It is obvious to even the casual reader that Isaiah 53 is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The language of this chapter is so compelling and opens up to us thoughts of the tremendous suffering of the savior.  Let’s look briefly at the first three verses:

Isaiah 53:1-3, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”  Notice the unique language here.  Verse one is in reference to the past.  Verse 2 is in reference to the future.  Verse 3 is in reference to the present.  A careful study of this chapter will show other verses referencing the past, present, and future. 

You asked about verse 5, so let’s read verses 4-5, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  There is no doubt that this is speaking of the Lord Jesus when He was in the flesh in the world.  We read in Matthew 8:16-17, “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” 

Let’s notice the unfailing love of the Lord manifested in these two verses.  It was OUR griefs, OUR sorrows, OUR transgressions, OUR iniquities, and for OUR peace that compelled the Lord Jesus to die on the cross for us.  While the world thought of Him as suffering at the hands of God for His own sins, we know that our dear savior is sinless and gave His life a sacrifice for us…that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10). 

“With His stripes we are healed.”  Does this include physical healing, or does it just speak of spiritual healing? The word ‘stripes’ is a singular noun, which speaks of the stripe the Lord received at the hand of God as the Lord Jesus hung on the cross, bearing the sins of many, and suffering the consequence of those sins.  We need to see that this is not referring to the stripes of the whip the Lord received at the hands of the Roman guards.  It was the punishment of God for our sins that has given salvation (spiritual healing) to all who believe.  This truth is born out in 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare 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.”  Notice that it was by His stripe that we WERE healed.  This spiritual healing has already taken place in everyone who has put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a future day when there will be no more sickness, sorrow, or death.  We read in Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”  Until that day, we will suffer sickness and death.  Certainly, if we are suffering, we can take our cares to the Lord as we are instructed in 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  James 5:16 tells us, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Then, we are promised in 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”  We take our cares to the Lord and He will answer according to His perfect and holy will.  Is it ever the Lord’s will that we suffer from sickness or infirmity.  We only have to look at the example of the Apostle Paul to see that it can be. (Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).  (CC)  (686.6)