March 8 – Reading 67

MARCH 8 – Reading 67

by John Pra | March 8

“JESUS – CURSED FOR US”
(Deuteronomy 19:1 – 21:23)

And 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

Throughout the Books of Law in the Old Testament we’ve seen that there were varying degrees of offense and punishment. Reserved for the most serious crimes was punishment by death. One striking law in our reading today is that if a criminal was put to death and then hung on a tree, his body could not remain exposed overnight. Instead, he had to be buried the same day. This law emphasized the curse that came upon anyone who was hanged. To leave such a person displayed was to defile the land God had given to His people.

This law may have seemed like just another part of Israel’s legal code, but it carried deeper significance. In Jewish thought, to be hanged on a tree was not just a form of punishment — it was a public sign of divine rejection. The one suspended between heaven and earth was seen as cut off, disgraced, and condemned. 

Centuries later, this law took on its ultimate meaning in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Romans used crucifixion as the most humiliating and excruciating form of execution, and Jesus, though innocent, was subjected to it. According to Deuteronomy 21, He was not only sentenced by men — He was considered cursed by God. The religious leaders of His day saw His death as proof that He was not the Messiah. They could not comprehend the plan of God – that He was taking on the curse that rightfully belonged to all humanity.

Paul directly connects Jesus’ crucifixion to Deuteronomy 21: “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’” (Galatians 3:13). Jesus bore the curse that was meant for us. The law required that sin be punished, and instead of leaving us to face that judgment, Jesus took it upon Himself.

Just as the bodies of those hanged in Israel had to be buried to avoid defiling the land, Jesus’ body was taken down before nightfall and laid in a tomb (John 19:31-42). But His story did not end there. Unlike every other person who had been condemned to die, Jesus conquered death and rose again, proving that He had broken the curse once and for all.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 points us to the seriousness of sin, the weight of judgment, and the depth of Christ’s sacrifice. Now the curse of sin has been lifted, and through Jesus, we are no longer condemned. Instead, we are invited into the righteousness and freedom that He purchased for us.

Pray for…

• An awareness of sin’s seriousness and an understanding of the weight of sin and its consequences. And a tender heart that would respond to the Holy Spirit’s conviction that I might walk in obedience and holiness.

   

• Reverence for God’s justice and mercy with the ability to trust His perfect judgment while also resting in His unfailing grace.

   

• Freedom from condemnation because Christ became a curse for me. A daily reminder that I am forgiven and free and that the Holy Spirit would silence any voice of guilt or shame that tries to pull me back into bondage.