First of all, Isaiah said, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” (Isa 53:4-5, NASB). I encourage you to read the whole chapter, if you can!
Then the apostle Peter quoted the prophet Isaiah saying, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1Pe 2:24, NASB)
I realize that some people misunderstand these passages. Some may think the two passages contradict one another. Others may say that Peter was only referring to forgiveness of sin, not literal healing from sickness. Therefore, I’d like to do a side-by-side comparison of what the prophet Isaiah said about Jesus and what the apostle Peter said, in order to see the similarities and differences:
| Isaiah | Peter | Comments |
| “Surely our griefs He Himself bore” (Is 53:4) "He bore the sin of many" (Is 53:12) |
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” | 1. “bore” is “nasah” in Hebrew, meaning “to carry, take, receive, bear or accept” (Isaiah); “bore is anaphero in Greek, meaning “to take up (literally or figuratively): - bear, bring (carry, lead) up, offer (up).” (Peter) 2. “griefs” in Hebrew is "chŏlı̂y" meaning “sickness, affliction, disease, griefs, or illness,” (Isaiah); “sins” in Greek is hamartia, meaning “offense, sin” (Peter) 3. “Sin” in Hebrew is "chêṭ'," meaning, “a crime or its penalty: - fault, offence, (punishment of) sin.” “Sins” in Greek is hamartia, meaning “offense, sin” (Peter) |
| “Our sorrows He carried” | (Not in 1 Peter) | 1. “sorrows” is “makob” in Hebrew meaning “pain”. 2. “carried” is the Hebrew word “sabal” meaning “to carry or bear a heavy load” |
| “We ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted” | (Not in 1 Peter) | |
| “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities” | (Not in 1 Peter) | 1. "Pierced" comes from "chalal" in Hebrew, meaning “wounded,” “dissolved,” “profaned,” “broken,” “polluted,” “slain,” “stained.” 2. “crushed” is “daka” in Hebrew, meaning “to crumble; transitively to bruise (literally or figuratively): - beat to pieces, break (in pieces), bruise, contrite, crush, destroy, humble, oppress, smite.” |
| (Not in Isaiah) | “so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” | Since Jesus bore our sins, we should die to sin. In this way, we are enabled to live righteously and be saved. |
| “The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him” | (Not in 1 Peter) | 1. “chastening” is “musar” in Hebrew, meaning “chastisement; figuratively reproof, correction, discipline, rebuke.” 2. “Well-being” is “shalom” in Hebrew, meaning “safe, that is, (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, that is, health, prosperity, peace.” |
| “By His scourging we are healed” | “By His wounds you were healed” | 1. “Scourging” is “chabburah” in Hebrew, meaning “properly bound (with stripes), that is, a weal (or black and blue mark itself): - blueness, bruise, hurt, stripe, wound.” The word “wounds” is “molops” in Greek, meaning “a mole (black eye) or blow mark: - stripe.” 2. “healed” in Hebrew is “rapha” meaning “to mend (by stitching), that is, (figuratively) to cure: - cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, thoroughly, make whole;” “healed” is “iaomai” in Greek, meaning “1) to cure, heal, 2) to make whole, and 2a) to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation”; |
When the prophet Isaiah said, “Our griefs He Himself bore,” the Hebrew word for griefs is "chŏlı̂y" meaning “sickness, affliction, disease, griefs, or illness,” according to the NAS Exhaustive Concordance (NASEC). When the prophet said that Jesus “bore” our griefs, the Hebrew word is "nasah," which means in this context “to carry, take, receive, bear or accept” (Strongs). Jesus actually received our sicknesses, our diseases, and our illnesses in His body on the cross.
When the prophet said that Jesus carried our sorrows, the Hebrew word for sorrows is "makob," meaning “pain” (NASEC). When it says He carried our pain, the Hebrew word is "sabal," which literally means to carry or bear a heavy load (NASEC).
It is repeated in the New Testament. In the gospel of Saint Matthew, it says, “When evening came, they brought to Him [Jesus] many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.’” (Mat 8:16-17, NIV). So Matthew states that when Jesus healed all who were ill, He was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 53 that we have just cited. Therefore, the Holy Spirit through Matthew confirmed that the prophecy of Isaiah is about Jesus Christ, and that this prophecy includes the Lord's healing and deliverance ministry.
Jesus Christ rose from the dead and lives forever. Just as He healed all who were ill during His earthly ministry, He continues to do so today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb 13:8).
Furthermore, the apostle Peter wrote, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1Pe 2:24). While Isaiah says Jesus bore our griefs, Peter says He bore our sins. Although Peter did not use the exact same words as the prophet, Isaiah did say "He bore the sin of many" (Is 53:12). So both passages say the atoning sacrifice was for both sin and sickness. And Peter affirms this by saying "you were healed."
The Greek word for “healed” is iaomai, which means “1) to cure, heal, 2) to make whole, and 2a) to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation” (Thayer). Therefore, Peter affirms that by the wounds that Jesus received in His passion and crucifixion, we His sheep are healed, made whole, cured, forgiven, freed from the power of sin, and saved. Jesus Christ not only paid for the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation from hell through His atoning sacrifice, He also paid for our healing and deliverance. This means that there is not only salvation but healing in the atonement.
Here is my own composite blend of both verses from Isaiah and Peter combined together into one verse, using the various definitions of the original Hebrew and Greek words:
“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, including all our sins, offenses against God, sicknesses, afflictions, diseases, griefs, and illnesses. He carried them on the cross, took them up, received them, bore them, and accepted them in His body all for us. He carried our heavy load of sorrows and pains, too. We ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He was pierced through for our transgressions and rebellion -- wounded, broken, profaned, polluted, and stained with blood, all for us. He was crushed and bruised for our iniquities, faults, mischief, and sins. In fact, He was beaten to pieces for the punishment that was due to us for our sin. He did all of this, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him. The chastisement and reproof that we deserved -- the correction, discipline, and rebuke that were rightfully ours – were directed upon Him. He bore the penalty for sin that was due to us. It all hit Him, so that we could enjoy safety, wellness, health, prosperity, and peace. He did it all so you could be set free from errors and sins, in order to bring about your salvation and deliverance. He took every one of those black and blue marks, bruises, hurts, stripes, and red, swollen marks left on His flesh by the blows, so that you could be mended back together, cured, repaired, and completely made whole. For by His wounds received from scourging you were healed.”
It is not God’s will for His children to have disease. We have seen the Lord heal many various sicknesses and diseases through the laying on of hands with prayer in Jesus' name. He has done this in our own lives, our children’s lives, as well as the lives of other people. We have not only read about this happening through others like Smith Wigglesworth, Reese Howells, Kathryn Kuhlman, Charles and Frances Hunter, and Dr. T.L. Osborne, who saw tens of thousands healed in every corner of the earth during his sixty-five years of ministry, but we have seen it first hand.
Going back to our text in Isaiah, the prophet began his message with the words, “Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Is 53:1). It’s such an amazingly wonderful message that it may seem too good to be true. But if anyone does not believe God, he has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son (1 Jn 5:10). Who has believed our message? Have you?
Just as one must believe in Jesus as His own personal Lord and Savior in order to be saved, one must also believe in Jesus as His own personal Healer to be healed. Jesus often said to those whom He healed, “Your faith has made you whole” (Mat 9:22; Mat 15:28; Mar 5:34; Mar 10:52; Luk 8:48; Luk 17:19).
It’s not enough to believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world. In order to be saved, you must believe he died for your own sin, and that He actually bore your sin in His body.
While few people who consider themselves Christians believe this, even fewer believe that He died for sickness and disease. And of those who do believe He did so, there are even fewer who believe He died for their own pain, sickness, and disease. You must believe he died for your own pain, sickness, and disease, and that He actually carried your sickness in His body. It was condemned there, along with your sin, two thousand years ago. You need to accept this and believe it is for you personally, in order to be healed.
If you are suffering from pain, sickness, or disease today, you don't have to. It doesn't matter whether it is AIDS, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, or migraines. You need only believe what God's Word says and appropriate it for yourself. Believe it with all your heart without any doubting. It was all paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, two thousand years ago.
James said, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord." (Js 5:14). If you are a believer, who knows Jesus, let me encourage you to do that. Call upon the elders of your church, asking them to anoint you with oil and pray for you to be healed. When you do so, the Scripture says, "The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." (Js 5:15).
Scripture says the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. You can depend on God to keep His promise. And it also says, "If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." That's why I think it is always good when you are ill to ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you have opened the door to the enemy in your life through some sin and disobedience. Ask Him to expose you, so that you can get it right with Him. Repent and confess your sin to the Lord, asking Him to forgive you, and He will. That's important, because if He heals you, and you continue in disobedience, it'll be even worse. Jesus would say, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." (Jn 5:14; 8:11)
However, not everyone reading this article belongs to a church where the elders believe in divine healing, and your elders may not believe it is God's will to heal every sick person. In fact, some of you reading this blog may not yet belong to a church. I encourage you to get connected with one. But until you do, if you are a born again believer, and believe this message with all your heart, you can even be healed right where you are sitting now. I want to encourage you to lay your hand on your body over the area that needs to be healed, and confess your faith out loud to God right now. Call that sickness by name, and in the name of Jesus, boldly command it to leave your body. Then praise and thank the Lord Jesus for healing you. Receive it by faith from Him, just as you received His payment for your sins when you gave your life to Jesus. If you did that, then I declare you are healed!
Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.
Author's note: Please don't forget to leave a testimony of your healing in the comments below. This post is part of a series. It is not medical advice, and I do not claim to be a physician. If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, especially Power of God to Heal, Going from Cursed to Cured, What Does the Bible Say About Vaccines?, The Name of Jesus, and Scriptural Guidance About Blood Transfusions. I also recommend my daughter's poem, Faith Should Not Depend on Feeling, which she wrote the same day she received a divine healing in her body. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
