THE CURSE

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
Gal.3:13
One of the most amazing things we find in the scriptures is seen in this verse, Christ bore the curse of sin that rightfully fell on me. I saw this very clearly several years ago while watching the movie THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. In the violent scene where Christ was being beaten and whipped by the Roman soldiers I can remember the anger against His oppressors welling up in my heart. They cursed and laughed and spit and mocked and I was enraged. I can remember holding on to my seat to keep from rising up during that horrible beating. That’s when it hit me, I was the one who was beating Christ. “He was wounded for my transgressions,” it was clearly my sins that caused the beating and torture of my Lord. That is the power of the gospel. Here are some thoughts from Luther on the curse of Christ.
“The gospel—the most loved and comforting doctrine of all— doesn’t focus on our works or the works of the law. Rather, it shows us the incomprehensible, inexpressible mercy and love of God toward us, who are unworthy and lost people. The merciful Father saw that we were oppressed by the curse of the law and held under it. On our own and through our own efforts, we never could have freed ourselves. He sent his only Son into the world. He put all the sin of all the people on his Son and said, “You will be Peter, who denied me; Paul, who persecuted, blasphemed, and acted violently; David, who committed adultery; the sinner who ate the apple in Paradise; the thief on the cross. In summary, you will be the one who committed all the sins of all the people. Make sure you pay for these sins and make atonement for them.” Since this happened, the entire world has been cleansed and atoned of all sin and freed from death and all evil. If everyone in the whole world believed, God would see only purity and righteousness. This is because Christ would have taken away all sin and death.”
That is the power of the gospel, it was my actions that brought the suffering to Jesus. It was His actions that brought peace to me. “He wounded for my transgressions,” but it was also “the chastisement that brought us peace”.

Original Article