I woke up this morning at around 3am and I started wondering why did the King of Kings, Jesus decided to die on the cross to bring salvation to the world. It is clear that crucifixion was the only death that would fulfil the Old Testament prophecies, the predictions, of what would happen to the Messiah.
The punishment of being hanged on a tree, and left to open exposure, was thought to be so severe, that it was reserved only for those for which is was to be declared: “this one is accursed of God.”
Paul expounds on Deuteronomy 21:23 in Galatians 3:13-14: 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”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Jesus not only died in our place; but He also took the place as the accursed of God, being hung on a “tree” in open shame and degradation. He received this curse, which we deserved and He did not, so that we could receive the blessing of Abraham, which He deserved and we did not.
Another passage that foreshadowed the manner of Jesus’ death appears in Isaiah. He predicted that the coming Messiah would be “pierced” or “pierced through” for our wrongdoings (Isaiah 53:5). Here we see the partnership between the Father and the Son in the work on the cross. If the Messiah was wounded for our transgressions, then it was also the Lord who laid on Him the iniquity of us all. The Father judged our iniquity as it was laid on the Son.
King David prophesied a horrific death for the Messiah. He wrote that evil men would pierce His hands and feet, His heart would melt like wax within Him, and His life would be poured out like water while people stared and gloated over Him. All His bones would be out of joint, and His tongue would stick to the roof of his mouth (Psalm 22:14–18).
Although we cannot be certain why God chose death by crucifixion for His Son, we do know that this manner of death was a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. We also know that through His suffering, Jesus, God’s only Son, paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, including yours and mine
As a writer once said; “If I were to die for any one of you, what would it amount to but that I paid the debt of nature a little sooner than I must ultimately have paid it? For we must all die, sooner or later. But the Christ needed not to die at all, so far as he himself was personally concerned. There was no cause within himself why he should go to the cross to lay down his life. He yielded himself up, a willing sacrifice for our sins.”
We are redeemed from the curse of the law by the work of Jesus on the cross for us. We no longer have to fear that God wants to curse us; He wants to bless us, not because of who we are, or what we have done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf.
This means the work of the Messiah is made available to transgressors. It is when we see ourselves as transgressors that we can reach out and receive His salvation.
Let us share our cross experience below and May God continue to bless you in Jesus name.
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