“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us – for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal. 3:13 all quotes from RSV). A superficial reading of this passage may suggest that God, the sole author of the law, placed Jesus under a curse through the process of his execution. If this interpretation were correct, divinely revealed principles and promises would prove to be unreliable; for many scriptures assure us that God’s blessing will rest upon the faithful and that divine curses are reserved for the wicked.
Godly are blessed, not cursed
Consider the following examples, particularly in regard to the conduct of the Lord Jesus.
The closing verse of Deut. 27 is quoted in Gal. 3:10, “Cursed be he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.” Now consider the principles of Deut. 28:1-14 in relation to the sinless Son of God: “And if you obey…all these blessings shall come upon you…” Now peruse the balance of that chapter: “But if you will not obey…then all these curses shall come upon you…” From the mouth of man come “blessing and cursing,” but “this ought not to be so” (James 3:10). From the mouth of God it is impossible that both elements could come, at the same time, toward the same blameless individual.
Our next example is Psalm 1: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” In this Psalm, we discover a marvelous description of the conduct and character of the man, Christ Jesus, together with the emphatic assurance that such a one is blessed.
This message is repeated in Jer. 17:7: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.” In contrast, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the LORD” (v.5).
To be cursed by God is a fearful thing indeed. Jesus, however, was assured, “I the LORD search the mind and try the heart, to give to every man according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer. 17:10). It is inconceivable that God’s curse could ever rest upon His obedient son, for “those cursed by him shall be cut off” (Psa. 37:22). On the other hand, “What thou, 0 LORD, hast blessed is blessed forever” (I Chr. 17:27). Jesus drew comfort from that assurance while he was being abused before the council (Matt. 26:57-68). Even when “they spat in his face, and struck him” (v.67), he could look to the time when the divine blessing would be apparent to all and the cursing’s of wicked men would be negated: “…hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (v.64). He was thinking, undoubtedly, of Psa. 110:1, “Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.” Surely he also remembered the concluding verse of Psa. 109, “For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn him to death.” In the future, the Son would sit at the right hand of the Father; during the crucifixion, the Father would stand at the right hand of the Son.
Psa. 109:1-5 and 21-31 clearly have pointed relevance to the final sufferings of Jesus, “They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause” (v.3). “My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads” (vs. 24,25; Matt. 27:39). “Let them curse, but do thou bless!…may thy servant be glad!” (v.28: cf. Isa. 42:1; 52:13, etc.).
Clearly, the curses were coming from the foul lips of wicked men who derided, mocked and reviled Jesus. Thus when Paul describes Jesus as “having become a curse for us,” he is surely using a figure of speech. To “become a curse” is a metaphor for becoming subject to a curse or the object of cursing.
Reconsider Galatians 3:13
“…for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree.” That this refers to the cursing of men is confirmed by following three basic steps of Bible study method:
- The New Testament context should be examined. Gal. 3:10 reads, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them.” Jesus was not guilty on both counts: he did not rely on works; rather, “the righteous (one) shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4; Gal. 3:11). Secondly, he most surely did “abide by all things written…” Consequently, he was clearly not subject to the divine curse that fell on breakers of the law.
- The Old Testament context should be examined. This particularly involves Deut. 21:18-23. This begins, “if a man has a stubborn and rebellious son…” Immediately we are struck by the stark contrast with the obedient son of Mary, the son of God. The passage continues, “who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they chastise him, will not give heed to them…” Read and ponder the whole passage, marveling at the dramatic depiction of the one who, in every respect is the total opposite of Jesus. Notice the phrase at the end of v. 20 “he is a glutton and a drunkard.” Jesus expands this expression to “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Matt. 11:19). This was the way his enemies described the Son of man! Jesus knew they would seek to bring him under the curse of Deut. 21:23. Men of corrupt disposition would label him the “stubborn and rebellious son” (v.20), who should be put to death in order to “purge the evil from your midst” (v.21). Such a man who “has committed a crime punishable by death” should be slain and his body hanged on a tree for others to learn not to imitate his example (v.22). The message to others was to be that such a “hanged man is accursed by God” (v.23). Therefore the Jews’ clamorous cry, “Let him be crucified” was not accidental. What evil perversion to characterize the sinless Son of God in this fashion!
- When a quote from the Old Testament occurs in the New Testament, the passages should be examined for any significant change in wording. Examples where such small changes are very illuminating include: Rom. 10:15 from Isa. 52:7 where “him” becomes “them” or “those.” Acts 4:11 from Psa. 118:22 where “the builders” becomes “you builders.” Heb. 10:37 from Hab. 2:3 where “the vision” becomes “the coming one.” Similarly, Gal. 3:13 from Deut. 21:23 where, “for a hanged man is accursed by God” becomes, “Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree.” Truly Jesus was cursed while he was hanging on the tree, from the mouths of his persecutors, not from the law of God.
The tree in other passages
Following these three steps in analyzing Gal. 3:13 not only clears up the misunderstanding, but it also provides a moving insight into the word of God. We marvel anew at the process by which “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law…that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:13-14). Unlike Jesus, we, as unbaptized sinners, rightly fall under the curse of the law (Deut. 27:26; Rom. 3:19,20). Christ redeemed us from that curse. In the process, he “became a curse” for us, as the object of the profane cursing of evil men. This had been foretold, “cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree.” In this case, this was a prophecy fulfilled, not a divine denunciation.
Further, a fuller significance emerges from other passages where the death of Jesus is associated with “the tree,” rather than “the cross.” Read Peter’s message in Acts 10:34-43. Notice the import of, “They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day…”(vs. 39,40). He echoes the earlier words, “The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand…”(Acts 5:30,31). With Deut. 21 in mind, the indictment implies, “you treated the sinless savior as if he were the ‘stubborn and rebellious son…a glutton and a drunkard…who committed a crime punishable by death,’ and sought in vain to bring him under the curse of the law. God viewed the matter differently and blessed Jesus abundantly.” Paul conveys the same message in Acts 13:28-30.
Finally, ponder anew the spiritual depths of I Peter 2:22-24, “He committed no sin: no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Every highlighted phrase contains an echo of Deut. 21:18-23. The innocence of Jesus contrasts with the guilt of the rebellious son, “the elders of his city” and ourselves. His silent submission (Isa. 53:7) was eloquent before the vicious cursing of the revilers. Hanged on a tree by those who sought to implicate him under a divine curse, he set his heart upon the promises of his faithful Father. He could rejoice and be glad, for his reward was great in heaven (Matt. 5:3-12).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One