Isa 53:5 “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, by his wounds we are healed” Does this mean healing is in the cross?
1.It is much bigger than we thought
These are two parallel lines in the hebrew. Punishment goes with wounds. Peace goes with healed. Healed is “rafa” in the hebrew and peace is “shalom” in the hebrew. So it is abundantly clear that “we are healed” means that we receive the peace, the shalom of God.
Shalom in the Hebrew means being made whole, complete. Hence, through the cross we receive the fullness of salvation. It is certainly not restricted to just physical healing, but healing in every area of our lives, mind, body, soul and spirit.
2.Applies to Jesus’ miracles
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
So when in Mt 8:16-17 above he quotes Isa 53:4 in the context of healing miracles of Jesus, Matthew is just applying it in ONE way.
3.Applies to making us whole
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
1 Pet 2:24 above that quotes Isa 53:5 continues this general application of Isa. It is not in the context of physical healing but Jesus suffering for us as an example and making us whole (meaning of the Greek).
4.Applies to the healing of the nations
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:1-2 above then ties things up by referring to the consummation of all of this in the healing of the nations. This again is the shalom, the wholeness that Christ brings, now to whole nations and peoples!!
Conclusion
So yes healing is in the cross but it is so much more than just physical healing.