Friday | 28 February 2020
There are two key and distinct aspects of Christ’s offering for sin on the cross. First, Christ died for sins once for all, the Just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God. 1Pe 3:18. When Christ was made an offering for sin, the Father transferred the fruit of our other law, which was our sin, with its judgement under the Law, to the Son. As a sin offering, Christ bore the judgement, curse and punishment that belonged to us because of our sin, resulting in our forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Eph 1:7. Rom 5:10.
Second, the Father also made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. 2Co 5:21. Sin had been our master. When the Father made Christ sin, it was no longer our master. Christ became our new Master. This happened when Christ drank the cup that the Father gave to Him in the garden of Gethsemane. Luk 22:42.
As Jesus journeyed from Gethsemane, tasting the sufferings of death for every man, the law of sin took hold on Christ to provoke Him to covet life. However, Christ was not carnal. He did not have another law within Him. For this reason, He did not covet life. This was true prior to His offering journey, as well as during His offering journey.
We note, for example, that at end of His forty-day fast, Jesus was hungry. Yet, He did not succumb to Satan’s provocation to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger and to save His own life. Luk 4:2-4. Likewise, during Christ’s offering journey, He refused to drink wine that was laced with an analgesic which could have brought Him some self-preserving relief from the pain of being nailed to the cross. Mat 27:33-34. Jesus refused this compensation because He insisted on remaining connected to our death in obedience to the command of the Father.
Further Study:
Hebrews 9
Daily Proverb:
References:
1Pe 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.
Eph 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Rom 5:10
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
2Co 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Luk 22:42
Saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’
Luk 4:1-4
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God”.’
Mat 27:33-34
And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.