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What does it mean that Christ was wounded? It means just that. Wounds are physical incursions and dislocations of the body. That's why the Second Person of the Trinity became a man. Wounds can also be mental affronts to the emotions, personality and inner self which can give pain sometimes far worse than the bodily kind. The old saying "sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you" is one of the most wrong-headed sayings ever.

When a young child is told that if he leaves the backyard and wanders into the neighbor's yard where a vicious Doberman is chained, he will be spanked, then, if he disobeys he is spanked. This wound hurts the child. When a little girl is told that if she lies about her little brother, or if she keeps hitting him, she will be spanked, then she has to be punished for her willful disobedience. When soldiers are informed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice and by the United States Code that treason is punishable by death, then convicted traitors expect to be so "spanked" by the rulers for their perfidy. When you are bad you understand that the good must wound you. The wounding is proportionate to the offense, but the penalty for betrayal and murder is always the ultimate spanking: blood for blood, life for life. When Adam and Eve committed suicide such action was horrible enough, but when one understands that they effectively murdered the whole succeeding human race the penalty of death seems not even harsh enough. Their act of open defiance guaranteed that all of their children, all of you included, would be born not in the image of God, but in the image of filthy, sinful, selfish, enemies. But also, you should be wounded for all the bad things you've done (just today alone).

What does it mean He was bruised? I think you know the answer to that question. There are bruises which we get when we bang our legs into the desk, when we fall off our bikes, when he hit our thumbs with the claw hammer. There are bruises when we inflict our rage and murderous anger upon our fellow man. From black and blue to red and raw they are all foul signs that the body is not glorified, indeed that it can be broken to the point of ugliness, disfigurement and death.

You wound and you bruise others daily. You condone and support others who sometimes do the wounding and bruising in your name and on your behalf. But then also, you are oftentimes the bruisee as much as the bruisor.

For certain offenses the Israelites were to receive lashes upon the back; punishment that would hurt, would get their attention, would make a visible point or lesson, and that would leave a bruise and a wounded ego (and certainly a wounded back). But remember, for blasphemy against God, for false worship and apostasy, the punishment was always bruising and wounding unto death.

So what does it mean when Isaiah prophesies that He was "wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities?" Again, you know the answer by the power of the Holy Ghost working through the "Law- Words" of the Lord. You correctly make the mental change of the plural pronoun from "our" to the singular "mine." Jesus was beat up for your mistakes. Jesus was punched around, slapped and humiliated for your snits, tantrums, bad words and thoughts, and general surliness to your fellow creatures. Every time you've harbored a covetous or lustful thought, SNAP went the whip across His back. Every time you've been cruel with your tongue, lied, cheated, gossiped, BANG went the hammer onto the spikes, nailing Him down.

The only way for a perfectly Good Triune God to deal with sin was to take care of it "head on." The only way the Law which Adam broke, and which you break can be made right again is for someone to keep it right; to do it right; to make it right. The "Righteous One," Christ Jesus did with His perfect obedience. The only way for the slate of treasonous crimes to be wiped clean was for someone to pay the price; the just punishment of death. The "Righteous One," Christ Jesus did with His passive suffering of bruises and wounds. He was made sport of, He was disrobed to be beaten like a criminal, He saw His closest friends abandon Him, He was mocked, He was literally beaten within inches of life, He was nailed to a cross, He had all the sewage of your septic sins poured into Him, His Father turned away from the Sin He was made into, He died.

For your transgressions

For your iniquities

Still think that they are only "white lies," universal character flaws, and annoying little peccadilloes, or are they sins so great that it took God to die in a mass of ripped and bloody flesh?

"By His stripes you are healed." Believe this "Good News" of the Suffering Servant. He died for you, so that you wouldn't have to go through "justice." He died for you so that you would go through Him to the Father in peace and safety. By each and every blow that laid Him down and cut Him, YOU ARE HEALED. You are placed into those deep ravines of red; you are buried with Him into His death so that you might be resurrected with Him into life eternal. You will never be abandoned by your big brother Jesus! The Father will never turn his Countenance (His Face) from you. You will never have to bear the wounds and bruises for your own sins because your sins have been taken away; taken away in the very crucified flesh of the God/Man.

Is the crucifix Law? Yes. He went there for you; only for you.

Is the crucifix Gospel? Yes. He went there for you; only for you.

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [y]our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" [Heb. 12.2]

For what "joy" did the Lord endure the Crucifix? For the joy of having you free, forgiven, fed, family and with Him at table!

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for His friends." [Jn. 15.13] Sometimes, sometimes that word "friend" means even more than the wonderful words "brother" or "sister." For to be a sibling often times seems to simply be an accident of chance (now of course we know that that isn't the case with the Lord's providence), but still, The Savior calls you his "friend." What a "light," what a lift for Lent that is.

In the Name of The Suffering + Servant