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The inner conflicts that we feel deep within our own hearts on a daily
basis, the conflicts between good and evil, right and wrong within our
own conscience, are rooted in this divine promise. In the final analysis,
our search for peace is spawned by this promise. And it will be resolved
by this promise: "Furthermore, Satan, though you will sow your seeds
of evil and rebellion on this planet, I will send a Seed that one day will
be planted in the womb of woman. When He is grown up, you will bruise
His heel, you will wound Him, but He will crush your head, He will destroy
your reign forever and ever!"
The prophet Isaiah later elaborated: "Surely He has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God,
and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned, every one, to his own way, and the LORD
has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6
"Iniquity" is a synonym for "sin" or "lawlessness."
The wage of sin and lawlessness is eternal death, the reverse of our coming
into being at creation. "All have sinned." All stand under
the judgment of the ultimate death. Bummer
of a birthmark! But the Lord has laid on Him, upon Jesus Christ,
the sinful lawlessness of us all. 1 Peter
2:21-25
That simple and profound truth–that Jesus Christ bore our sin and guilt
to set us free from both–holds the key to our ultimate peace. "The
chastisement of our peace was upon Him." "And by His stripes
we are healed."
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