But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. Isaiah 53:5
How can God be loving and yet punish wrong?
Once upon a time, there lived a ruler famous for being both perfectly just and deeply loving. One day, it was discovered that someone was stealing from the royal treasury. Because he was just, the king announced a penalty: ten lashes before the people. But the theft continued, so the sentence rose to twenty lashes, then thirty, and finally forty—the kind of punishment no one could survive.
At last, the thief was caught. To everyone’s shock, it was the king’s own daughter. What would the king do?” whispered the people. If he let her go, justice would be broken. If he punished her, how could he call himself loving?
The day came. The crowd gathered. The princess was tied to the whipping post, her back bare. The executioner raised his whip—then suddenly, the king rose. “Stop!” he cried. He stepped down, removed his robe, and wrapped his body around hers. “Now,” he commanded, “carry out the sentence.” The lashes fell—not on the daughter, but on the king himself. He took every stroke. He died and she walked away free.[1]
This is what Jesus did for you. He was crucified instead of you. The Bible says, “ … he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so that we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (Isaiah 53:5). Because God is just, sin must be punished. Because God is love, He bore the punishment Himself.
Have you admitted your need for forgiveness and received what He’s already done for you?
[1] Josh Howerton (Lakepointe Church), You Can Win in Life and Still Lose Eternity, YouTube video, April 20, 2025, 7,176 views, 198 likes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y8AdvL_yd8.
