Wednesday: The Sin-bearing Substitute
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us
Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com
(for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)” (Gal. 3:13, NKJV). Dwell on the amazing implications of this text, keeping in mind the deity of Christ as you do. What does this tell us about what God was willing to do in order to save us? More so, what does this tell us about how tragic it is for anyone not to accept the provision that Christ made in our behalf?
In taking the guilt of our sins upon Himself and dying in separation from God, Jesus fulfilled the promise originally made in the Garden of Eden that the Seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head. His sacrifice made possible the reconciliation of God and the human family and will eventually result in the final elimination of evil from the universe (Heb. 2:14, Rev. 20:14).
Keeping Galatians 3:13 in mind, read Matthew 27:46. What do Jesus’ words reveal about what He went through on the cross?
On the cross, Christ accepted the curse of sin in our behalf. This was a change in His standing with the Father. The sacrificial lamb, when brought to the altar, became a substitute for the death of the sinner. Likewise, when Christ went to the cross, His status before the Father changed. Shut out from the Father’s presence, He felt the curse that our sin had caused. In other words, Jesus, who had been One with the Father from eternity, experienced a separation from the Father, in what Ellen White called the “the sundering of the divine powers.”-Ellen G. White, Manuscript 93, 1899. However hard it is to fully comprehend exactly what was happening, we can know enough to realize that an amazing price was paid in order to redeem us.
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This is an amazing love God has shown to every humanity. The curse that was indeed ours, Our Lord Jesus Christ bore it who had no share in our transgression so that you and me could have our original status restored.
During the time of Paul's preaching to the Galatians, any person who was put to death by way of hanging was considered to be the most vilest person, unworthy to have been existing. Now, this of this implication that we put our dear Saviour through. Condemned as such for our offence. Most of all, the presence of His Father hid from Him. The sin, brothers and sisters is so offensive to our God. It creates a total separation from our Creator. Our Lord Cried, why His Father had forsaken Him, thinking, this separation was to be forever. Remember, at this time our saviour was in human nature.
Its time we come back to our senses and get back home if we are to see heaven. Just like the prodigal son did come to his senses. We have wondered far for too long and before our separation is eternal, we need to look at the cross at see what we put through our Creator. The Door of mercy is still open to those who would have a need for grace.
May His name be glorified and His love so amazing create a need in our hearts for His saving grace.
What a great love that God has for us .We sin and loose the dignity that we were having at first but through Gods love we have been restored back only and we are ready to believe that Christ died for us.john 3:16 so we have to thank God for what he has done for us.
May a deeper appreciation of what Heaven has done and is still doing for us be granted to us in Jesus' Name. Amen