Shame on you . . .

 "His Omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible. . . . Nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God." — C. S. Lewis: The Problem of Pain

At first glance: “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 (Isaiah 53:5),” reads like an oxymoron.

How on earth can hurting someone bring about peace? However, don’t ask the military that question because they will tell you that the brave men and women who keep our nation safe do just that. Military violence, however, is born out of revenge, to get even, and countless other political reasons. Not so with Jesus—that violence the Lamb suffered was for the healings of the nations (Rev. 22:1), who like a lamb, was led to slaughter, yet did not protest in the least (Isaiah 53:7)—which was, of course, in face of the fact that:

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. [And even] when they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to [God] who judges justly (1 Peter 2:22-23).”

The truth is, at Calvary nothing changed except our guilt. God did not—not, not one iota. The Cross simply revealed His heart. Jesus is the same as He always was, and is, and shall forever be (Hebrew 13:8).

Thank God, that this man who was despised and rejected by humankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain, who was despised as one from whom people hide their faces, and held in low esteem (Isaiah 53:3) remains the same now as He always was—that is, the Savior of the world.

Now, I am well aware that Isaiah 53:3 has many interpretations, but to me the obvious is that shame is strongly at work here, and that the Amplified Bible got it right when they translate that is was they who hid their faces from Him—not the other way around. How could they bear to look upon one so badly disfigured against whom they had cried, “Crucify him, crucify him;” although he had done no wrong? So, no, it was not Christ who hid His face from them, but they from His. 

Interesting, isn’t it, the first thing Adam did after sinning was to hide himself. After which he had the audacity to blame it on "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate (Genesis 3:12-13)."

The world hasn’t changed much at all, has it? Still men hide their faces. Shield their conscience, as it were, believing as it were that they can get away with it. Yet, he bore the Cross as a triumphant trophy for all to see.

Men are guilty of the same today. Some hide behind ignorance (2 Peter 3:5); others behind pride (Obadiah 1:3); still yet others behind a thousand and one excuses (Luke 14:18-20). None, however, can, indeed, hide from God who sees all, knows all, and is the reason for our existence in the first place (Psalm 139). There is no reason. He has already exposed sin for what it is, and Scripture says that sin no longer has dominion over us (Romans 6:14); and that includes the shame of the sins of the past.

The Communion table bears this out. Take eat he says, this is my body which was broken for you. Drink, this is my blood which was shed for you. Do this to remember that it was I who redeemed you from the awful fiery pit of Hell and destruction (1 Cor.11; et. al.). No hiding of His face from us there. No, not at all. We remember it as it was, men hid our faces from Him.

The very thought, should liberate us. Wipe away all guilt complexes, shame, and tinges of a dissatisfied conscience. For if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is free, indeed (John 8:36). 

Once again be blessed; better yet, bless others,

JimR/-