Tag Archives: Bystander

What God Gave Up for Lent – Day 28

28. Cause & Consequences

lost sheep

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:6)

It is a sad thing—more, it is tragic—that Christ should lay down His Life, and have accomplished the six great substitutions of mercy and grace for you and me, and what do we do? We wander off, we turn to our own little ways, because we just… don’t… care.

Wondrously the Father did care—did love—enough to cause the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. We can no longer believe the Father was only an interested bystander; this shows us otherwise.

For a moment, let’s consider what happened in eternity past when Father, Son and Holy Spirit made this decision:

Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. ( 1 Pet 1:18-21)

This was not merely a decision to have Christ become the Lamb of God to die for the sins of the world. It also had to do with judgment, sentencing, death, sacrifice, substitution, propitiation, redemption, ransom, and resurrection; and certainly more than we are aware of. All the Godhead participated at the cross!

Here in this verse (53:6) we see the Father caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

Iniquity is an interesting word in Hebrew. The root word from which it is derived means to bend, twist, or distort. When Christ took away the sins of the world, he became a bent, twisted, distorted figure of Who He once was. Perhaps that is what Isaiah meant when he remarked earlier in the chapter: He has no stately form or majesty; and nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. Was Isaiah looking past the Christ Who walked the earth in normalcy for 33 years to see the aftermath of what the sins did to Him? When you add in all the ravages of the six substitutions, perhaps so.

Let’s return to the crowd at the cross. As we consider the different characters there, what did they see in this beaten, bloodied, and tortured body? Were they sick to their stomachs? Were they offended at the sight? Did they rejoice? Did they look but not see? Did any believe Jesus was deserving of such brutality? If they did, was this seen as a divine transaction of justice, or merely a human one?

For those who considered this a proper act of God, did any of them perceive that Jesus’ affliction and agony were requisite to the sentence He bore? Did any grasp it was in fact an act of God (the Son) that kept Him there?

Another reason to take note of this word is that it not only draws from the iniquity and guilt that fell upon Him, but it also speaks to punishment that fell upon Him. So you have both the cause and the consequences. And this is something we miss today. We all understand our nature and bent to sin, but do we understand the consequences? The punishment? We too easily and flippantly recite 1 John 1:9—If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness—and indeed we are forgiven. But do we understand the devastation sin has unleashed upon us? I think not.

As in the case of Christ,  He bore not only the sins of the world, He also bore its deserved punishment as well. We understand that He was our substitute and, like the thief on the cross, we declare: “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ( Luke 23:40-41) That is indeed true, Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life, and in His life did nothing worthy of such a death—or any death. But the moment He took on our sins, then the punishment, the consequences were deserved.

Father: Help me to understand what it cost Christ to bear my sins on the cross, and what it cost You to be His Judge. Amen