2 Corinthians 5:21 (Jesus Became Sin)

2 Corinthians 5:21

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus suffered and died for sins, and the way He died was how He paid for them. He was set apart "before the creation of the world" (1 Peter 1:20) to die "according to God's eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Ephesians 3:11). This means the way Jesus died was not incidental but was designed. Consider that if Jesus was on earth today, was wrongly convicted, incarcerated, and then given the death penalty, that death would not have been enough to pay for sins. Modern death penalty methods do not cover the scope of pain Jesus needed to bear.

The prophet Isaiah remarks that Jesus being speared and whipped was how He would heal people from their sins, for "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed," (Isaiah 53:5). Take note how Isaiah describes Jesus' death as a personal matter, in the way he uses the pronouns "our," "us," and "we." Jesus died in our place (Romans 3:25), so the way Jesus paid for sins shows how people should have paid. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21), so Jesus' suffering and death illustrates the true punishment all sinners deserve. With this in mind, let us see what it took for Jesus to redeem sinners and make them righteous.

He became sin, who knew no sin

That we might become His righteousness

He humbled himself and carried the cross

Love so amazing, love so amazing

Jesus Messiah, name above all names

Blessed redeemer, Emmanuel

The rescue for sinners, the ransom from Heaven

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all

- Chris Tomlin

Jesus was caught and exposed (Mark 14:46)

On the night when Jesus would suffer for sin, He was arrested by a large crowd (Matthew 26:47,50). Jesus was caught the same way every sinner will be caught. No one should deceive themselves, for "you may be sure that your sin will find you out," (Numbers 32:23). Someone may think they can hide their sins, but Jesus says, "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known," (Luke 12:2). Even though Jesus was in the dark, the crowd who came for Him brought torches (John 18:3). Jesus was exposed and brought into the light the same way all sin will be (Luke 12:3, Ephesians 5:11).

Jesus did not defend Himself (Matthew 27:12)

Jesus was put on trial for His crimes, and while He was tried He did not defend Himself. Instead of pleading His case, Jesus "did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth," (Isaiah 53:7). This is how sinful people should respond, when God puts them on trial. God will "judge the world in righteousness," (Psalms 96:13) and everyone He judges will be "without excuse," (Romans 1:20). Every sinner has broken God's law (1 John 3:4), and "whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God," (Romans 3:19).

Jesus could not be bought back (Matthew 27:3-4)

One of Jesus' disciples, named Judas, betrayed Jesus. Judas' reward for betraying Him was 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15). After Jesus was found guilty, Judas "was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders," but the priests would not take Judas' money back (Matthew 27:3-4). Sin, too, cannot be bought back from God, for the Lord "accepts no bribes," (Deuteronomy 10:17). Greed can lead to sin (1 Timothy 6:10), and the money someone gains in their sin is not enough to buy them out of their sin.

Jesus was beaten and wounded (John 19:1-3)

While Jesus was in custody, He was beaten by those who guarded Him (Luke 22:63). Indeed, the same way Jesus was physically wounded, the Bible says sinners should be beaten. In God's law it reads, "If the guilty person deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make them lie down and have them flogged in his presence with the number of lashes the crime deserves," (Deuteronomy 25:2). Out of God's love, He has ordered that any sin deserving of physical punishment should receive the wounds due (Proverbs 13:24). Adam's sin resulted in the earth and humans being pricked by "thorns and thistles," (Genesis 3:18) and Jesus had these thorns pressed into His head (Mark 15:17). Those who do what is wicked should be physically harmed for their sins, and "the understanding of this message will bring sheer terror," (Isaiah 28:18-19).

"The Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give
His life as a ransom for many,"
(Matthew 20:28).

Jesus was nailed down (Luke 23:33)

Jesus's death was by crucifixion, so He was nailed down and pierced through His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16). He was locked in place and unable to escape. This is the fate of unrepentant sinners (Matthew 25:41). Even the angels who rebel against God will be put in chains and locked away for judgment (2 Peter 2:4). Jesus says that sinners will be nailed down by God, so "see to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven?" (Hebrews 12:25).

Jesus was mocked and shamed (Mark 15:30-31)

While Jesus was crucified, the crowd there mocked Him. God, too, mocks and laughs at sin, for "the One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them," (Psalm 2:4). The prophet Elijah mocked those who dared to oppose God, and Elijah's actions were honored by the Lord (1 Kings 18:27,38). Sin is shameful, and someone who sins is like a person found naked and afraid (Genesis 3:7,10). Just as Jesus was naked and shamed by those who crucified Him (Matthew 27:35), so too is sin shameful. Those who sin should "come back to their senses as they ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame," (1 Corinthians 15:34).

Jesus died (John 19:30)

On that cross, for everyone to see, Jesus died. It is assured that "the wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:23). Those who die in their sin "will go away to eternal punishment," (Matthew 25:46). "They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever," (Revelation 20:10). The suffering Jesus experienced on the cross will be their suffering. Just as Jesus thirsted while He died ( John 19:28), those in hell will go without even a drop of water (Luke 16:24). On the other side of eternity, those who have put their trust in God will be given relief, but "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might," (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9).

Jesus died and He was buried (Mark 15:46-47), and
everyone who dies in their sin goes down to
"the realm of the dead," (Psalm 9:17). His death
cries out to sinners, "Unless you repent,
you too will all perish," (Luke 13:3).

Jesus suffered for sins the way that everyone deserves to suffer. When someone looks at the cross, they should see the punishment they deserve. They should think of themselves as the murderer who goes free at Jesus' expense (Luke 23:18-19). They should not act like the criminal who insulted Jesus and said, "Save yourself and us!" (Luke 23:39). Instead, everyone should act as the other criminal who said, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But He has done nothing wrong," (Luke 23:41). Jesus never sinned, and after He was punished, He cried out, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). Therefore, Jesus suffered and died as a criminal, so you would not have to.

The punishment for sin has been paid in full, and now everyone who Believes in Jesus will not have to experience any punishment for their sin. This is assured, "otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself," (Hebrews 9:26). He suffered and died once "to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit," (1 Peter 3:18). Because Jesus paid for sins, "whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them," (John 3:36). Jesus suffered the full scope of God's wrath on the cross, in order to bring lost sinners back to Him, just as it is written in 1 Peter chapter 2 from verses 23 to 25:

When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted himself to Him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Sources

• The Bible (New International Version)
• Wretched: The Cross is not the Electric Chair
• Chris Tomlin: Jesus Messiah
• Knowing Jesus: Bible Verses by Topic