THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY
Isaiah 53: 6
Why was it a necessity for the LORD to lay on Christ the iniquity of his people before bruising him? All our hope, brethren, is that the judge of all the earth shall do right! (Proverbs 17: 15). The whole purpose for which the Lord Jesus laid down his life was to declare the righteousness of God. But if iniquity itself had not been laid upon Christ, it had been injustice for the Lord to have bruised him. The mystery of the cross is not that God punished one who was innocent, though Christ knew no sin of himself. The mystery of the cross is that the Just One willingly submitted himself to the LORD who took the iniquity off his children and laid it upon Christ making him sin so that God was just to pour out wrath upon Christ (1 Pet 2: 24; Is 53: 6, 11-12; 2 Cor 5: 21.) Then in perfect harmony with holy justice “he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.” This amazing faithful act of God’s Servant was both the complete active fulfillment of the law and the fulfillment of the penalty of the law for the elect of God. Those born of the Spirit of Christ are made partakers of the divine nature so that we believe on Christ in whom we have established the law and by the constraint of his love for us by which Christ has made us complete in him we walk with him daily (2 Pet 1: 4; 2 Cor 5: 14-21.)