With his Stripes we are Healed- the shepherd of our soul

“With his stripes we are healed!!!” Have you ever heard a preacher shout these words? Perhaps while laying hands on your sick body?

Such preachers use Isaiah 53:5 to support the notion that Jesus died not only for our salvation but for our physical healing.

They say we can have perfect physical health, if only we believe.

Have you ever considered that maybe, they’ve misinterpreted that verse? That maybe Isaiah was not talking about physical healing, rather spiritual healing?

In this post I’m going to dissect Isaiah 53 and similar scriptures, to find out the true meaning of that popular phrase “with his stripes we are healed”.

Isaiah 53

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 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.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him -- the iniquity of us all.

Notice in these verses how “with his stripes we are healed” is connected to “all we like sheep have gone astray”?

Peter quoted this portion of Isaiah in his first epistle.

1 Peter 2:24&25

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose -- stripes ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Notice here how being “healed” is connected to lost sheep returning to the shepherd of their souls? 

We are “healed” when we RETURN to Jesus, the shepherd of our soul.

Hosea 6

1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 

Ezekiel explains how a good shepherd, seeks out lost sheep and binds up that which was broken.

Ezekiel 34:16

16 I will seek -- that which was lost, and bring again -- that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen -- that which was sick…

Bind up H2280. חָבַשׁ ḥāḇaš is often used to describe binding wounds with the result that healing occurs.

When a wounded, wandering sheep returns to its shepherd, that shepherd binds up its wounds that they may heal.

The prophet Isaiah made it clear that Jesus is the “good shepherd”, sent to bind up the broken hearted.

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed -- me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Hence when Isaiah 53:5 says 

…with his stripes we are healed…

He was NOT talking about physical healing. 

He was alluding to how a shepherd binds up the broken limbs of his sheep and how Jesus, the good shepherd, binds up the broken HEARTED when they RETURN to him.

Now let’s go back to 1 Peter 2:24…

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…

Compare that to…

Galatians 6:1&2

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

We fulfil the law of Christ when we get along side those overtaken in a fault. 

When we put ourselves in their shoes. When we take on their burden as though it were our own, in order to RESTORE them.

Back to Isaiah once more…

Isaiah 1:18

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Jesus “took on” a flesh body. He put himself in our shoes. He got along side us and bore our sin AS THOUGH it were his own, so to REASON with us and RESTORE our soul.

Yet restoration is only possible when WE reason TOGETHER with him. 

How do we reason with him? Through REPENTANCE.

Yes, Jesus bore our sins but the only way our sins can be made “white as snow” is if we die WITH him (Gal. 2:20) through repentance.

1 Peter 2:24

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose -- stripes ye were healed.

This verse is a picture of us reasoning TOGETHER with God. 

Jesus bare our sins that WE being dead to sins should live unto righteousness.

This is US returning to the shepherd of our soul and reasoning with him through repentance. 

This is how he binds-up our broken heart, restores and strengthens our sin-sick soul. 

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul…

In conclusion,

It is very easy to take a verse out of context and apply our own private interpretation to it.

…with his stripes we are healed… is no exception.

This verse is NOT about physical healing! It’s about spiritual healing!

Just as a shepherd binds up the broken limbs of his sheep, Jesus binds up our broken heart when we RETURN to him, the shepherd and bishop of our soul.

What’s so bad about misinterpreting Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 to say Jesus died for our physical healing?

Doing so, shifts the focus away from spiritual healing which is the true miracle and only possible through repentance proven by deeds. 

When we reason together with God through repentance, he restores our soul.