A Suffering Savior Pt. 3

A Suffering Savior Pt. 3


But the fact is, it was our pains he carried- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him. That ripped and tore and crushed him – our sins! He took the whole punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed!
Isaiah 53:5 THE MESSAGE


I was on the phone with a person I will call Tom. Tom had finally shared with me that he was using cocaine. He admitted that he worked hard to stay free, but if an argument with his wife came up, he would feel the desire, (or as he said, hear the cocaine voice speak), and on payday, disappear. These disappearances lasted as short as a day and as long as several weeks. I asked if he felt okay with his lifestyle or if he wanted a change. He told me he always felt it was wrong, but the cocaine voice was louder than any guilt he felt.

As we continued our conversation, he mentioned that a movie helped him stay clean for a short time. He said he had seen Mel Gibson’s The Passion several times. He asked if I thought that was really how it happened. I thought in silence for a long while. So long that he asked if I was still on the line. I thought about this verse, and I told him I didn’t know. But I do know that one of the blows inflicted on Jesus was for me. I asked him if maybe one of the nails or another one of the blows had his name on it.

Tom was later arrested for failing a drug test while on probation.