By His stripes You Were Healed.
Jesus Christ gave us an amazing gift when He died on the cross at Calvary. Can you even fathom the pain He endured?
First He was betrayed by one of His closest friends; just because He knew it would happen doesn’t make that hurt any less. Then He was beaten and ridiculed by the soldiers that arrested Him, He was publicly embarrassed in front of the Governor, Pontius Pilate offered to pardon Jesus, but Christ’s own people asked for Pilate to release the thief and murderer Barabbas instead. After that Jesus was whipped, had a crown made out of thorns placed on His head, was beaten and mocked again, then forced to carry the cross Himself for over five hundred yards, and finally nailed to the cross and crucified.
All of this just to forgive us for our sins? Well, yes, but so much more than just that.
Christ’s death was the cure for the curse that sin brought to the earth. It was not just a get out of jail free card, it was God giving us the chance to reclaim the gifts He had given to mankind in the Garden of Eden.
Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, you and I have the right to live supernatural lives, free from the cares of this world. That’s completely free, not mostly free, not sometimes free, but always totally free.
But what does that look like? What does that really mean? I’m glad you asked. Let’s start by looking at how we see the disciples living after the cross.
In the book of Acts chapter 3 we see Peter and John heading to the temple to go pray when a crippled man asks them if they can spare some money, and what we see next is Peter living out the freedom of the cross, let’s read it together,
“But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the temple with them.” Acts 3:6-8
Now before you start thinking that Peter was special or that the lame man was just lucky, Peter himself said, in the book of 1st Peter,
“By His wounds, you were healed.” 1st Peter 2:24b
Peter wasn’t writing to that man from the book of Acts, he was writing to all Christians everywhere, he addressed the letter “To God’s elect” literally to those who have elected, or chosen, to follow God.
That means you too! That means me! But wait, it gets better! It wasn’t one-time healing, it’s every minute of every day. In the book of Romans, Paul says,
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by the same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11
Think about that for just a moment, Jesus died on the cross so that you could live a supernatural life, completely healed, with the Spirit of God living within you giving you life every day. God is good.
Let’s take a moment today to thank God for our healing.