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.”
It is no surprise that the New Testament writers saw many of the Old Testament Scriptures fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Particularly, Isaiah 53 is exclusively Messianic in that it predicts the sufferings of Jesus Christ and Peter understood it well. The humiliating pain and death of Jesus was because of our sins (the penalty of sin is death, Romans 6:23).
1 Peter 2:24 gives the purpose of Jesus bearing our sins: “so that we might die to sins (becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin, Amplified), and live for righteousness,” Jesus died to set us free from the penalty and power of sin. It is not the will of God for believers to be bound in sin.
Christ releases us from our prisons of sins but we have to get out and live in freedom. We cannot go back to Egypt and crave for the old passions of the flesh. Now, we have a new way of living: living for righteousness. The only way to put to death our sins is to seek the alternative means of living. We must pursue the things of God with our whole devotion. If we are not pursuing righteousness (the right way of living), then we will find ourselves defeated time and again.
The epidemic of sins upon the human race is disastrous. It is like a disease that only Christ is able to take away. Remember the Protevangelium(first announcement of the Gospel) in Genesis 3:15, where the seed of the woman is prophesied to bruise the head of the serpent (Satan) while the heel of the Messiah is bruised (wounded). This was a representation of Jesus’ suffering and ultimate victory over Satan and his power (sins).
The healing of this disease (sins), then, is to look to the Cross (John 3:14, 15). On the Cross where Jesus died, there is a flow of healing for those bitten and smitten by poisonous sins. By his wounds, you have been healed. The healing in this context speaks of the medicine that heals, bringing people back to fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
In Jeremiah 33:2, God speaks of the Israelites’ backsliding as a disease, “Return faithless people, and I will cure you of backsliding,” it was like a cancer cells that begins to grow time and again. Only the wounds of Christ could heal this serious malady.
Many have taken this verse to mean that Christ has already healed our bodily infirmities, and they claim it as a promise from God. But we still see many cancer patients die and paralyzed body not healed (this does not imply that I disbelieve God’s power to heal, no!) but the context of this verse is about a spiritual healing that relates to the issue of backsliding. The next verse, 1 Peter 2:25, then reads, “For you were like “sheep going astray,” (the imagery of backsliding) but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
Prayer: Lord, heal our backsliding and restore our relationship with our Abba Father. We desire to put away our sins and live for righteousness. Help us, In Christ name, Amen.
