The Curse of the Cross

Paul continues to rip apart the false teachers’ message by using the Old Testament.  If these snake oil salesmen want to use the law of Moses, the apostle is more than happy to play that game.  

He knows the OT Scripture cold.  Remember, he’s (or was) "a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee” (Phil 3:5).  Jesus’ divine mugging of the number one terrorist of His church revealed to him how radical Rabbi from Nazareth fulfilled the law and the prophets.  So if these want to us the Hebrew Bible, the apostle is ready to rock and roll.  Game on!

For the fifth time in eight verses, Paul quotes from the OT.  Here he pulls from Deuteronomy 21.  That’s where Moses proclaims to the children of Israel, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (v13; Dt 21:22-23).  

Again as in Galatians, “cursed” is the idea of punishment for violating God’s covenant with His people.  From the perspective on this side of the cross, Paul clearly knows the Big Mo wrote of Jesus and His work for us at Calvary.

It’s interesting to note that we can translate the Greek word ξυλον as either tree or wood.  While the idea of Jesus’ death on the cross is often described as as on a tree, we could easily see this as “hanged on wood.”  There are some scholars who believe Paul is not only referencing Deuteronomy 21 but Genesis 22 and Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac.  

Let’s back up and look at the reason why this relates to the Galatians as well as you and me.  Paul tells us, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (v13).  

He let’s us know a HUGE truth.  Christ redeemed us.  Christ redeemed you.  Christ redeemed me.  Christ redeemed Jews.  Christ redeemed Gentiles.  He redeems every single one of us who places our trust in what He did on our behalf.

The verb in the original language we translate “redeemed” is εξαγοραζω. It means to buy out of the market place.  And by market place, he means the slave market.  In Roman civilization, a slave could be freed from service if someone put up the cash to make it happen.

I’m a slave to sin, or at least I was until Jesus redeemed me.  He paid the price to set me free.  That’s the transaction at Calvary.  That’s what went down to finish the deal once and for all (Jn 19:30).

It was on that bloody Roman cross that Jesus became the curse and redeemed me.  Once again, Paul describes what scholars call Penal Substitutionary Atonement.  This is Jesus dying my death and taking the full punishment that I deserve.  In return I receive His righteousness…that I DON’T DESERVE!

This is what Calvin calls the Great Exchange.  This is THE GOSPEL!

©2012

Jay Jennings