The Curse of Sin (Deuteronomy 21:22–23)
God says, “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.”
—Deuteronomy 21:22–23
“It is cursed to be hung on a tree.” That is what happened for a crime punishable by death, according to Old Testament law at that point. Now consider Galatians 3:13: “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.’”
Paul, in the book of Galatians, is talking about the gospel—the good news of Jesus dying on the cross. In Galatians 3, he quotes Deuteronomy 21:22–23, saying, “Remember the Old Testament law, what God said: ‘A hanged man is cursed by God.’”
The picture here in Galatians 3 is that Jesus endured the curse of sin. He experienced the punishment of death. Why? So that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law. Are you hearing this? This is good news all over again today. When he died, we were redeemed. Meditate on the gospel day in and day out, all day long. This is the moment today when you and I are reminded that we have been redeemed, made new, blessed by God, and restored to a relationship with him. How? By Jesus’ death on the cross, because he took the curse we deserved upon himself. He was cursed. He was hung on a tree. He was hung on a cross so that you and I might have life.
And so we pray today: Jesus, all glory, honor, praise, and thanksgiving be to you in your name, for you took our curse upon yourself. Jesus, we praise you as our substitute, who died on the cross that we might be redeemed, made new, and become new creations; that we might have a relationship with you, know you, walk with you, worship you, and enjoy you, O God, forever and ever. Jesus, we praise you for becoming a curse for us, that you might redeem us from the curse of the law. We praise you for taking our curse upon yourself so that we might be saved.
Above all, God, we pray that you would help us share this good news with somebody today. God, help us open our mouths and speak, by the power of your Holy Spirit, to somebody else about the good news of the one who has paid the price for sin for all who trust in him. So, God, we pray, asking you to help us spread this good news around us and around the world.
A Prayer for the Karata People
God, we pray for the Karata people in Russia, in the Dagestan region, in the Caucasus Mountains. We pray for this remote people group, among whom none, as far as we know, have ever heard the good news of Jesus dying on the cross for sinners.
God, we know—you said it in Revelation 5:9–10—that Jesus died on the cross to purchase, to redeem people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. From the Karata people, God, make your glory known among them. Make the name of Jesus, the love of Jesus, and the redemption of Jesus known among the Karata people of Russia.
God, we pray that you would make the redemption of Jesus known among all the nations of the earth, and we pray that you would use our lives, as long as we have breath, to make the good news of your redemption known—the good news of the one who took the curse upon himself so that we might be saved. Make the name of Jesus known right around us and far from us. Help us make disciples of all nations.
So we pray with this good news, in Jesus’ name—the name of the one who took our curse upon himself. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
