By His Wounds We Are Healed

a reflection on Good Friday

he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5, NIV

Have you ever touched a scar that told a story? Sometimes a wound says more than words ever could. For six hours Jesus hung on the cross. Not just bruised — crushed. Not just wounded — punished. And before he was crucified, he was brutally tortured.

Jesus was scourged, a historical and Roman form of punishment, which means he was flogged with spiked whips. That would have left serious gashes on his back and legs (see Mark 15:15). The crown of thorns jammed into Christ’s head would have inflicted serious physical damage. Add to that the psychological and emotional torment that followed, “…and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matt. 27:29). It has been well documented that some of the worst scars result from interrogation tactics, mockery, and torture. According to an International Review, “Torture during interrogation often includes methods that do not physically assault the body or cause actual physical pain – and yet entail severe psychological pain and suffering and profoundly disrupt the senses and personality.”¹

Historians and physicians have long held the consensus that crucifixion was by design, intended to be a death by slow, public torment. It was the cruelest form of punishment. Every breath a battle. With arms stretched wide and body weight dragging down, the lungs couldn’t expand. Victims had to push up on nailed feet just to breathe — but every push shredded flesh and screamed through the nerves. Shoulders dislocated. Muscles locked. Blood poured from open wounds. Chest caved in. Eventually, the body gives out. With our modern sensibilities, we simply cannot fathom it. And then… Jesus did something no dying man should be able to do. “With a loud cry, He breathed His last.” (Mark 15:37)

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a grown man scream in agony, but its tone and volume with a terrifying frequency. The Greek word for loud here is μεγάλην. It comes from the root megas. It implies the highest and most offensive decibel level the human ear can withstand. A declaration. A final shout: “It is finished.” The world went dark. And death was certain. But just to be sure, a Roman soldier stepped in with what may have been a pilum — a battlefield spear made for armor, not for mercy. It had a pyramidal iron tip, designed to penetrate shield, flesh, and bone. Standing below Jesus, a right handed soldier’s spear would have been aimed at the left side of Jesus’ chest cavity so when thrust, the pilum would split the rib cage and pierce the heart. When thrust in and pulled out, it didn’t leave a clean stab — it left a ragged, gaping exit wound. “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.” (John 19:34) That detail’s not poetic — it’s medical.

He didn’t just suffer. He didn’t just die. His heart literally burst open

Blood and water separating indicates a ruptured pericardial sac. In plain language?His heart burst. He didn’t just suffer. He didn’t just die. His heart literally burst open. Three days later, His tomb was empty — but His wounds remained. When Jesus appeared to the disciples, Thomas wasn’t there. And when he heard the news, he didn’t believe it. He said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Jesus showed up for him. “Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27)

Let that settle in: The same place where He was pierced, from where blood and water flowed, the exit wound became the entry point for healing Thomas’ disbelief.

Thomas didn’t just see proof. He touched it. The very place where the Roman spear tore through His flesh… the very wound that confirmed His death… became the proof of life. A scar large enough to fit a hand. The same heart that burst for all of mankind— now pulsing with resurrection power.

The wounds you have are real, and that’s ok. So are the wounds Jesus endured for you. With His entire being, in His body, in His mind, and in His heart, Jesus suffered a violent death and felt the deepest pain resonating in every human soul. There’s nothing you or I have encountered that is beyond repair, renewal, or resurrection power. The invitation still stands today to reach out your hand, touch the very heart of God, and believe.

…By His wounds we are healed.

1. Dr Herna´n Reyes, MD, The International Review of the Red Cross, Volume 89 Number 867 September 2007