Sunday 6 January 2013

Christ Died For The World


Isa.53:6.
This verse is quoted very frequently by DML-J in his evangelistic sermons.  What is the context of this verse and what does it mean?  The context is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah and this individual is identified with Christ in His death by Calvin in his sermons on this passage.[1]  The Geneva Bible notes state that the punishment of the iniquity of us all was laid on Him.  Hyper-Calvinist, Dr. John Gill, in his exposition of this phrase, states quite unashamedly, “he has laid on Christ, his own Son, the sins of all his elect ones.”  Continuing, he adds, “[God the Father] ... laid on Christ, and were bore by him, even all the sins of all God’s elect...”  Further, Gill teaches,

The words may be rendered, "he made to meet upon him the iniquity of us all"; the elect of God, as they live in every part of the world, their sins are represented as coming from all quarters, east, west, north, and south; and as meeting in Christ, as they did, when he suffered as their representative on the cross ...   

Gill is clearly limiting his interpretation of this verse and restricting it to the elect only and universally, but unlike Calvin does not see it as applying to the whole world of men.  Yet, Gill quotes R. Cohana (favourably) when he says,

“...as the ass bears burdens, and the garments of travellers, so the King Messiah will bear upon him the sins of the whole world; as it is said, "the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”[2] 

This appears just a tad inconsistent with his own stated position, yet he included it in his comment on this verse.

Remember, Christ died for the world, which means He died for you, too.  His blood was shed for you that by trusting in Him you will be forever saved. 


[1]   Parker, 1976.
[2]   Apud Galatin. de Cathol. Ver. I. 10. c. 6. p. 663, and Siphre in ib. l. 8. c. 20. p. 599.

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