Isaiah 53:4-6 – “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  NKJV

Our first reason for believing that the Christian can believe in and expect bodily healing today is found in the Sameness of God, yesterday, today, and forever.  Yet, there are more reasons to believe that God heals today.

• The Work of Christ on the Cross.

I believe that a careful examination of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24 brings us to the conclusion that bodily healing is part of Christ’s covenant with man as well as healing or deliverance from sin. 

Isaiah 53:4, “Surely He [Christ] hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…”  The word rendered griefs are [kholee] which means sicknesses and sorrows [makob] which means pains.  As we examine those words we discover that “kholee” is derived from “chalah” which means to be weak, sick, afflicted.

Deuteronomy 7:15, “The Lord will take away from you all sickness [kholee]” we see the picture. The word is translated sickness in [Deuteronomy 28:61; 1 Kings 17:17; 2 Kings 1:2; 8:8].  The word “makob” is translated as pain in Job 33:19 and Jeremiah 51:8.  So we can easily believe that the words of Isaiah 53:4 mean that Jesus has borne our sickness and pain in His own body and as He died for sin He also died for healing.

But we must not stop there for there are at least two more words which must be considered in this passage to help our understanding.  The word BORNE [nasa] and CARRIED [sabal] are vital.  The word “nasa” means to bear a sense of suffering punishment for something as is seen in Leviticus 15:1, “And if a soul sin… then he shall bear (nasa) his iniquity.”  Isaiah 53:12 gives the clear meaning of “nasa”, “And He [Christ] was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare [nasa] the sin of many.”  How did He bear our sins?  Vicariously, as our substitute.  But, this same verb is used in Isaiah 53:4 regarding sickness.

Almost no one has a problem with the assertion that the verb “nasa” in Isaiah 53:12 refers to Jesus bearing our sin vicariously so why should we have a problem with it also meaning He bore our sickness the same way?  The word “sabal” which means carried identifies the act of bearing something as a penalty or chastisement.  Lamentations 5:7, “Our fathers have sinned… and we have borne [sabal] their iniquities.”  Isaiah 53:11, “He shall see the travail of His soul, and be satisfied… for He shall bear [sabal] their iniquities.”

Again, how did Christ bear our Iniquities?  Vicariously or as our substitute.  He did is as us and for us and he bore our pain and sickness in the same way.  That should give us incredible hope in the struggles of life.  HE WAS!  HE IS!  HE WILL ALWAYS BE the Same!

But lest you still question my interpretation let me suggest the interpretation of Jesus of Isaiah’s words in Matthew 8:16-17, “When evening had come, they brought many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled with was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'” 

I truly hope that opens a new door for you because Jesus is the same today as He was then. The same Holy Spirit is ministering in the world today as then.  Therefore, we should expect God to be the same God no matter what we face or need in this present world.

One of the most powerful statements on this subject is found in 1 Peter 2:24 where the apostle Peter declared, “Who His own self, bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed.”  That agrees exactly with Isaiah 53:5 and notice Peter puts it in the past tense not that it used to be available but that it is a settled reality. 

The word healed in the New Testament is [iaomai] which always speaks of physical healing and is used 28 times in such connection.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  That is incredibly powerful! 

We are bought [egorasthete], which means I buy or redeem, with a price.  Our bodies and spirits have been redeemed with a price and when Jesus was scourged and crucified He purchased our Spiritual and Physical healing in His Atoning Work.  I shout Hallelujah at that thought!

Galatians 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.”  I would suggest that you examine any physical maladies included in that curse.  If you will read Deuteronomy 28:15-47; 28:1 and 28:15, 21,22,27,28 I believe you will be moved deeply and encouraged greatly.  I thank God for Salvation and I am elated with the reality that I can trust Him for physical healing as well.  He came that we might have ABUNDANT LIFE and that covers everything!

God bless you richly as you enjoy this wonderful day the Lord has made with rejoicing.