Jesus and His five wounds

JESUS AND HIS FIVE WOUNDS
Tuesday, April 29, 2003

(Isaiah 53:5 KJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

Wounds: Webster’s dictionary says this…’An injury to the body that involver laceration or breaking of the skin.’

According to a classification by the medical profession, wounds are shown in at least five ways: CONTUSED, LACERATED, PENETRATING, PERFORATING, and an INCISED WOUND. The amazing thing here that in the phrase ‘He was wounded..’ there is included all the five wounds concerning the suffering of Christ.

I. THE CONTUSED WOUND.
A wound produced by a blunt instrument, a blow, by a rod.
(Micah 5:1 KJV) Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

This was fulfilled in:
(Mat 26:67 KJV) Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, the margin in some bibles says ‘rods’
(John 18:22 KJV) And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying,…
(Mat 27:30 KJV) And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

II. THE LACERATED WOUND…
A wound produced by a tearing instrument.
A. Lacerations in Jesus suffering were produced by scourging or whipping. The scourge was made of thongs each tipped with bone or metal.
1. In the hands of an expert the recipient could say..
2. (Psalm 129:3 KJV) The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
(Isaiah 50:6 KJV) I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

This was fulfilled in:
(Mat 27:26 KJV) Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (John 19:1 KJV) Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

III. THE PENETRATING WOUND…
‘A wound produced by a sharp pointed instrument.’
A. The crown of thorns produced this kind of wound upon the head of Jesus. It is said the Jerusalem thorn bore sharp spike like projections up to 4 inches (10 cc) in length.
(Mat 27:29 KJV) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
(John 19:2 KJV) And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

IV. THE PERFORATING….
A wound produced by a piercing instrument.
A. Perforating comes from a Latin word ‘to pierce through’.
(Psalm 22:16 KJV) For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
B. The nails were driven into Jesus’ hands and feet. They were driven between the bones, separation, perforating the flesh. The way Jesus died was not a normal way.
(Zechariah 13:6 KJV) And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
1. The crucifixion of Jesus and the painful death was foreknown, and the decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem was with perfect knowledge, even to the types of the wounds.

V. THE INCISED WOUND…
A deep cut produced by a sharp edged instrument.
(John 19:34 KJV) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
A. This wound was the last one upon the body of Jesus and was inflicted with the practiced hand of the Roman soldier to make certain that whatever life was present would be put out. This wound was quite large, for in:
(John 20:27 KJV) Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
1. Jesus told Thomas to thrust his hand into His side. The very spear that pierced His side drew blood to save the sinner.
2. John was very perceptive there at the cross to note, ‘water and blood.’
3. From the writings of a Christian doctor… “We may surely engage our attention on the water that flowed from the pericardium, and the blood that flowed from the heart.”
a. The pericardium is a closed sac encasing the heart and lubricated by a small amount of fluid ( about a teaspoonful) to facilitate the motion of the heart.
b. How could John distinguish such a small quantity of water? From a statement from the works of Mallory and Wrights Pathological Technique… “The normal amount of the pericardial fluid is about a teaspoon, but may be increased to about 24 teaspoons where death and agony is prolonged.”
B. The last wound upon the body of Jesus proclaims both the purification and redemption of the sinner.

In Closing:
This is a testimony and confirmation of the intense suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who did He do it for? You and I! May the meditation of our hearts upon the five wounds of Jesus deepen our love for Him who was ‘wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.

Let us be like Thomas in John 20:28 and cry out as he did in worship and adoration - “My Lord and My God!”

God bless you and yours, remember to Smile, why? Because God loves you, He really does.

God bless you and yours!
On behalf of this generation,
Your friends in the service of Christ,
Tony and Marge Abram
Abundant Life Crusades

If we could be of more help or if you want more information please visit:
www.tonyabram.com or www.abundantlifecrusades.com