Therefore I (Father God) will divide Him (Jesus) a portion with the many, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)Jesus identified with us. His name was put on the list alongside us, not because He committed sin like we do, but because He chose that list. He did it so He could bear our sin.
Spurgeon writes that Jesus allowed Himself to be enrolled among sinners for several reasons. One is that He could better become our advocate. This means that He, as our counselor (in a legal sense) identifies with us as His clients. That is, when we as sinners are brought up before the judge, Jesus appears there with us to answer the accusation. He is our Advocate.
But Jesus makes no excuses for our sin. Instead, He points to his side, his hands, his feet. The Judge cannot bring anything against those whom Jesus represents because He pleads His death for our sin. The penalty has already been paid. The Judge must say, “Let them go free for this One has taken the punishment for all of them.”
If that were not marvel enough, another reason Jesus allowed Himself to be put on the list with us is so our hearts would be drawn toward Him. As Spurgeon writes, who can be afraid of one who is written in the same list along with us? We can come to Him without fear and confess our guilt. He who is numbered with us will not condemn us. Instead, He has done everything necessary to set us free.
Jesus was put in the transgressor’s list that our names might be moved to another list — the roll of acceptance. He was holy and written there first, the only One who never sinned. Yet we are guilty and written on that unholy list. With great love and sacrifice, Jesus allowed His name to be added to our list that our names might come off it.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself . . . . For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 21)By making Himself sin, by being numbered with the transgressors, Jesus took upon Himself all of our sinfulness and guilt and it killed Him. In exchange, He gave us all of His righteousness, and that gives us eternal life. This is the amazing wonder of the gospel, the good news!
A few years ago, a couple of false teachers came to my door. I used my Bible to show them these verses and explained this “great exchange” that makes it possible for sinners to be saved. When I said that Jesus took our sin on Himself and gave us His righteousness, one of them grabbed my Bible and said, “Let me see that.”
The other one grabbed her arm and said, “Jesus would never do that” and pulled her away. She would die in her sin rather than accept that Jesus Christ loves her so much that He died for her. Stranger still, she would take others with her rather than let them discover this great exchange for themselves.
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God, Your plan of salvation is so utterly amazing. As I think about what I just wrote, I shake my head at the marvel of what Jesus has done for sinners. You died for me, but the power of Your sinless life means that You could not stay dead. This also is amazing; You live forever and continue to offer eternal life to all who will believe. I’m so grateful that You let me see this and give me faith that knows it is true. Jesus has done everything needed — and more — to save sinners like myself.
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