CRUCIFIED
The incarnation was wonderful, and the crucifixion is marvelous. We have no human words to explain the incarnation in full; neither can we fully explain the fact of Christ’s death.
Bearing Our Sins
On the cross Christ bore our sins. Three verses are very clear regarding this: 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Corinthians 15:3, and Hebrews 9:28. These verses all say that Christ bore our sins. According to Isaiah 53:6, when Christ was on the cross God took all our sins and put them upon this Lamb of God.
If you read the four Gospels concerning Christ’s death, you will see that He was crucified from nine o’clock in the morning, the third hour (Mark 15:25), till three o’clock in the afternoon, the ninth hour (Mark 15:33; Matt. 27:46). In the midst of these six hours there was noontime, the sixth hour (Mark 15:33). The noontime divided these six hours into two periods of three hours each. Man’s persecution took place in the first three hours. Man nailed Him to the cross, mocked Him, and afflicted Him in every possible way. Then in the final three hours God came in to judge Him (Isa. 53:10). This is indicated by the darkness that came over the whole land at noontime. God put all the sins of mankind upon Him.
Made Sin for Us
In the last three hours, in the eyes of God Christ was made sin. It was then on the cross that God condemned sin in the flesh of Christ. Romans 8:3 says that God, sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin (as the brass serpent in the form of a serpent—John 3:14), condemned sin in the flesh. Sin was condemned. Sin was judged on the cross. Not only did Christ bear our sins; He was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21) and was judged by God once for all.
With Our Old Man
and the Entire Old Creation
In addition, when Christ was crucified, all His believers were crucified with Him (Gal. 2:20). When He was incarnated, He took us upon Himself. He put on blood and flesh. Therefore, when He was crucified, we were crucified with Him. From God’s viewpoint, before we were born we were crucified in Christ. When Christ was crucified, not only were our sins dealt with and not only was our sin dealt with; we ourselves were crucified. Hence, Romans 6:6 says, “Our old man has been crucified with Him.”
Besides this, the entire creation was also crucified there. When Christ died, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom (Matt. 27:51). From top to bottom indicates that it was not man’s doing, but God’s doing from above. God rent that veil into two pieces. On the veil there were cherubim embroidered (Exo. 26:31). According to Ezekiel 1:5, 10 and 10:14-15, cherubim were living creatures. The cherubim on the veil, then, indicated the living creatures. Upon the humanity of Christ were all the creatures. When the veil was rent, all the creatures were crucified. By this we can see that the death of Christ was all-inclusive. It dealt with our sins, with our sin, with our self, our old man, and with the entire old creation. Sins, sin, man, and the entire creation were all dealt with on the cross.
(The Basic Revelation in the Holy Scriptures, Chapter 2, by Witness Lee)
