Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Luke 22:7-24:49
In the New Testament, Isaiah 52:13-53:12 was often used to refer to Jesus Christ, his cross and resurrection. For example, this Isaiah passage is quoted in Matthew 8:16-17, Luke 22:37, John 12:38, Romans 10:16, Acts 8:32-33, Romans 15:20-21, 1 Peter 2:22-25. This is the Old Testament passage most quoted in the New Testament. As you read this passage, you will notice these points.
1. The servant of the Lord will act wisely. He will be lifted up and highly exalted. This refers to Jesus’ resurrection. This exaltation, however, will only occur after he has been disfigured and marred beyond human likeness. This refers to his crucifixion.
2. He will "sprinkle many nations," an atonement similar to that of the lamb’s blood sprinkled on the door posts. This work will be seen by the nations. We are among those nations.
3. According to Isaiah, the Lord Jesus was despised, rejected, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and punished that we might have peace. By his wounds we are healed. The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all. He was cut off from the land of the living, and in his death, he was assigned a grave with the wicked. He gave his life as a guilt offering, and he justified many by bearing their sins. He suffered these things, yet he was innocent. He had done no violence, nor was there deceit in his mouth.
4. After his suffering, he was exalted, seeing the light of life, his days prolonged, dividing the spoils with the strong and having a portion among the great. These lines refer to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, his being seated at the right hand of God.
5. The suffering of the servant was understood as the will of God. It was the Lord’s will to crush him. It was the Lord who laid upon him the iniquity of us all. The servant was afflicted, stricken, and smitten by God. The wrath of God fell upon him.
6. As a result of the sin, iniquity, and punishment that was laid upon Jesus, those who follow Jesus are delivered from the crushing weight of sin and guilt. They are justified, healed, set free from sorrow, and put at peace with God and each other.
Luke 22:7-24:49
1. As you read Luke 22:7-24:49 you will notice several things. First, Jesus celebrates the Passover with his disciples. During the meal, he tells his disciples that he, like the Passover Lamb, will die that they might live. As disciples, we also receive the blessing of Jesus’ death for our sake.
2. According to the New Testament, the entire passage, culminating in the resurrection, is understood as a sacrifice in which the wrath of God is poured out upon Jesus who dies in our place.
3. The crucifixion is seen as the triumph of Satan. It is his time. Satan entered Judas and all those who worked together to kill Christ. By the power of Christ’s resurrection, however, Satan was defeated.
4. As seen in the Isaiah passage, God places our sins upon Jesus. This happens as he receives the lies, the blows, the betrayals, and the torment of the cross. Although we were not physically present at the crucifixion, it was our sins that put him there because God chose Jesus to bear our sins. We crucified Christ and still do.
5. Jesus forgave all who sinned against him (Luke 23:34), and by Christ’s sacrifice, God forgives all our sins. Nothing can remain upon us, not the guilt, not the power to repeat the sins, and not the shame. We need to pray that we fully receive this great gift.
6. By the power of Jesus’ resurrection we are given a new life with God. Our sorrows, our wounds, our troubles, and even our deaths, have no power over us. He has carried our infirmities and sorrows, his punishment is our peace, and by his wounds we are healed. Nothing can stand against us, not our own sins, they are forgiven, not the sins of others, we forgive them, not the devil, he has been defeated. Nothing can stand before the amazing love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. We need to hold to this in faith and live thankfully.
Practical Application in a Small Group
The following is written for small groups where people know each other well, trust each other to guard each other's confidences, and are willing to be open to each other regarding their weaknesses and sorrows. It can also be used by counselors who need to help those who have broken hearts. In listening to and praying for others in intimate and personal situations as described below, it is good to have another person with you, a man and a woman often make an ideal team.
All of us have been beaten down by other people. All, at one time or another, have been insulted, beaten, robbed, lied to, betrayed, falsely accused, and more. We have also done these things to others, in small and large ways. These things have happened to us just as they happened to Jesus. We carry the things that have happened to us in our hearts. When evil has happened to us, we become beaten down, bitter, and crippled in our ability to give thanks to God and love others. We are, in this lesson, going to seek forgiveness for our sins, forgive those that sinned against us, and for the wounds they inflicted, we are going to receive healing. Please read the following, discuss it as a group, and then put it into action.
There may well be resistance to what is being proposed here. The devil and your own desires will resist. We are often tempted to talk about these things and never really do them. It is especially important that the leadership lead the way forward. Pray earnestly that God help all of you. Here is what you can do to help each other forgive and be healed by the wounds of Jesus.
Divide your group into smaller groups of four or perhaps five people. It is best to have at least two women in each group, or perhaps have each group composed only of men or only of women. Then, to begin, ask one member of the group to describe what has happened to them, how they have been humiliated and betrayed like Jesus. I suggest that the leadership go first. Let that person respond to the following sorts of questions: Who has sinned against you? Who has done to you what was done to Jesus? Have you been insulted, mocked, injured, beaten, physically hurt, damaged, lied to, betrayed, cheated, denied, or humiliated? Has anyone robbed you, sexually abused you, dominated you, or cursed you? Has anyone wished you ill, put evil curses on you, or shamed you? Have you done any of these things to others?
As the person responds to these questions, let the others listen attentively. Do not interrupt them, hear them out. Sometimes they may need to stop and think. People often find this difficult, they may begin crying. Do not stop them or interrupt them by trying to console them at this point. Sit quietly, praying silently, until they continue.
Once they have finished, ask them if they can forgive the people who hurt them. If they cannot forgive, or they find it very difficult to forgive, ask them if they would be willing for Jesus to help them forgive. Jesus can help them because, hanging from the cross, he said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they are doing.” If they are willing to get help from Jesus in any form, by forgiving, by wanting help to forgive, by wanting to be forgiven, or any way Jesus can help them, you are then to pray for them. Here is how you can do this.
Let the members of the group gently lay their hands upon the one who has just revealed the insults and blows they have received. Placing your hands upon their shoulders is best. Jesus often placed his hands upon people when he healed them, and we will do the same. Then say prayers similar to the examples which will follow. These prayers do not need to be said loudly. They can simply be said in a normal tone of voice. You have enough faith for God to answer your prayers. Here are some examples of the prayers you can say.
Suppose the person you are praying for is a man who has been beaten and ridiculed by his father or other persons. Let us suppose his name is John, and that his father tied him to a tree and whipped him, or insulted him in front of others, or would get drunk and beat the entire family.
Pray something like this:
Heavenly Father, thank you so much that your beloved Son, Jesus, was willing to die upon the cross for John. We pray that, by the power of your Spirit, you place upon Jesus the beatings that John has received. We remember you, Jesus, how you were beaten. We thank you that you suffered in our place, and that by your wounds we are healed. We pray for John, the time he was tied to a tree and whipped, the many days he was humiliated, how terrible it was to stand by and watch his mother get beaten, the way Peter stood by when Jesus was led away to death. We put all these terrible things upon you, Jesus. We place them upon you. Take them from him, help John to forgive, help him to let them go and take no revenge.
Continue praying until you have covered the insults and beatings, specifically naming each of them, placing them upon Jesus, one after another, connecting them with similar things that Jesus suffered as narrated in Luke’s gospel, or any other gospel.
As you are praying, feel free to stop and talk if need be to hear more of John’s story, and John may think of things that he needs to say. Let him say them. Perhaps, he has beaten others as well. Ask him to ask God for forgiveness, if he has not already confessed this sin, and then say to him that Jesus forgives him. Work together, all of you, praying in turn as ideas occur to you. Ask John if he forgives those who beat and ridiculed him. To forgive them means he will no longer harbor bitterness against them, that he will no longer wish them ill, or seek vengeance against them. It means he will willingly pray for them and wish them well in his heart. If he says yes, give thanks to God as you pray. If he finds it difficult to forgive, pray something like this:
O Lord Jesus, have mercy upon us and upon John. Forgive him of his sins. Come to him, let him see you hanging there, let him hear your words, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” Lord Jesus, lift the bitterness off of him. Have mercy upon him, help him to forgive, to take no vengeance, to give all to you. Thank you that you forgive him and all others who have sinned against him.
Continue praying along these lines, all of you, each contributing what seems best, giving way to each other so all can be free to pray. When you come to the end, give thanks to God, and let the next person in your group tell how they have been violated, betrayed, and wronged, and pray for them as you prayed for John.
Let us do one other example, more briefly, to get a deeper sense of how we can pray. Suppose there is a woman in your group named Ann who was sexually abused by her uncles and other family members. Pray for her as you did for John. Some of these matters are quite delicate, so pray gently. Give her time, let her say whatever is on her heart even as you pray for her. If she begins crying, let her cry. You might want to pray as follows.
O blessed and mighty Jesus, have mercy upon our sister, Ann. Have mercy upon her. Remember your wounds, how they pierced your hands, your feet. How they drove the nails into your flesh. Oh Lord Jesus, your beloved sister has been violated. Her flesh has been violated. Let her wounds, the humiliation, the violence be driven into your flesh, the shame into your soul. Give her the power to forgive, to hear your words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
These are sample prayers. Each of you will think of similar things to pray. The important thing is to place the suffering and sin of each person upon Jesus, connecting each insult and blow they received with the insults and blows that Jesus received, remembering that by his wounds we are healed.
What is happening as we pray in this fashion?
God chose Jesus to bear our sin and suffering on the cross. The Passover Lamb of the Exodus, Isaiah 53, and Jesus himself at his final meal with his disciples, all proclaimed that Jesus died in our place, bore the judgment of God, received sin and suffering into his body and soul, not only the sins of those who put him to death, but ours as well. Many people have died for those they loved. Only Jesus, however, was chosen by God to bear the sins of the world so that by his wounds we are healed. As we place our wounds upon Jesus, as we forgive those who wronged us, we are healed
Although God placed the wounds we have received upon Jesus, and although these wounds led to his death, Jesus did not die eternally. By the power of God, he was raised from the dead. Even though the sins committed against each of you have great power, they do not defeat the power of God. As you place them upon the cross, Jesus will take them to death and bless you with the power of his resurrected life. He receives your death and gives you his eternal life, beginning in this life and completed in the life to come. You will be set free from the bitterness and sorrow that resulted from the insults and blows you have received.
Praying for each other with the laying on of hands for healing is not something that happens only once. Being cleansed of sin and sorrow, putting your broken past upon the cross, is a long process, and at times, it is difficult. Many people need to be prayed for many times before they can begin to know the healing love of Christ. It takes determination and courage to place our sins and sorrows on the cross, to forgive and be forgiven, and to offer all to Christ. Surely, steadily, however, God acts, and little by little we know the cleansing power of Christ.
You will not be able to meet all the needs for prayer in this meeting. It can easily take an evening just to pray for one person in each of your little groups. For that reason, what was begun in this lesson needs to be continued at other times and places.
Some of you will be more drawn to prayer ministry than others. Talk to your leadership. Let them guide you if you are called to this form of ministry. Develop this ministry, not only for your group, but for the many, many people in your community who need to put their burdens upon Christ. As people are set free from their guilt and shame, as their hearts are delivered from the blows they have received, your community can experience great joy. This is a profound blessing.
It must be said that not all people will be open to placing their burdens upon the cross, nor will all continue to receive healing once they have begun, even though the blessings are so great. Give people freedom to make their way forward at their own speed. Those who are fearful need time and tenderness. Those who are hard-hearted need time as well, and sometimes, the leaders need to admonish them. All of us have been forgiven by God, so let us be tender-hearted toward one another, forgiving, patient, and kind, allowing God to work with each person in his own way and time.
Finally, there is another very important matter that cannot be omitted. It is not only important to ask God to forgive us, it is equally important to ask forgiveness from those we have wronged. We need to go to them, confess to them our wrongs against them, humble ourselves before them, and ask their forgiveness. Or, if someone has wronged us, we need to go to them as well, seeking to resolve any conflicts.
More could be said on this important matter, but this will give some insight as to how to proceed. It is the ancient practice of lectio divina as applied to pastoral care. Normally lectio divina takes places as believers mediate on Scripture, especially the pericopes of Jesus. As they do this, the Spirit brings to mind the deep thoughts of their hearts and heals them through the word and deeds of Jesus read as they mediate. Broken people, however, those tormented by evil spirits, are often not able to receive the deep work of the Spirit. They need help. Ministering the cross and resurrection is one way to help them, a biblical way, rooted in the life of Christ and animated by the Holy Spirit. It goes without say that those who do this ministry need to have received it themselves, and further, they need to spend time meditating on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Another feature, not mentioned in this essay, but important, is that as the Spirit brings things into the light of Christ, it can often be seen that the person suffers from entrenched patters of behavior, forces such as guilt, shame, rage, fear, and more. These are often organized, reaching into every aspect of a person's behavior. They can be gently but firmly commanded to leave in the mighty name of Jesus, and once gone, it is good to pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This is deliverance, an essential part of Christ's ministry and practiced by the church for centuries. By the time of the fourth and fifth centuries, thorough teaching on the person of Christ and frequently exorcisms were required of those about to be baptized. That is what we need to day in the West as the West, having jettisoned her Christian foundation, gradually drifts into deeper and deeper oppression by the devil and his angels.
The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D.
April, 2012
