The Meaning of the Cross, Day 27

Welcome to Day 27 of our series, “40 days of the cross.” Each day we are taking just a few minutes to look at a word which will help us better understand the meaning of the cross. Today’s word is healing.

When we talk about healing and the events around the cross, we usually talk about the stripes laid upon the back of Jesus during His scourging by Roman soldiers. That is certainly an important part of the equation. Both Isaiah chapter 53 and 1 Peter chapter 2 tell us that our healing comes from the wounds of Jesus. The Greek word in 1 Peter refers specifically to the wounds left from whipping. What the whipping that Jesus took has to do with our healing, I don’t know; the connection isn’t explained in Scripture, and I’m not going to hazard a guess. But the Scripture is true and reliable, so there is a connection.

I want us to think about this today: the cross also plays a large part in our healing. As we’ve shared several times during our 40-day walk so far, it is through the cross that our sins are forgiven. The greatest sickness we had was the sickness of sin. It was a disease we were born with and we were unable to heal ourselves. But Jesus, in paying the price for our sins, taking the punishment for our sinful nature, healed us from the sickness of sin. Not just the symptoms, Jesus has healed the root cause of our sinfulness: our very sinful nature itself. Our sinful nature no longer has dominion over us, it has been conquered by the cross.

Our physical healing is also provided for us through the cross. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” Jesus’ death on the cross allows us to live in righteousness, His PERFECT righteousness. As we mentioned before, that righteousness purchased on the cross allows us access to the very presence of God. It is in God’s presence that we are able to come to Him with our appeals for our physical healings. The cross gives us access, that access allows us to receive physical healing and ultimate victory. We’ll talk more about victory tomorrow.

After we pray today, please take a few minutes to meditate on the connection of the cross to your healing.

Heavenly Father, I ask today that for all those listening and suffering from physical ailments, that You would open their hearts to receive Your healing made available to us through the cross. I ask this in the name of Jesus, amen.

Thanks for listening/reading today.

Continued tomorrow