The Glorious Gospel. 2

The INCALCULABLE SUFFERINGS of Christ are here summarized in the words, "made to be sin for us," which is a comprehensive expression including the whole of what the Savior was called upon to endure while making atonement for His people. But before examining this unspeakably solemn word, let it first be pointed out that, to be without sin was an indispensable qualification of Christ's becoming our sin-bearer—dimlyforeshadowed under the ceremonial law where only animals that were, "without blemish" could be used for sacrificial purposes. Our High Priest had to be entirely without any personal sin in order to offer an unspotted sacrifice to satisfy God's justice and merit His favor. Second, it must also be most clearly understood that in being "made sin for us" the immaculate nature of the Redeemer underwent no change, nor was the holiness of His Person sullied to the slightest degree. He took upon Him neither the taint nor pollution of sin. His peerless perfections and glory remained unspotted throughout.

"He has made Him (to be) sin for us." What an amazing statement is this, and how unspeakably solemn! Who with the fear of God in his heart, would ever have dared to make such a predication were he not first assured of its verity from Holy Writ—that the Holy One should be "made sin." This does not mean that Christ was made sin experimentally—but rather judicially; not by impartation but by imputation. The Greek word which is here rendered "made" (poieo) is the one found in, "I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19)—something which they were not formerly and naturally. In Mark 3:14 the same word is translated "and He ordained twelve that they should be with Him." It occurs again in connection with the Savior in "God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36), which refers not to His nature and condition—but to His status and position.

The usage of "poieo" in the above passages helps us to gather the force of it in "He has made Him to be sin." God ordained and ordered that His Son should be made sin—He appointed that Christ should be legally constituted such. But what is meant by God's having constituted Christ "sin"? To be a sin-offering say some; to bear its penalty say others. But neither of these explanations go back far enough: nothing could be made an expiatory sacrifice, unless and until sin had been imputed to it; and punishment necessarily presupposes guilt, for the innocent cannot be justly penalized. The key which unlocks this mystery is found in the words "the Lord has laid on Him (the Mediator) the iniquity (not of "all" but) of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). The guilt of all the sins of God's people, was charged to the account of the Redeemer, and the Law dealt with Him accordingly.

"For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin—that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). Gladly would we tarry and seek to extract from this remarkable verse something of its inexpressible sweetness, that we may be more firmly established in the Faith, and that our souls may be nourished thereby. But as God's people of old were required to eat the paschal lamb with "bitter herbs," so we are called upon to take to heart the fearful price which had to be paid for our salvation. "The redemption of their souls is precious" or "costly" (Psalm 49:8): so infinitely costly that the Holy One was "made sin" for us. This was a Divine transaction, a profoundly mysterious one—yet one which is presented for faith to receive. It lies at the very core of the Gospel, and our peace depends very largely upon a right understanding thereof.

It is only by diligently comparing passage with passage and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, that we shall be preserved from serious error at this vital point.

First, then, we turn to the great type of this unique transaction. On the annual day of atonement, we are told that, "Aaron is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert" (Lev. 16:21, 22). Thus there was in figure—an actual transference of all the iniquities of God's people unto the head of the victim. In like manner, we are informed, "the Lord has laid on Him the iniquities of us all" (Isaiah 53:6), and therefore does the Apostle declare of Christ, "Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24).

To say that Christ's being "made sin for us" means that God appointed Him to be a sin-offering in our stead, does not go back far enough: nothing could be offered as an expiatory sacrifice unless and until sin had been imputed to it. Note the laying of the offerer's hands upon the head of the animal before slaying it in Leviticus 1:4, 5 and 4:4. Christ not only endured the full penalty which our sins deserved—but the very guilt and breach of the Law was charged to Him. How definitely our sins were made (legally constituted) His, appears from His actually confessing them as His own: "For innumerable evils have compassed Me about: My iniquities have taken hold upon Me" (Psalm 40:12). He owned—see verses 7 and 8 for the identification of the Speaker. So again He declared, "O God, You know My foolishness, and My sins are not hidden from You" (Psalm 69:5)

To say that Christ's being "made sin" signifies that He has paid its wages or caused to suffer the penalty of His people's transgressions, is also an inadequate and faulty definition, for it confounds an effect with its cause. Christ could not have been punished for sin—unless He had stood guilty in the sight of the Law: punishment always supposes guilt, personal or imputed. Christ was culpable in the eyes of the Law, because He took the place of, and acted as the Sponsor for—His sinful people; the awful load of the accumulated guilt of all their iniquities being laid upon Him. The Lord Jesus was "made sin for us"—that is, in our place, for the idea of substitution is necessarily involved in the very nature of this transaction. The spotless Victim occupied the room of the foul violators of the Law—and therefore He must die! Because He was "made sin" He was also "made a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13): the latter being the consequence of the former.

But though legally identified with us, the Sponsor and Surety must not be personally confounded with ourselves. Whether we regard Christ personally as Immanuel, or officially as Substitute, He always occupied a place which pertained to Him alone. The fact of His bearing His people's sins—never brought Him down morally to their personal condition. When the fearful guilt of our transgressions lay upon Him, His own personal place of holy separateness (Heb. 7:6) was still retained by Him, and recognized by God as retained by Him. Heaven was opened at the Cross, and if on the one hand wrath burning as fire descended on the sacred Person of our Substitute; on the other hand it must be remembered that from the Cross there returned to Heaven, ascending like a cloud, acceptable fragrance which filled the Sanctuary. Beautifully was this brought out in the types: even the fat of the sin offering was burned upon the altar for "a sweet savor unto the Lord" (Lev. 4:31), while "sweet incense" was employed on the day of atonement (Lev. 16:12, 13).

The utmost care must be used by us when meditating upon this solemn and sacred mystery. Though it pleased God to make the Sinless One to be sin for us—yet so far from the glory of Christ being tarnished thereby, it was enhanced. Though bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, nevertheless it was the Holy One who bore them—His personal purity unsullied, His immaculate nature uncontaminated. This is made manifest in another, one of the most beautiful of all the types, namely, the veil. The veil, which in the tabernacle separated the holy place from the holiest of all, was the appointed emblem of our Savior's humanity of "His flesh" (Heb. 10:20). It was prominently associated with His death, for it was then torn by God "from the top to the bottom" (Matt. 27:51). How blessed, then, to see that the very basis of that veil was pure white linen, and that on that basis was displayed (by Christ in life and death alike) the heavenly "blue" as well as the purple and scarlet (Exo. 26:31).

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