“Crushed For Our Iniquities”

"Crushed For Our Iniquities"

Monday, October 4, 1999

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

Yesterday we remembered the death of Jesus Christ in our church in the Communion Service. I preached from Isaiah 53, which is a remarkable messianic prophecy written some 700 years before Christ was born. It is written in the prophetic perfect, meaning verb tenses convey a future event as if it had already happened.

As I preached I illustrated my sermon in a most unusual way by focusing on the phrase "He was crushed for our iniquities." I had removed our regular Communion Table and used a regular banquet table with a device called a "Victoria Strainer" mounted to it. Using fresh grapes I used the strainer to make the grape juice. I placed them in the top of the strainer and crushed them through a funnel into a spiral, which squeezed the grapes through a strainer. Our deaconesses assisted me by placing this freshly squeezed juice into the communion cups in front of the entire congregation. For many it had a powerful effect.

The atoning death of Christ on the cross is at the heart of our Christian faith. His death affected our redemption from sin, our reconciliation to God, and our restoration to wholeness. Consider this truth expressed in this beautiful chorus we sang yesterday.

You did not wait for me to draw near to You

But You clothed Yourself with frail humanity.

You did not wait for me to cry out to You

But You let me hear Your voice calling me.

And I'm forever grateful to You

I'm forever grateful for the cross

I'm forever grateful to You

That You came, to seek and save the lost. *

Be encouraged today,

Stephen C. Weber

"The Supreme Demonstration"

October 10, 2001

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Effective teachers will often use colorful illustrations or actually demonstrate a truth to their students. Some of my most memorable times of growth in the Lord have been a result of a specific demonstration or illustration of a spiritual truth. One of my most effective teachings was the use of a "Victoria Strainer", in which I crushed grapes into juice to illustrate communion.* Jesus employed both demonstration and illustration in His teaching ministry, but the supreme demonstration of God’s love involved His very own death on the cross.

The daily verse should cause us to stand back in awe of what God has done. In all the events of life that concern us today from our unique personal problems to the international situation, let us see with spiritual eyes the supreme demonstration of God’s own love for us. The underlying Greek word that is translated "demonstrate" is "sunistasin" which is in the present indicative active. This connotes a sense that God’s demonstration of love is ever a present event, although Christ’s literal death on the cross was a "once for all" atoning sacrifice, "Christ died for us". The demonstration of His love is present, but the sacrificial death of Christ is final and complete. We now look to "Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever" (Revelation 4:9).

We’ve sung a great song at my church several times that really blesses me and prompted this devotional as we sang it last Sunday. May it bless and remind you of God’s love for us.

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure,

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away,

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross.

My sin upon His shoulders;

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished;

His dying breath has brought me life -

I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,

No gifts, no power, no wisdom;

But I will boast in Jesus Christ,

His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart,

His wounds have paid my ransom.

Be encouraged today,

Stephen C. Weber

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