BiblicalInsights.net

Paul writes, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:  for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:13-14).
The Curse
“Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” is a quotation from Deuteronomy 21:23.  Moses wrote, “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day: (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defied, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance” (Deut. 21:22-23).  The rebellious son was to be stoned (Deut. 21:18-21), but, if the one who had committed sin worthy of death were hanged on a tree, he is especially loathed.  Thus the saying attached to the Jewish mind a particular loathing to the person so condemned.  Death by stoning was the most common way that the Jews carried out capital punishment.  However, there were a few instances, where they would hang a condemned person on a tree.  These rarer cases, brought with them an intense feeling of reprehension and aversion.  When the Jews cried out for Jesus to be crucified, they were intending to brand Him with contempt which would achieve an intensity so great that no man would ever desire to confess Him!
The Blessing
When Jesus died on the cross (tree), He bore our sins and suffered the reproach and the penalty that rightly belongs to each of us.  We are guilty of sin.  Jesus never sinned!  However, “…he made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Cor. 5:21).  When Jesus died on the cross, He shed His blood and made atonement for sin.  Thus, He became a substitutionary sacrifice to secure atonement for our sins.  Through the power of His blood, we can be forgiven of sins.  In His death, Jesus accomplished the blessing of Abraham.  Now, through Christ, all nations of the world will be blessed (Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:16). Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham and He is the Messiah (deliverer).  All people have their hope in Him because only in Him can we be redeemed.  Through Jesus Christ, we can become the children of God.  “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:26-29).  A prerequisite to baptism is that we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus.  “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:8-10).  Thus, every person who becomes a New Testament Christian confesses Jesus Christ and thwarts the intent of the unbelieving Jews who had Him crucified by shouting, “Crucify him, crucify him.”  The blessing of Abraham arises out of the curse!  All who would be saved from the wrath of God gladly confess Him as their Savior and Lord.