stripes our spirits can be healed.

When we read these words again, in 1 Peter, the whole context is talking about righteousness, about sin.

1 Peter 2:24-25 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Notice, it’s about sin. About righteousness. We are sick. The sickness it’s talking about is sin.

We need healing. And we are promised healing.

The healing we need is the healing of our wounded spirits.

Have you been wounded by sin?

It hurts. There’s pain. Sin brings misery. There’s loss - of peace, of wholeness.

Sin is often spoken of as a disease.

Only Jesus can heal that.

The healing is a metaphor for God’s forgiveness.

Jesus can heal the sin in our soul, and take it away.

He wants to heal our sinful spirits.

The truth is, Jesus didn’t die for our physical healing. He died to heal our soul from sin.

We can be made truly well and whole, in being saved.

There is deliverance. There is health and wholeness and rightness that is a spiritual thing.

One day, for sure, we will know ultimate physical healing.

We should praise him for his love and mercy.

Let’s tell others of this one who can save them and heal them on the inside.

Help others come to experience the forgiveness and peace that he offers.