His Face
and Form were more damaged
than any other man’s
The
above is a paraphrase of the quote from Isaiah given below:
“ As many were astonied at thee; his visage
was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: …” - Isaiah 52:14
We remember on Good Friday, the agony and shame that our Blessed Lord Jesus went through. Notice the scripture reading, which declares just how stunned and astonished the witnesses of the Lord’s crucifixion were! The Lord was so brutally beaten and tortured that his face and body was damaged probably beyond recognition!
Those who are quick to say that others suffered throughout history in similar ways must realize a few important truths: only Jesus Christ was sinless and only he could know and bear the unparalleled pain and depth of humiliation in the mockery and torture at the hands of sinners because He descended from the Highest Glory to the lowest place on the cross.
“ … and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. –Matthew 27:26b - 31
He did not have to die for us, but He chose to.
He left Glory in Heaven and became a man and lived a sinless life. There is no other person in all of human history without sin.
No one else has ever been
so exalted and has stooped down so low as the Lord Jesus did in order to express
the greatest Love in the universe and effect the greatest deliverance for all
mankind!
The Divine Author of Life, “damaged” for you and me! Yes, put to death also for our sakes. He went willingly and like a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not His mouth. (Isaiah 53)
“…and without shedding of blood is no remission -Hebrews 9:22b
The reason He died is unique: His Precious Blood had to shed so that our sins can be atoned for.
He did not protest that we were too wicked for the price He had to pay on our behalf and then offer Himself, but He did so willingly.
It was nothing less than the Love of God! Out of Love for you and me he gave His life so that we do not end up in an eternal Hell and torment.
Some people of other religions say that the whole thing was a hoax; that He did not suffer, He did not really die on the cross and so on. If only those dear souls would realize the truth as stated above. Jesus did not come down to earth to play a game. No, dear friends, the Son of God was born into the world to pay a debt that we could have never paid on our own. He washed away the sins of many with His own Holy Blood that was pouring out of His sinless body. For a sinner like me and for a sinner like you.
“Lord, please forgive me for not appreciating such a sacrifice made by you for such an undeserving creature like me!”
We grieved Him with our sins, but He took our grief upon Himself and bore all of our transgressions and sorrows and sickness.
Can we recall a time of intense pain in our life? A time of intense sorrow? A time of intense mockery at the hands of enemies? Being wounded mercilessly physically and emotionally?
“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.” {wounded: or, tormented} {stripes:
Heb. bruise} -Isaiah 53:5
He did it for you and me. It cost Him everything.
Let’s feel His pain as best we could today as He went through that agony of the crucifixion and everything associated with it.
Let’s give our lives for His Glory and Service by keeping His commandments and taking up the cross He has planned for our lives so that we may inherit Glory also.
His
face and body was beaten and bloodied,
marred more
than any other man. . .
© 2004, 2022 Dr. Pradeep Stephen