Jesus Cursed for Us

In the Old Testament we read that if a man committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree. You shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God; you shall not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you for inheritance (Deut 21:22,23). When the religious leaders of Jesus’ time had him hanged, they did not believe that he was their Saviour who was going to redeem all true believer’s.

From the elders’ knowledge they knew that a man hanged upon a tree was cursed by God. Their hearts were too hardened to believe that Jesus was being cursed for our salvation. However, if we look at the life of Jesus, he did nothing to deserve such a curse. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, ‘Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree’” (Gal 3:13,14). Here it is clear that Jesus, when he hung on the tree (the cross, stake), was bearing our sins, that is, he was bearing our nature that we might be justified by faith in him, Jesus the Christ.

Bro Tinoshe Mberengwa (Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe)