Wholeness & Healing In The Atonement
Pastor Leslie Chua
“Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. ”
Isaiah chapter 53 records one of the most amazing prophecies in the Bible. This prophecy concerns the coming of Israel’s Messiah. The prophet Isaiah gave this prophecy more than 700 years before the birth of Christ.
This prophecy is remarkable. It gives a comprehensive description of the Messiah, providing details from His appearance to His death and resurrection and His salvific works. With the benefit of historical hindsight, we know that the prophecy had been accurately fulfilled in the person and works of Jesus Christ.
In looking at this prophecy, most people focus exclusively on how Jesus was despised, rejected, and afflicted and how His death would atone for the sins and transgressions of humanity. More specifically, for those who would believe in Christ and who would receive Him as their Lord and Saviour.
The Messiah would be ‘despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account’ (Isaiah 53:3).
____________________________________________
However, there are other blessings and benefits of the atonement. Besides the atonement for sin, this messianic prophecy also gives promises of wholeness and healing for our body, soul, and spirit. In other words, the blessings of wholeness and healing are also included in the atoning works of Christ.
____________________________________________
Christ’s salvific work is the highlight of the prophecy – ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities…’ (Isaiah 53:5a). This is the primary message of the gospel.
However, there are other blessings and benefits of the atonement. Besides the atonement for sin, this messianic prophecy also gives promises of wholeness and healing for our body, soul, and spirit. In other words, the blessings of wholeness and healing are also included in the atoning works of Christ.
Atonement
We are familiar with the common biblical terms, salvation, redemption, justification, and forgiveness, but not atonement. The word atonement is rarely used nowadays.
Atonement literally means ‘to cover.’ But it also means ‘to take away.’ That is how it is understood in the Old Testament. Even today, the words ‘to cover’ can also mean ‘to take away.’ For example, if I say, “I’ll give you $5,000 to cover your debt,” it means that the $5,000 will take away your debt obligation.
The word, ‘atonement,’ is used more than 100 times in the Old Testament. It is most often used in the context of a blood sacrifice or a prescribed offering. An animal is sacrificed or an offering is made to atone a person for his sin or a thing from uncleanness. That is, to cover or to take away the sin of the person or the defilement of the thing.
____________________________________________
The atoning work of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross covers more than just our sins and transgressions. It also includes wholeness and healing to our body, soul, and spirit. It is a comprehensive atonement.
____________________________________________
The term, atonement, appears only once in the New Testament. It is found in Romans 5:11 in the King James Version – ‘And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.’
While it appears only once, the concept of atonement is found throughout the New Testament. It is a central truth of the gospel. Here is an example – ‘Jesus ‘gave himself for our sins’ (Galatians 1:4).
Back to Isaiah chapter 53:3-4. The atoning work of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross covers more than just our sins and transgressions. It also includes wholeness and healing to our body, soul, and spirit. It is a comprehensive atonement.
Healing to Our Body, Soul & Spirit
Healing is in the atonement.
It is clearly and specifically mentioned – ‘Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases… and by his bruises we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:4a, 5b).
The word, infirmities, in the original Hebrew is ‘holi.’ It means physical sicknesses, weaknesses, or sufferings. It can also mean ‘griefs,’ which is emotional suffering.
____________________________________________
Healing is in the atonement. It is clearly and specifically mentioned – ‘Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases… and by his bruises we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:4a, 5b).
____________________________________________
The Hebrew word, which is translated as disease, is ‘makob.’ It means pain or suffering. It can refer to both physical and emotional pain and suffering.
Most commonly used Bible versions, such as the ESV, NASB, and NKJV, translated holi and makob respectively as griefs and sorrows. For some reason, they avoided the use of the words, infirmities, sicknesses, and diseases. It is probably due to the translators’ bias because they do not believe that God’s healing grace is still available today.
Here is solid proof that both physical and emotional healing are referred to here in Isaiah 53:4-5.
____________________________________________
Essentially, Matthew was quoting Isaiah 53:4. In healing the sick and the demon-possessed, Jesus was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah bearing our infirmities and carrying our diseases. Indeed, by His bruises and wounds, we are healed.
___________________________________________
The Gospels are full of testimonies of Jesus healing the sick in the body, soul, and spirit. In Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew recounted a day when Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law from fever. On that same day, He healed many who were sick and demon-possessed – ‘That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick’ (Matthew 8:16).
Immediately afterwards, Matthew added this statement – ‘This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases” Matthew 8:17).
Essentially, Matthew was quoting Isaiah 53:4. In healing the sick and the demon-possessed, Jesus was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah bearing our infirmities and carrying our diseases. Indeed, by His bruises and wounds, we are healed.
Hallelujah! The atoning work of Christ includes healing in the body, soul, and spirit. By His suffering and death on the cross, Jesus had taken away our sicknesses and diseases.
Wholeness is in the Atonement
The blessing of wholeness in our body, soul, and spirit is also promised in Christ’s work of atonement.
It is plainly stated – ‘…upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:5).
____________________________________________
The blessing of wholeness in our body, soul, and spirit is also promised in Christ’s work of atonement.
____________________________________________
The original Hebrew word for ‘whole’ is ‘shalom.’ It is normally translated as peace. But shalom has a richer meaning. Shalom points to the comprehensive blessing of God that encompasses peace, welfare, prosperity, and wholeness.
Wholeness refers to a state of completeness, wellness and well-being in our body, soul, and spirit. In the NRSV version, shalom is accurately and appropriately translated as ‘whole’ in this verse. It flows with the statement immediately following it – ‘and by his bruises we are healed.’ Wholeness and healing are mentioned in one breath.
____________________________________________
Wholeness refers to a state of completeness, wellness and well-being in our body, soul, and spirit.
____________________________________________
The blessing of wholeness in our body, soul, and spirit is included in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
Objection
Those who believe in the cessation of the spiritual gifts of a miraculous nature, such as healing, will argue against the NRSV translation.
The doctrine of cessation argues that supernatural gifts like speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healings had ceased since the apostolic age, or the time of the early church.
One common argument against the idea that God still heals today is that not everybody gets healed.
Well, in the same way, while the Bible teaches that ‘our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin’ (Romans 6:6), believers still sin.
How can believers continue to sin when the power of sin has already been broken by Christ’s death and resurrection?
It is a mystery. On this side of eternity, we will continue to struggle with sin despite the biblical assertion that the victory over sin had already been won on the cross 2,000 years ago.
Similarly, while wholeness and healing are provided in the atonement and we can appropriate these blessings by faith through prayer, we are still susceptible to frailty, sickness, and death. Sometimes, we get healed, while sometimes we do not get healed.
Nevertheless, we should believe in the promises of God. Wholeness and healing are provided in the atonement. Given that, pray and believe God for the wonderful blessings of wholeness and healing for our body, soul, and spirit.
Faith Declaration of Whole & Healings
Here is a prayer declaration that you can use to appropriate God’s blessings of wholeness and healing for ourselves.