Galatians 3:13-14 - Homiletics

Fifth argument—our salvation is by Christ made curse for us.

Two thoughts are here brought into contrast—the Law condemned us; Christ redeemed us: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us."

I. THE NATURE OF THE REDEMPTION . He "redeemed us."

1 . This language does not countenance the theory that there was nothing in Christ ' s work but a mere deliverance from the power of sin. That is certainly involved in his death; for he came to "redeem us from this present evil world" ( Galatians 1:4 ), and "to redeem us from all iniquity" ( Titus 2:14 ).

2 . Neither does it countenance the idea that Christ redeemed us by entering into union with man and living a sinless human life , which is reproduced in us by means of fellowship with him. Neither of these theories makes any provision for the rectification of man's relation with God, which is only effected through Christ being made a curse for us.

II. HOW CHRIST ACHIEVED THE REDEMPTION . He "became a curse for us." This is an unfathomable thought. Yet let us try to interpret it in the light of Scripture. We are not redeemed by Christ's Divine doctrine, nor by his marvellous holiness of character, but by his entering into our very position before God, becoming" a curse for us." The Lord visited upon him what the Law awarded to us, and by that substitution our redemption was secured. We are not to suppose that the Son of God was less the object of Divine love at the very time that he was, in an official aspect as his righteous Servant, an object of Divine wrath. His Father always loved him. The assertion is made, first, that the curse of the Law rests upon transgressors; then, that we are liberated from that curse; then, that this result was achieved by Christ becoming a curse for us. The passage shows what Christ was in God's account, not what he was in the eyes of men who despised him.

III. HOW HIS DEATH TOOK UPON IT THIS CHARACTER OF CURSE . "For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" ( Deuteronomy 21:22 , Deuteronomy 21:23 ). The allusion hero is not specially to Christ, but to a command that those executed by Jewish law should not remain hanging on the tree all night. It does not refer to death by crucifixion, which was not a Jewish punishment, but to the exposure of the body after death, on crosses or stakes. But how was such a person accursed? Not because he was hanged upon a tree, but he was hanged upon a tree because he was accursed. The apostle does not mean to attach the idea of shame to the mode of Christ's death; for he was not made a curse by his mere hanging on a tree, but he hung there because he was made a curse for us.

IV. THE ULTIMATE DESIGN OF THE REDEMPTION . "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles in Christ." That is, the curse-bearing prepared the way' for the blessing, which was henceforth to stream forth upon the whole world.

1 . The blessing was justification of life , not mere temporal blessings, which were restricted to the Jews.

2 . It was to reach the Gentiles "in Christ," who was made the curse for "us " —both "Jews and Gentiles"—not through the Law, which demands a perfect obedience.

3 . It was designed for Gentiles as welt as Jesus. The stream was destined to flow through Jews to the Gentiles, freed from all the limitations of the old dispensation.

V. THE RESULT OF THE BLESSING . "That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." There is here an obvious return to the question of the second verse, and a definite answer is now given to that question. It was not through the Law, but through faith, we realize the promise of the Spirit. This was the special subject of promise ( Joel 2:28 ; Acts 1:4 , Acts 1:2 ; Ephesians 1:13 ). Our Lord has placed us in the dispensation of the Spirit, and has opened all blessings to men out of his cross and his tomb.