Whipped For Us

There are two instances of whipping in the New Testament. The First is Jesus making a whip out of cords and driving out the money changers: 

“So Jesus made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:15-17). 

The second instance of whipping is Jesus himself receiving the whip for our transgressions:

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged with lead tipped whips. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.” (John 19:1-3, cross ref Matthew 27:26)

Jesus whipped the religious order but was whipped for our sins; he hates the religious spirit and beat the religious people, but for us sinners He was beaten for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5). His response to the religious elite who crushes people under religious burdens (Matthew 23:4), who sell faith in God like trinkets, and who had not the heart of God, was to whip them; but to all who are sinners, who know they are weak and broken and need Him He whipped Himself and let His body be cut to pieces for us (Luke 22:19). 

The attitude of the heart is crucial. The Pharisees and many of the people believed they were special and saved because they were sons of Abraham but Jesus could see through their self righteousness, “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (John 8:34-47); and,

 “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Like 18:9-14). 

Those who thought they were righteous He did not come for, but for sinners, “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent (Luke 5:32). For the sinner, which is everyone , “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23) and, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts,” (1 John 1:8-10), who recognizes they need salvation, they need a Savior and are repentant are considered a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9-10), children of God (Galatians 3:36), and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Jesus came to bear the sins of all sinners, but to religious self righteous He rebukes and whipped with cords (John 2:1-8). 

Jesus took a whip to the religious self righteous, but to the repentant sinner He took the whipping for them. It is when we recognize our need for Jesus, our aching flesh that requires His broken flesh and blood to bind up our wounds are we set free from self righteousness. When we say, I am not righteous except through you Lord Jesus, apart from you I am a corpse, but in you and you in me I am resurrected (1 John 4:25, Phillipians 3:9-10). 

Salvation is in Jesus alone (Solus Christus). Only His sacrifice on the cross and blood is sufficient to save us and give us eternal life. We believe this and confess this (Romans 10:9-10), but how often does it seem it takes a long time for it to truly sink in to our lives? That our self righteous attitudes and superior Christian pedigree crumbles and we find ourselves crawling on the floor before the cross and looking up at Christ our Savior, crying, “Alright, I am done. I can’t be perfect enough or do enough good, my sins haunt me, and only you O Lord Jesus can save me and only you can heal me and only you can take the whipping I deserve.” 

Salvation is simple, confess you are sinner, confess Jesus Christ is Lord God and Son of God, and that He was Crucified for your sins and on the third day was raised from dead by the power of God. Believe In Jesus who is part of the Godhead and Trinity: Father who is God, Son (Jesus) who is God, and Holy Spirit who is God, One God in Three Persons. (Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 4:15, John 6:40, Acts 4:10-12, Acts 15:11). 

Pray this and belongs it and You are saved! ✝️

Should you sin again after you have believes and made your Born Again confession, those sins are covered by Jesus Christ: 

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2) 

“if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) 

This does not give us a right to sin with reckless abandon (see Romans 6:1-18). However, when you do stumble, the Savior will forgive you and Has taken the whipping, nails, and cross for you. Amen.