Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all.--Isaiah liii. 4, 5, 6.
"I pray thee, of whom did the Prophet speak these words?" was the
inquiry of an Eunuch of great authority under Candace, Queen of the
Ethiopians, when reading this chapter. Philip replied by beginning
at the same scripture, and preaching unto him Jesus. To him alone
can we apply the whole chapter. In every part it bears so striking
a resemblance, that it appears more like a history written by a
contemporary, than the prediction of a Prophet who lived at least
seven hundred years before the character described. These verses are
more valuable than fine gold--they are the key of knowledge--they
open to our view a work of immense wisdom and benefit--they make
us acquainted with the counsel and plans of Jehovah.--By them, a
circumstance in the moral government of God, which was before dark
and mysterious, is now bright and attractive.--They shed a glorious
light on the person of Jesus.--By them we understand why he who was
"holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners," was treated
with such contempt and cruelty. We no longer see this part of God's
moral government, as "through a glass darkly." The veil which is
cast around his designs is withdrawn, and the glorious scheme of
redemption bursts forth to our astonished senses, sparkling with
wisdom, justice, mercy, and love. By them, we are taught that
Jesus suffered, not for any sin of his own, but for the sins of
his people. The prophet is particular on this point. The life and
conduct of Jesus proved him exempt from all the corrupt principles
and evil passions of the children of men. He alone is free from
imperfection, and his character forms the most perfect model of all
that is lovely, amiable, and exalted. In him was no sin, and even
the unjust judge who delivered him for crucifixion, was compelled
to declare he could find nothing worthy of death against him; no,
nor yet Herod, for he had sent Jesus to him. No doubt both Herod
and Pilate examined his conduct with eagle-eyes, and gladly would
have discovered, if possible, something which might give them a plea
for condemning a man who so publicly declared himself the Messiah.
The Jews had looked forward to his coming with much pleasure, for
they considered he would deliver them from the Roman yoke, under
which they then groaned. The slightest shadow of guilt would have
been sufficient for the purpose of these partial Governors, and
it deserves observation, that Jesus was brought before them on a
charge of perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to
Cæsar, saying that he was Christ, a King. But they can prove nothing
against him, for the more his character is examined, the brighter it
shines; and they are compelled to confess, "they can find nothing
worthy of death against him." Pilate, from a clear conviction that
Jesus was innocent, proposes to release him; but finding that he
would draw on himself the malice and hatred of the priests, like
a time-serving judge, he gave sentence as they desired, and in
the same moment in which he declared he could find no fault in
Jesus, did he deliver him over for crucifixion. Yet Pilate could
not conceal the horrors of an accusing conscience; sensible of the
black injustice of his conduct he took water and washed his hands
before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this
just person, see ye to it." The people said, "his blood be on us,
and on our children." In what court of judicature shall we find such
another instance? We believe, in none. Never did any one suffer
more unjustly than Jesus, if viewed as a private person; but these
verses teach us to look upon him as the sinner's surety. Man, from
his original corruption and actual transgression, is justly exposed
to the condemnation of the law he has so much dishonoured. "All we
like sheep have gone astray, we have forsaken the Lord's ways, and
turned every one to his own ways." "We have all done that which we
ought not to have done, and have left undone that which we ought
to have done, and there is no health in us." We have no just plea
why the sentence, "let the wicked be turned into hell, and all the
nations who forget God," be not executed on us. We must lay our
hand upon our mouth before the tribunal of God, who is an impartial
and righteous Judge, for we justly deserve the curses of the broken
law to fall on us. The Divine Being (be it spoken with reverence)
cannot, without injustice to himself, and dishonour to his law,
(which is holy, just, and good,) allow the guilty to go free. Man
must suffer the punishment consequent on his offences, or God must
lay aside his justice, which is impossible, for it is an attribute
essential to his existence. The debtor must suffer, unless some one
be found to discharge the debt for him.
Die he, or justice must; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.
PARADISE LOST, b. iii.
But where shall we find the man who can, by any means, "redeem
his brother, or give to God a ransom for his soul?" Nowhere; it
is quite impossible for any mere man to deliver his own soul, and
much more the soul of another. An angel, or all the mighty hosts of
angels, cannot do it; they are the creatures of God's power, and
consequently finite; and therefore cannot satisfy the justice of
God, which is infinite. The mind of man could never have discovered
a proper person. Human intellect is utterly unable to the task; it
is incapable of soaring to such a height. But though man cannot find
a surety, God has pointed one out, even Jesus, his own well-beloved
son, who is the second person in the revealed order of the trinity;
with him it is "no robbery to be equal with God;" for he is one with
the Father, as touching his Godhead. Yet this great and glorious
Personage voluntarily engaged to become the surety of his people;
to expiate their guilt by suffering all the punishment due to
them for sin.[105] In the fulness of time, this great head of his
church left the joys of Heaven, and the praises of adoring saints
and angels, to tabernacle on earth. Having veiled his glory beneath
the human nature, which he took into union with his divine person,
he came forth to accomplish the work he had, from the foundation of
the world, covenanted to perform. As the surety, representative, and
head of his people, he submitted to endure all the curses of the
moral law they had broken. The Lord having accepted him in their
place, and laid (by imputation) their iniquities on him, he also on
him laid their punishment. Nor was it a mitigated punishment; he
bore the whole weight of wo due to them. It is true, he did not go
into hell, which was a part of the sentence denounced on guilty man;
but he was not exempt from the buffeting of Satan. He was exposed to
his malice in the garden; and when on the cross, he might be said
to be in Satan's territories; for he is declared to be "the Prince
of the power of the air," and having shot forth his most fiery
darts, he appears to leave the scene of conflict like a triumphant
conqueror, for his adversary is beheld breathless on the field of
battle. Jesus needed not to descend into those abodes of wo to feel
their sorrows, for he is heard to exclaim, that the pains of hell
had got hold upon him. It is not the place, but the extent, and the
kind of suffering, which constitutes misery; and Jesus felt it in
a much greater degree, than even the miserable inhabitants of that
wretched place, where hope never enters. They suffer for themselves
as individuals, but he endured the weight of wo for a multitude so
great, that no man can number them. Theirs are the sufferings of
creatures, his was the sufferings of the infinite Creator; and this
it is which gives such value, efficacy, and dignity, to all he did
and suffered. His were the actions of one of Adam's race, for it was
the children of earth who had rebelled, and whom he came to redeem;
but what renders it beneficial to man, is that he is both God and
man in one person. This union stamps a value upon his work: Jesus,
by the dignity of his person, has made full satisfaction; yea, his
sufferings have more than compensated for the indignity offered to
God by sin. It has given a greater honour to God's holy law, than
could have been done by the unsinning obedience of men and angels
through time and eternity, for Jesus perfectly fulfilled all the
commands of the moral law, and by that obedience he exalted, and
made it honourable, and then suffered the penalty it denounced on
the violators of its precepts. All his active and passive obedience
was performed as the head of his people, and for their benefit.
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we
did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all." We must look beyond the Roman governors, soldiers, and
the Jewish priests and people, to behold sin, as the great cause of
all the buffetings, wounds, bruises, pains, and sorrows, of Jesus.
This was the fruitful source of all his wo. Would you behold the
justice of God? then look at the suffering Jesus, and remember that
it was not _his own_, but _imputed_, guilt. Would you know the mercy
of God, and see a display of his love to man? then look at Jesus.
Let it sink deep into your heart, and may your soul be influenced
by the truth, that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life." "For God can be just, and yet the
justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." "He that believeth in him
is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is condemned already;
because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son
of God." "For there is none other name under heaven given amongst
men, whereby we must be saved." "He that believeth on the Son,
hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall
not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." In the work
of redemption by Jesus, we behold "mercy and truth meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other."
[105] John x. 18.