Isaiah 53 stands as an eternal memorial. It is as graphic a description of the “great exchange” as exists in Scripture. One of those “beware lest it become too familiar” types of passages . . . one of those passages I do well to revisit regularly . . . and meditatively. This morning I’m reminded that the Son of God was crushed for my sin . . .

But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed. . . . it was the will of the LORD to crush Him . . .    (Isaiah 53:5, 10a ESV)

That is was the will of God to crush His beloved Son has caused me to pause this morning.

The King James translations says that He was bruised for our iniquities . . . that it pleased the LORD to bruise Him . . . but it seems that, in the original, this bruising portrays the sense of “beating to pieces.”

Jesus was destroyed for my sin . . . He was shattered . . . in His physical body . . . and to the very depths of His soul . . . crushed to contrition . . . “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).

What price needed to be paid for my transgressions . . . to what extent had God determined to go for my peace . . . to what lengths would the Son of Man endure that I might be healed? He was pierced for my transgressions . . . He was chastised for my peace . . . He suffered deep, deep wounds that I might be healed of sin’s dark disease . . . “the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (53:5-6) . . . and it crushed Him.

Stricken for my transgressions (53:8b) . . . His soul made an offering for my sin and guilt (55:10b) . . . and it was the will of the LORD to crush Him.

Behold God’s blessed Servant . . . Behold my Savior!

Oh, to never lose sight of the price that was paid by the Creator so that He might atone for His creation . . . to not forget the humiliation and contrition endured by the King of Kings that He might win the eternal battle and make way a means of redemption . . . to not wax cold concerning the depths of suffering endured by the Christ that access might be opened into the holy of holies . . . to not take for granted the extent to which Jesus was crushed so that overflowing grace might be offered to “whosoever will.”

To quote the hymn-writer, “How can I help but love Him . . . when He loved me so!”