The Source of Our Wholeness

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

When we read this passage from Isaiah 53, we immediately think of the crucifixion of Jesus. He was literally pierced, crushed, beaten, and whipped. Even more painful was the alienation he experienced from his Heavenly Father, entering into the “hell” that results from sin.

How might we respond to what Jesus has done for us as the Suffering Servant of God? Gratitude is the beginning. When we realize that Jesus suffered for our sake, our hearts fill with thanksgiving. Truly, the Christian life is one, long expression of thanks to the Lord for his magnificent mercy.

Another response to the one who was beaten so we could be whole is to embrace our wholeness. We no longer have to live as broken people, spiritually, emotionally, relationally. Of course, we will not experience complete wholeness this side of the age to come. But through Christ, we can begin the process of healing. We do so by asking for the Lord’s help, by laying our struggles and sins before him. We embrace our wholeness by refusing to let our fears and prejudices keep us from becoming all that the Lord envisions us to be.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Have you expressed your gratitude to the Lord for suffering so that you might be whole? How have you embraced your wholeness in Christ? What might you do to grow in wholeness today?

PRAYER: Merciful Lord, how I thank you for being the Suffering Servant of God, the one who was beaten so that I could be whole. Your sacrifice makes all the difference in the world to me. It gives me a chance that I would never have without you. Through you, I can begin to live as a whole person, even as I await the fullness of the new creation that is yet to come. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your sacrifice for me.

Help me to live in the wholeness you offer. May I not be satisfied with a broken life. Where I sin, may I confess and receive your forgiveness. Where I am broken, may I be open to all the ways you want to heal me. Where my relationships are dysfunctional, may your Spirit bring a new level of wholeness.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, Servant of God, for you are the source of my wholeness! Amen.