…The chastisement for our peace was upon Him…
—Isaiah 53:5

When we read chapter 12 of Hebrews, we can fall into error about the Lord’s chastening. When reading the Bible it is important to remember that the Scriptures point to Jesus Christ, not to us. After all, if we put ourselves into the process of chastening, it turns out that God punishes us. Those who portray God as more merciful say that God does not punish with a stick but trains us with words, the way a loving father teaches his children. I used to think so too, but is that really so?

Everything falls into place when our gaze is turned to Christ — and not to Christ when He was beaten and suffered on the cross, but to Christ seated at the right hand of God. That is exactly where Paul calls us to look, because our life is there and we are in Him. [Col.3:1-2] Chapter 12 of Hebrews also begins this way: “looking unto Jesus” [Heb.12:2] Now let’s ask a simple question: “Does the Father in any way discipline Jesus, who is seated at His right hand?” We could quote the passage: “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” [Heb.5:8] Fine, but the question is not what happened to Jesus on earth — Paul calls us to turn our gaze not to earthly things but to heavenly things — but what is happening now, while He is seated at the right hand of God?

If we look at this picture, it immediately becomes clear that the process of chastening, whatever it may have been, already took place 2000 years ago. That is why Isaiah prophesies: “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him“. Here is the whole verse: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” [Isa.53:5] So we were the ones at fault and deserved punishment, but He took that punishment in our place, so that we might always abide in peace and rest. This is the Good News: instead of the punishment we deserved, which fell on Him, we receive peace and rest we did not deserve.

“But what about Hebrews 12 and God’s chastening?” Let me say it again: let’s read the 2nd verse of that chapter carefully and see where the author of the epistle calls us to look. Because by the time we get to the 5th verse, our eyes are no longer looking at Jesus and at heavenly things, but have dropped to earthly things. It is very important to understand all this, because right after Isaiah says: “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him“, he says: “And by His stripes we are healed.” However people may try to “soften” God’s chastening by turning it into a verbal training process, training always involves beating — either with a belt on the backside or with words on the ears and the heart, which hurts no less. What am I getting at? That sickness can be one form of self-punishment, while God’s shalom [peace] keeps a person in health.

Let’s look at what Jesus said to the woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for 12 years and was healed when she touched Him. Jesus said to her: “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” [Luk.8:48] Jesus said “go in peace”, or in Hebrew, with shalom. Why could she not be healed, although she had tried for 12 long years? Because she was not in peace and rest. God’s shalom keeps a person in health. Paul writes: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” [Phl.4:6-7] You see, the peace of God guards us in Christ. It doesn’t mean that when we worry we fall out of it. It is simply that when we are anxious, we have forgotten where we are — in Christ Jesus, and in Him there is no punishment, no sickness, no curses, no poverty, because He has already taken all this upon Himself and nailed it to the cross, so that today we may be as He is in this world. [1 Jhn.4:17] And what is He like? Obedient, healthy, rich, abiding in peace and rest. So are we!!