Page 32 - November 2025 - Truth & Tidings

" e himself bore our sins in his body on with these two simple words to emphasize

the tree, that we might die to sin and
that man has been excluded in the work of
Hlive to righteousness. By his wounds his own redemption.
you have been healed” (1Pe 2:24).
1
“Next!” the priest shouts as a man hurries The Deed – “bore our sins in
toward him, carrying an animal which will his body on the tree, that we
serve as his sacrifice. The animal is taken, might die to sin and live to
cut, cleaned and prepared for the offering. righteousness”
The animal is then placed on the altar, and
a familiar scent rises up toward the heavens. Similar to the priests who made sacrifices
Once the sacrifice is complete, he wipes the in accordance with the Mosaic Law, our Great
sweat from his brow and begins the process High Priest made a sacrifice for sin. Unlike
again for the next person awaiting their turn these priests, however, the Lord Jesus did not
to make an offering. Though these sacrifices make an animal sacrifice at Calvary. Instead,
would be “continually offered every year” the Lamb of God was both the Offerer and
(Heb 10:1), the people were no closer to the Offering. He laid down His life on the
satisfying God’s righteous requirements than cross, enduring unprecedented shame and
they were the day before. suffering at the behest of the Father. In stark
Thousands of years later, humanity is still contrast to the parade of animals unknow-
plagued by sin. Our nature is to sin, and this ingly and regularly entering the Temple,
causes a separation between us and God. the Lord Jesus was a willing, once-for-all
As a result of our sin, we are sentenced to sacrifice for sins.
death – a physical death that brings an end The Decree – “By his wounds
to our life here on earth and a spiritual death
requiring that our sins be forgiven. Thank- you have been healed”
fully, healing is available based on what we Peter’s quotation of Isaiah 53:5 brings out
read in our great gospel text of 1 Peter 2:24. the glorious truth that salvation is made pos-
sible by Christ’s work at the cross of Calvary. It
The Doer – “He himself”
is through His wounds alone that we can be
This gospel text begins with a double healed from the deserved punishment for our
emphasis on the subject of the verse. “He sin. Bancroft’s hymn brings forth this concept
himself” is the Lord Jesus Christ, the central beautifully: “Because the sinless Savior died
character of the Bible. He is the Author of Life, my sinful soul is counted free; for God, the
the Creator, the Prince of Peace, the King of Just, is satisfied to look on Him and pardon
Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Great Physician me.” The Just gave His life for the unjust “that
and our Great High Priest. Peter makes sure he might bring us to God” (1Pe 3:18). Turn to
the One who can heal you from the penalty
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the
ESV. of your sin and be saved today.