Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a
curse for us (for it is written,“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).
Galatians 3:13
If there is any title of the Lord Jesus that truly belongs in the “Who’da thunk it?” file, it would have to be “Curse.” Stranger yet, this is not a title given to the Savior by His enemies; it’s one that He chose for Himself. But how is it that He who brought blessing into the world has become a Curse?
It all has to do with substitution. We were cursed, so Christ took our place in order to redeem us from the curse of the law.
When the children of Israel came into the promised land, half of the tribes stood on Mount Gerizin and the other half on Mount Ebal. A blessing and a curse were set before the nation. Those on Mt. Gerazin read from Deuteronomy about the blessings that result from obeying God. The people on Mount Ebal listed the terrible things that result from breaking the law; this is the curse of the law.
The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We’re all under the curse of the law and the only way to turn that around is to exchange our curse for His blessing. Christ was sinless, so he gave us his blessing and took on Himself our Curse.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground and it produced thorns and thistles. It was no coincidence that on the day of His death, Christ was given a crown of thorns.
In crucifixion, the Savior was lifted up for all to see, and so the curse of Deuteronomy 21:23 fell on Him: “ for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” While Jesus was dying, His critics came to mock Him. They spit on, taunted, and cursed the spotless Lamb of God. Even so, He blessed His enemies by saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). It’s strange, but Christ could not have blessed us if He had not first been made a Curse.
September 28
