May I Exchange This

The word exchanged is defined as, to give something and receive something of the same kind in return. For instance, you go to a department store, purchase an article of clothing that you like, but, wait until you go home to try it on. Trying it on you see that is does not fit properly. However, you genuinely like the item so you return to the store, go to customer service and exchange it for a size that fits. The item now fits well, it's new, and even makes you feel good. Well, about two thousand years ago the greatest exchange that ever took place happened. It was not in a department store, but on a wooden cross that was meant to take ones life through horrific agony and pain. On the cross a divine ordained exchange took place in the life of Jesus Christ.

First, Jesus endured, in our place all the consequences that were required to satisfy justice for the sin of the entire human race. In this exchange, God offers us all the good that was due to the sinless obedience of Jesus. In other words, the evil due to us came upon Jesus so that, in return, the good due to Jesus might be offered to us. Through what Jesus did on the cross, God is able to offer this glorious exchange to everyone on earth without compromising His own eternal justice. All of this proceeds solely out of the abundant grace of God, and it is received solely by faith. There is no logical explanation in terms of cause and effect. None of us has ever done anything to deserve such an incredible offer and none of us can ever do anything to earn it.  There are several aspects concerning this divine exchange.

Two aspects of the divine exchange are found in the following passage, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses) and carried our sorrows; (pains) yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6) These two exchanges can be summed up in this; Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven and He was wounded that we might be healed. The in the next aspect, the Apostle Paul reveals, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) This third aspect of the divine exchange can be summed up in this, Jesus was made sin with our sin that we might become righteous with His righteousness.

According to the writer of Hebrews it says, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9) The death that He died was the inevitable outcome of human sin that He had taken upon Himself. He bore the sin of all men, and so died the death due to all men, that is, He went to hell and suffered separation from God. (Matthew 27:46; Acts 2:31) In return, to all who accept His substitutionary sacrifice, Jesus now offers the gift of eternal Life. (Romans 6:23) The fourth aspect of the divine exchange can be summed up in this, Jesus died our death that we might share His in His life.

A another aspect of the divine exchange also revealed by the Apostle Paul, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) This exchange speaks very clearly. But, when did Jesus become poor? It certainly was not during His earthly ministry. Although He Himself did not carry a lot of money, at no time did He lack anything He needed. In fact, Jesus always had all that He needed to do the will of God in His own.life. Over and above this, He was continually giving out to others, and His supply was never exhausted.

So when did Jesus become poor for our sakes? On the cross. In Deuteronomy 28:48 Moses summed up poverty in four expressions: hunger, thirst, nakedness and need of all things. Jesus experienced all this in its fullness on the cross. He was hungry, for He had not eaten since He shared the Passover with His disciples. (Luke 22:14-53) He was thirsty. One of His last utterances on the cross was, "I thirst!" (John 19:28). He was naked. The soldiers had taken all His clothes from Him (John 19:23).
He was in need of all things. He no longer owned anything. Even after He death He had a  borrowed linen robe wrapped around Him and was laid in a borrowed tomb (Luke 23:50-53). Therefore, Jesus, endured absolute poverty for our sake. The fifth aspect of the divine exchange may be summed up in this, Jesus became poor with our poverty that we might become rich with His riches.

The divine exchange at the cross also covers the emotional forms of suffering. Two of the cruelest wounds brought upon humanity by our sin are, shame and rejection. Both of these came upon Jesus on the cross. Shame can vary in intensity from embarrassment to a cringing sense of unworthiness that cuts a person off from meaningful fellowship with God and or with man. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "who (Jesus) for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame..." (Hebrews 12:2) Crucifixion was the most shameful of all forms of death, reserved for the lowest class of criminal. The person to be executed was stripped of all his clothing and exposed naked to be seen by those who passed by, who jeered and mocked. This was the degree of shame Jesus endured as He hung on the cross (Matthew 27:35-44). The sixth aspect of the divine exchange may be summed up in this, Jesus bore our shame that we might share His glory.

Rejection is another wound that tends to be more agonizing than shame. Rejection generally stems from some form of broken relationship. In its earliest form, it is caused by parents who reject their own children. The rejection is usually expressed in harsh, negative ways, or it may be merely a failure to show love and acceptance.  The Bible records, "Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:45-46) For the first time in the history of the universe, the Son of God called out to His Father and received no response. Due to mans sin that was placed upon Jesus, and due to the uncompromising holiness of God, the Father had to reject His own Son. In this way Jesus endured rejection in its most agonizing form; rejection by a father. The seventh aspect of the divine exchange may be summed up in this, Jesus endured our rejection that we might have the Father's acceptance.

The Apostle Paul records for us another wonderful aspect of the divine exchange, "Christ has 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”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14) What is the curse of the law? Deuteronomy 28:1-14 reveals the incredible blessings from God to those who "...diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments..." However, from verse 15 through verse 68 there is listed curses that would come upon Israel "...if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes..." You may think, "well, I am a Gentile and was never under the Mosaic Law" yet, if we closely look at this passage, the Apostle Paul was making the point for both Jew and Gentile, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law...that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus." The eighth aspect of the divine exchange may be summed up in this, Jesus became a curse that we might receive a blessing.

The aspects of the divine exchange shown above cover some of humanity's most basic and yet most urgent needs, but they are by no means exhaustive. The point of the whole matter is this; sometimes we believers can get caught up in the many aspects that we face in life and totally forget or take for granted the divine exchange that took place by God for man. The divine exchange was completely one sided. By no means was this an even exchange, but an exchange that only a loving God could engineer and carry out to satisfy justice that was demanded for man's sin and do it on completely legal ground, to free humanity from the powers of darkness. Our response everyday for such a glorious exchange should be a continuous attitude of thanksgiving. Do that right now! Say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all that You have done for me! I may not fully understand all that you did, but I do believe, and I am grateful." Now keep on thanking Him in your own words. The more you thank Him, the more you will believe what He has done for you. And the more you believe, the more you will want to thank Him. Let us never forget for one moment...

• Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven...
• Jesus was wounded that we might be healed...
• Jesus was made sin with our sin that we might become righteous with His righteousness...
• Jesus died our death that we might share His in His life... 
• Jesus became poor with our poverty that we might become rich with His riches...
• Jesus bore our shame that we might share His glory...
• Jesus endured our rejection that we might have the Father's acceptance... 
• Jesus became a curse that we might receive a blessing...

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen...