Luke 23:16, Matthew 27:26, Isaiah 53:5

“Therefore, I will have Him whipped and then release Him.” John 23:16 HCSB

“Then he released Barabbas to them. But after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified.” Matthew 27:26 HCSB

“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah 53:5 NLT

*flogged – Roman flogging was done with a whip made of leather strips embedded with pieces of bone or metal that brutally tore the flesh.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what we all think of when we prepare for our Easter celebration. This Easter I want you to include the moments that led up to the cross. This Easter I want you to hold onto and walk in the full promises of God.

Whether you call it a whipping, flogging, or scourging, Jesus was barbarically beaten with what we would call a “cat o’ nine tails”. He was tortured physically. He was mutilated for us.

Yes, this is part of the celebration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Isaiah 53:5 is a prophesy of what Jesus would suffer for our sake. It is also a prophetic word of what we could receive from his suffering. The Gospels testify of the fulfillment of that prophesy.

This is great news for us. When we are thinking about the new life and salvation we can receive, we get to include our healing and being made whole.

Before you start doubting and questioning the healing and being made whole, ask yourself these questions:

  • If Jesus is able to give me salvation through the cross, then isn’t he capable of bringing healing to my mind, body, and spirit?
  • Why would the Old Testament prophetically tell of his beating but not be correct about our healing?
  • Is it harder for God to cleanse me of all my sins or heal me of all my sickness?
  • Why am I even questioning the truth or accuracy of scripture?
  • How can I celebrate the miracle of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus but not celebrate the piercing, flogging, crushing, and beating, for my healing?

I would challenge you that you can’t. The moment Jesus was arrested is when the process began. The whole event is part of our celebration.

It would be like saying the only part of the wedding is the “I do’s.” That’s just not true. Everything that takes place is a part of the wedding. The father giving away the bride, the flower girl throwing the rose petals, the exchange of the rings, and of course, the kiss. It is so wonderful to look back and reflect as you celebrate what took place and what that means today.

The same is true of Easter. It is a reminder of our salvation through Jesus Christ but it is also a reminder of our healing and wholeness.

Today would be the day that Jesus would have been arrested and beaten. Today is a great day to reflect on what that would have been like for Jesus. Today would be a great day to trust Jesus and ask him for any healing you might need. Today would be a great day to start your celebration. Rejoice in the fulfilled prophecy of Isaiah.

1 thought on “Luke 23:16, Matthew 27:26, Isaiah 53:5”

  1. A couple months back, the Lord help me to see that the stripes He bore are not in vain. I can be healthy and whole because He suffered those floggings for our wholeness body, soul and spirit. We must have faith in that just like the faith we have in His death burial and resurrection. Thank you Jesus for meeting our needs. I pray all God’s children recieve this truth and fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life.

Comments are closed.