Old Testament prophecy fulfilled by Jesus.
He will be hung on a tree as a curse for us.
In Deuteronomy, the Law says:
“Now if a person has committed a sin carrying a sentence of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body is not to be left overnight on the tree, but you shall certainly bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is cursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 21:22-23.
In this place, one who was found guilty of a sin or crime (had to have two or more witnessed to convict someone) and sentenced to death, then hung on a tree was cursed. The one found guilty, paid for their sin by their death, and were left on a tree-publicly- for all to see.
The word “curse” here is Strong’s Hebrew word 7045. The meaning of the word is vilified, belittled, disparaged, abused, slandered, maligned, loathed, and libeled.
So, when a guilty man paid for sin with his life. Then hung on a tree for the world to see-he was cursed (vilified, belittled, disparaged, abused, slandered, maligned, loathed, and libeled). The guilty man’s body was not to be left there indefinitely, but buried on the same day.
How does that relate to fulfilling a prophecy about Jesus, the Messiah?
Paul wrote the Galatians a letter. The new Christians in Galatia were mixed up about a lot of things and Paul was writing to clarify basic facts about the gospel. He clarified to them that they did not need to become Jews to be saved and become a Christian. He clarified that Abraham BELIEVED and it was counted to him as righteousness (Galatians 3:6). He clarified that God included in His plan of redemption gentiles like the Galatians-not only the Jews when He told Abraham “All the nations shall be blessed in you.” In the book of Galatians, Paul clarified that no one is saved by the Law. The righteous are saved by faith (Galatians 3:11).
Then Paul wrote:
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14.
Jesus, the Messiah, paid for sin-not His sin, but the sin of all mankind-and was hung on a tree (the cross). He took our place of shame on a tree where He was cursed, vilified, belittled, disparaged, abused, slandered, maligned, loathed, and libeled.
Paul clarifies that Jesus became a curse for US, which fulfilled the promise God gave to Abraham. All people, Jews and gentiles, could receive the Him and the Holy Sprit through FAITH, not through keeping the law.
And just as Deuteronomy 21:22 said, the body of Jesus was buried the same day He died.
But He didn’t stay dead.
And He didn’t stay buried.
Hallelujah.
Carla Killough McClafferty