Wednesday, August 26, 2009

pleasing God

While taking the Lord's supper last Sunday, this phrase rang out in my head--loud and clear as a church bell: "It pleased the Lord to crush him, and put him to grief," translated (roughly) from Isaiah 53:10. Thinking that no Father could be pleased with the bruising of his son, and hoping that it didn't mean what it said, I decided to dissect the word at my earliest opportunity. Turns out, that's exactly what it means: Pleased. I was hoping for 'satisfied,' as in the law being fulfilled. Nope. Pleased...as in made happy.


Why God? How could you possibly be pleased with the suffering of your Son? I don't understand...


Since that day, I've been mulling it over like a kid working on a giant jaw breaker. I'm not to the gumball center yet, but as of now this is what I believe must be true. The only possible reason for God the Father to be pleased in the bruising and crushing of his only Son, is what it would accomplish for us. After all, it wasn't exactly necessary for the atonement of mankind. Shedding of blood was the only requirement to cover/blot out sins. What then did the bruising and crushing produce for God's expanding family? Our Healing.


"But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes, we are healed." Isaiah 53:5