Christ Became Sin

2Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Do you take sin to be a light thing? Do you call your sin a "little sin"? Remember that it was the sin of the whole world that nailed Christ to the cross. Thus, it was your sin that Christ carried to the grave. Certainly, the big sins nailed him to the cross, but the weight of sin was felt in the many little sins that Christ carried that day.

2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that he hath made him to be sin for us. "He" being God, "him" being Christ. God made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin. The spotless Lamb of God, Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth (I Peter 2:22), He became sin for us. Though Christ himself didn’t know sin, yet He became intimately acquainted with sin on that day. He knew of the shame, but that day He felt the shame. He bore our sins in His own body on that cross (2 Corinthians 5:24). God laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6).

But that isn’t all. Christ carried our sins on that cross, and God made Christ to be sin. He bore our sin, and he became sin. He became all that is filthy, all that is vile, all that is stinking, all that is wicked about sin. Is sin exceeding sinful (Romans 7:13)? Christ became exceeding sinful. Are there evil men in the world? Christ became evil. God made Christ to be sin.

But why? Why did God make one man to be sin for all men? Were there not enough men who already qualified? Aren’t men already wicked enough to be called sin itself? Why would God make His own Son, His only begotten Son, to be sin? Why did the Father make the incarnate Word to become sin incarnate? The answer is found clearly in 2 Corinthians 5:21: he hath made him to be sin for us… I deserve to be called "sin" many times more than Jesus Christ does. Christ did no sin, while I am wretched and full of sin. But if I am sin, I must be cast into Hell. Sin must be destroyed. I cannot be sin and survive in God’s good grace. If I am sin, I must be destroyed. I cannot bear the weight. I cannot be sin. And therefore Christ became sin. He became sin for me. He became sin for us, so that our old man might be crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. When Christ was destroyed on the cross, the body of sin was destroyed. Therefore, Christ became sin for us
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And, 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that Christ became sin for us with a particular goal in mind: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Christ became sin so that we could be glorified. God would be glorified in us, but sinful men can’t glorify God. And since we were without hope, powerless to glorify God, Christ became sin for us. Since even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Christ became sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. God looked down upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and that did seek God (Psalm 14:2). And what did God find? They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. God seeks for righteous men, but God found none. So, God himself became a man, so that there might be one righteous man. Then, the Father took all the sin of the whole world, and laid it on that one righteous man. When the Father had laid on Christ the iniquity of us all, then the Father took the sword of justice and went after Christ. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. And why did the Father do this? Why did the Son become sin for us? That we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The Son became sin so that, when God looked at us, he would find us without spot or blemish. He became sin so that we would be sinless, without fault when we stand before the throne (Revelation 14:5).

All of this to the praise of His grace. O sinner seek the Lord! Repent of all your sins. Turn to the Lord, turn from your sin. Seek the Lord while He may be found.