The Son of God Was Bruised and Scarred in Our Place, October 12

Who his own self bear 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. 1 Peter 2:24. Well might all heaven be astonished at the reception their loved Commander received in the world! That a nation claiming to believe prophecy should deny Him, that they should go forward in face of warnings and predictions, close their eyes to light and fulfill the prophecies’ every specification, and yet be so blind, so deluded by the enemy of souls that they claimed to be doing God service! And how amazing that a world should reject Him, as did one nation! ... His hands were pierced with nails, His holy temples were crowned with thorns. He was indeed bruised by Satan, who nerved his agents to do most cruel things.... Our salvation was wrought out by infinite suffering to the Son of God.... The heel of Christ was indeed bruised when His humanity suffered, and grief heavier than that which ever oppressed the [human] beings He had created weighed down His soul as He was engaged in paying the vast debt that sinners owed to God, which they could never pay to redeem themselves from bondage. On Him was laid the transgression and grief of us all.... Can men and women for whom Christ died have any just sense of the sufferings of God's dear Son to bring salvation within their reach, that the sons and daughters of Adam might be brought back again to their Eden home? ... The conflict was so severe that He was fainting and apparently dying on the field of battle, when angels from the world of light came to the royal Sufferer and ministered unto Him and strengthened Him with food. Jesus ascended on high from the field of conflict, bearing in His own person His bruises and scars as trophies of His victory, which was to result in annihilating the power of the first rebel, who [before he rebelled] was a chieftain in glory, an exalted angel in heaven. There was rejoicing in heaven, and the proclamation was carried to all worlds that the ruined race was redeemed. The gates of heaven were thrown open to the repentant race who would cease their rebellion and return to their allegiance to the law of God.... The great Head of the church left His work with His delegated servants to carry forward in His name.... Christ's followers are not left to carry on this conflict against Satan in their own finite strength; the Captain of our salvation stands at the head, unseen by human vision. The eye of faith discerns their Captain and obeys His orders.—Manuscript 75, 1886.