He Bore Our Curse - October 31

Read Galatians 3:13-14

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Reflect

How does Jesus solve the problem that no one can earn their right standing with God?

Yesterday, we talked about how those who rely on their works and try to earn their salvation by following the law are under a curse. No one can perfectly keep the law and just one infraction results in divine judgment. That was the bad news.

Today, Paul transitioned from the bad news to the good news. We couldn’t save ourselves, we were under the law, we were sinners, and we stood condemned. But Christ…! He redeemed us from the curse of the law. In Him, we have the forgiveness of sins! That’s the Good News! That’s the Gospel!

But this forgiveness came at a great cost. God didn’t just suddenly decide that sin is no big deal. He is perfectly holy and perfectly just. Imagine if a criminal broke the law and sinned against you or someone in your family. As a result, your family suffered great personal loss. When the offender appeared in court, he was found guilty. But, the judge didn’t hold him accountable for the wrong he had done and the harm that he had caused your family. Instead, the judge threw out the case and expunged his criminal record for no reason. Wouldn’t you be stunned? How is that justice? Who is going to pay for what has happened? I think we could all agree that we wouldn’t consider that judge a model of justice.

But God is perfectly just. He cannot just overlook sin. But He is also a God of mercy. He loves us. So, He made another way for us to be saved. He sent His Son to redeem us. Paul wrote that Jesus became a curse for us when He was crucified on the cross.

In ancient Jewish culture, a criminal who was condemned to death was stoned. But in particularly heinous crimes, the executioners would sometimes hang the body up as an example for all to see. In Deuteronomy 21:22-23, the law said: “And if a man has 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 on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.”

The point is not that being hanged on a tree results in a person being cursed. The point is that the person who is hanged on the tree is already cursed because they broke the law. They have violated the commands of God and have received the due penalty for their error. But God didn’t want that dead, cursed body to defile His holy land so they were to remove it before nightfall.

Paul’s point here is that we were like the criminal sentenced to die—we were cursed and deserved to hang for our crimes. Instead, Christ redeemed us by taking the curse of our sins upon Himself. When slaves are redeemed, it means that their freedom is purchased. In our case, we were slaves to sin and needed God to buy us back and secure our freedom.

Friends, God didn’t just overlook the curse of our sin. Instead, Jesus bore the curse of all mankind on the cross. His blood paid the price that we owed. He died in our place. All so that we can have the blessing of salvation that was promised to Abraham. When we place our faith in Christ, we receive God’s blessing of salvation and we receive His Holy Spirit. That is the Good News of the Gospel!

Respond

Lord, I know that while my salvation is a free gift to me, it came at a great cost to You. You laid down Your life to give me eternal life. I was cursed and a slave to sin. You bore my curse to set me free from that sin. Thank You doesn’t feel like enough to express my gratitude but it’s all I can say. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Reveal

This week, make time for someone who feels weighed down by guilt, regret, or a sense that they’ve “messed up too much” to be forgiven. It might be a friend confiding in you about a failure, or someone who tends to make jokes to hide their shame. Instead of trying to fix them or offer quick reassurance, simply be present—listen, empathize, and if the moment feels right, share how you’ve also wrestled with guilt and found peace knowing you’re loved anyway. Even a simple gesture—like writing them a short note, bringing them coffee, or just reminding them you care—can help them feel seen and remind both of you that grace is real, personal, and freely given.