Yet it Pleased the Lord to Bruise Him

 “Yet it Pleased the Lord to Bruise Him”

By Al Stoner

 

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; he hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand” (Isa. 53:10).

 

The Nature of this Bruise or Bruising

 

Other Translations

• “ . . . to bruise Him” (KJV, RSV, Amplified Bible, Emphasized Bible)
•  “ . . . to crush him;” (ESV, NASB)
• “ . . . to crush Him severely” (HCSB)
• “ . . . to crush Him with pain” (NJB)
• “ . . . to crush Him with suffering” (God’s Word)
• “ . . . that he should suffer;” (GNB)
• “ . . . to crush him, and he made him suffer” (ISV)
   
  Other Uses of the Word “bruise” in Scripture
  The first occasion was when God was publicly pronouncing judgment upon the serpent for beguiling Eve.  “And I will put enmity between thee (the Devil) and the woman (Eve), and between thy seed (the wicked) and her seed (which is Christ); It shall bruise thy head [a wound from which the Devil would not recover], and thou shalt bruise His heel” [this was the heel of Christ’s humanity, the bruising of which was the crucifixion] (Gen. 3:15). 
  In this case both bruisings spoken of here [that of the head, and of the heel] are of the nature of a figure [a figure that startles the reader and prompts him to consider that there is more here than what appears[1]].  Normally, for a man to receive a bruise on the head would not be fatal, and this would be something from which the one receiving it would completely recover.  [But a bruise on a serpent’s head would very likely prove to be deadly.]  Likewise, a bruise [or bite from a deadly serpent] on a man’s heel would, in many instances, could also prove to be fatal. 
  But in this case the One who has bruised the serpent’s head is He who has gone to such great lengths to identify with us, and yet He is far superior to us.  He has become our “near Kinsman” (Ruth 3:9, 12), and as our great High Priest He has now been “made higher than the heavens” (Heb. 7:26).  This is Christ Jesus, “Emmanuel” (Mt. 1:23), “the Son of Man” (Mt. 12:8, 32, 40; 13:37, 41; 16:13, 27-28, etc.), the Son of God (Mt. 4:3, 6; 14:33; 26:63; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:34; 9:35; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31; Acts 8:37; 9:20; Rom. 1:4; Gal. 2:20; I Jn. 5:13, 20, Rev. 2:18, etc.), even He who is “God” “manifest in the flesh” (I Tim. 3:16).  This is “the Lord of hosts”, “the King of glory” (Ps. 24:10), “the Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6). 
  He it is also who has received a bruise in the heel of His humanity.  The Lord Jesus Christ tasted “death for every man” (Heb. 2:9), and it was “through death” that He destroyed “him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil” (Heb. 2:14).  “And having spoiled [robbed, plundered] principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in” His Cross (Col. 2:15).  [These were the principalities and powers that followed Satan in his rebellion against the Most High, prophetically depicted in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28].
  When “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14), He was, in accordance with the purpose of God in Christ, placing the heel of His humanity in harm’s way for our sake’s.  Prior to the enfleshment of Christ there was absolutely no way that the Devil could have had any access to Christ’s heel.  The Savior Himself declared, “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father” (Jn. 10:17-18). 
  An Unexpected Miscarriage.  The bruise that was inflicted upon the Lord Jesus Christ by Satan was one that resulted in an unexpected miscarriage for the Devil, as it was through death, that Christ destroyed the Devil (Heb. 2:14). 
  At this point we would like to clarify once again that the Devil is not, and never was, all knowing or all powerful.  And now, we, who are in Christ, “are not ignorant of his devices”.  The Devil is strapped by limitations, over which those who are living by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been made the victors.  [Those who are outside of Christ are still subject to his wiles and are no match for him, because of their being entrenched, by nature, in “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I Jn. 2:16)].  But thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His grace we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. 
  At this point let us consider once again the malicious designs and intent of the old serpent.  He is “a liar”, and “a murderer from the beginning” (Jn. 8:44).  He walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour among the sons of men.  The only pleasures that he has to hold before men are “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25).
  In the gospel record there is recounted the temptation in the wilderness where Satan tried to provoke the Savior to sin, and thereby stop any further Divine working in the accomplishment of our salvation (Mt. 4: Lk. 4).  Similar to “checkmate” in the game of chess, if Satan could have had the upper hand at this point, it would have brought an end to the work of salvation.  The consequences, if he had been successful, would have been incomprehensibly grave, even more so than the serpent was able to grasp.  But as the Lord Jesus Christ said, “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me” (Jn. 14:30).  Though He was took part of flesh and blood, like as we are partakers, there was no sinful defilement or defilement of conscience in the Savior for the Devil to appeal to.
  And there was also at least one occasion when Satan tried to hinder Jesus from going to the Cross (Mt. 16:23; Mk. 8:33), and there is the other more obvious working whereby the Devil actually had a hand in perpetrating the crucifixion (Lk. 22:3; Jn. 13:2).
  In the Scripture the word “destroy” generally does not mean to annihilate, but rather to dispossess of goods, to plunder or to spoil.  In this case the goods that the Devil was dispossessed of by Christ were those which gave him a firm moral grip upon the sons of men, particularly in the domain of the conscience.  Satan is no longer able to tempt men irresistibly, thus causing men to sin and fall into God’s disfavor. Wherever Christ is believed, and believed on, there Satan is no longer able to defile the consciences of men.  He is no longer able to hold over men’s eyes and understanding the uncertain gloomy forebodings of death and the grave: that is, wherever the gospel is preached and believed.  For in and by and through His death Christ has “abolished death, and” has “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (II Tim. 1:8-10). 
  The bruise that Satan inflicted upon the Savior, just as the sacrifices ordained under the law, could never take away sin.  But nevertheless Christ’s putting of Himself in harm’s way in our behalf became an ever-enduring demonstration and memorial of His love for us.  If the children were to be set free, it was necessary that their Redeemer, not only be a partaker of flesh and blood, but also that He would taste death instead of them. 
  Death, a Separation, not a Cessation.  Death here is speaking of the second death primarily.  The first death, which is implied by the term “the second death”, is that of separation of the soul from the body.  “The second death” (Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8) is a final separation of the soul from God.  “The second death” is clearly identified as “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14) and “the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21:8).  Those who overcome this present evil world by their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ shall not be hurt by the second death.  Jesus said, “He that keepeth My saying shall never see death” (Jn. 8:51). Before raising Lazarus from the dead He declared, “Whosoever liveth, and believeth in Me shall never die” (Jn. 11:25-56).  To John on the isle of Patmos, He solemnly affirmed, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:18).
  An Overshadowing Bruise.  There was another bruise, however, that was inflicted upon the Lord Jesus Christ than the one He received from Satan.  It was that which Christ received from God Himself, because of our sins, and it was received in just retribution.  All of the holy and righteous “fury” (Isa. 51:17, 20; 51:22; 59:18; 63:3, 5; Mic. 5:15; Nah. 1:6, etc.) that had been justly reserved for men, because they had sinned, was poured out upon Christ by God Himself.  Jesus Christ was “smitten of God, and afflicted”. On the Cross it was our peace that was being chastised, and it was for our transgressions that Christ was wounded.  It was for our iniquities that He was bruised. And the Scripture here in our text declares that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.  This bruise, received from His Father, was indeed “the cup” (Jn. 18:11) which His Father had given Him to drink in our behalf. 
  But by the inflicting of this bruise upon His only begotten Son, the Son would see His seed, even seed that would be His own possession throughout all eternity.  And the pleasure of the Lord would prosper in the hands of Christ, even the Lamb of God, who has taken away the sin of the world.
  The Consequence of Satan being Cast out of Heaven. “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:6-17).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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[1] A similar figure and expression is found in the Revelation, where the Lord is speaking to the church at Smyrna. “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” (Rev. 2:11).