9 July | Teens
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. Isaiah 53: 5
Did you know that, in the Old Testament, when someone sinned, they had to take a lamb to die in their place? That's because sin brings death. But if someone or something dies in our place, we don't have to die anymore. This was the idea of substitution that God used to teach us about the sacrifice that Jesus would pay. For some four thousand years, whenever someone made a mistake, they sacrificed a little lamb. That was a symbol that pointed to the coming of the Messiah. By sacrificing the animal, the sinner was demonstrating his faith in future redemption through Jesus.
Jesus was like that perfect lamb. He came into the world without blemish, without sin, and died for us. He was hurt, bruised and suffered a lot, but it was all out of love for all of us. Thanks to the wounds of Jesus, we are saved. He died so that we might live. He was our perfect Substitute. He wounded Himself to heal us, not only physically but also spiritually. He took upon Himself all the bad things we do, all our sins, so that we could be forgiven and healed.
Take Action
Next time you get hurt, put on a band-aid and draw a cross on it. This will help you remember the great love of Jesus and all that He has done for us. Each time you look at the band-aid, remember that Jesus was wounded so that we could be healed.