Galatians 3:10-14 - The Cursed Messiah

There is some evidence to suggest that when first century Christian preachers proclaimed the message of Christ they were met with the response "Jesus is accursed!" from their unbelieving Jewish antagonists. In fact, Paul seems to address this in 1 Corinthians 12:

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.--1 Corinthians 12:3

Was there truth in the accusation and why would anyone ever say it? To understand this we need to understand the Jewish mindset when it came to capital punishment and anyone who was hanged. In Deuteronomy it was famously stated this way:

“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.--Deuteronomy 21:22-23

The idea that their Messiah could ever be hung on a tree was offensive to faithful Jews for this reason. Tell them about a potential Messiah and they might listen. Tell them about a Messiah hung on a tree and they wanted none of it. The very idea was ludicrous. Disgusting. Offensive. So when, for example, Paul preached "Christ crucified," this is what they heard: "Messiah hung on a tree," "Messiah accursed." No wonder Paul said that his message was a stumbling block to kinsmen. Paul knew about that stumbling block firsthand. He himself had railed against the idea until he met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. It was then that he understood. Jesus was, indeed, cursed--cursed for us, cursed in our place. Or, as he puts it in Galatians 3:

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.--Galatians 3:13-14

And this is the crux of his argument in this part of chapter three. The law brings a curse, not because of any flaw in the law, but because of the flaw in us. We sinned and brought upon ourselves the curse. Jesus redeemed us from that curse by being cursed for us.

This is the Bible study we did on this passage on Wednesday, March 8. I hope you will take the time to listen with us to what the word of God has to say. Just click the link below and be blessed.



Click here: Galatians 3:10-14 - The Cursed Messiah



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