Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sat, 8 Dec 2007 12:36:30 -0600
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (Dec. 9); BP: Is. 53; RBTTY: Jude; Dan. 11-12
December 9 "Jesus, Our Healing, Burden-Bearer"
"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 has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
Isaiah 53:5-6
In Him we find everything we’ll ever need—and more.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem that night, there was no way Mary and Joseph—or anyone else, for that matter—could fathom what would happen to that precious Child during the next 33 ½ years. However, Isaiah’s somber sayings in today’s Manna certainly predicted that it would be horrible.
Yes, there was no way Mary, that quiet, poor, peasant virgin, could know that one day her tiny Baby Boy would be "wounded (Heb. ‘chalal’—‘to dissolve, profane, break open as by a wedge, defile, etc.’) for our transgressions and bruised (Heb. ‘daka’—‘to crush, crumble, beat into pieces, etc.’) for our iniquities."
Not a very pretty picture, is it?
No, not at all. In fact, the mere thought of this vicious mistreatment causes us to grimace even now. We know the Roman’s cat-o-nine tails was a horrible instrument of torture. Consisting of a wooden handle with nine strands of rope or chain that had a jagged piece of bone or metal at each end, the cat-o-nine tails tore out large hunks of flesh and muscle with each lash. The ropes or chains also left large "stripes" (welts) leading up to the gaping wounds. And, when we realize that our Lord was struck 39 times with these, we know He had 351 "wounds and stripes" on His back—turning it into a shredded, bloody pulp.
All for us. All for us.
Read those words again, Pilgrim:
"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."
Stop the Christmas music. Turn off the colorful lights. Lay aside the decorations and brightly-wrapped packages. And sit awhile. . .pondering these words. Then, no doubt, this Christmas will have a much, more special meaning for you this year.
Suddenly, we begin to realize anew that Christmas was a prelude to Calvary. Assuredly, the Son of God being born in a manger is an earth-shaking event. However, it wasn’t His birth that would save us from our sins; it was His death (Rom. 5:6-11). Therefore, each year at this time of the year we should pause to give thanks to the Heavenly Father for that blessed Holy Night when Heaven came down to earth.
May the Holy Spirit help us to spend some quiet time alone with Him today as we give thanks for the One born in Bethlehem that night. Only He—the Christ Child—could become the "Lamb that takes away the sins of the world" (Jn. 1:29) and how eternally grateful we should be.
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