The Great Exchange

After a time of enjoying the benefits of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, believers can get caught up in various things such as, ministry, education, work or just life itself and not take the time to reflect on the divine exchange that took place at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago. We can take for granted the great works that were carried out by Jesus on the cross. The work of the cross was perfect. The last words Jesus said before He died were, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). The Greek word for finished means "to end; to complete; to execute; to conclude; to discharge a debt. Jesus had perfectly fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Mosaic Law and as Hebrews says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15) Now, He was about to complete His mission of the restoration of humanity in the dark regions of Sheol or Hades. He became sin with our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21); He became sick with our sicknesses (Isaiah 53:10); He became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13) For three days and three nights He suffered unimaginably. 

The essence of the cross and His time in Sheol or Hades, which separated Him from the Father (Matthew 27:46), consists in Jesus taking our place. He was our substitute. He personally suffered the totality of the punishment that we deserved for our disobedience so that justice could and would be satisfied. This was the divine exchange. In this exchange, we receive all the righteousness of Jesus and all the blessings of His obedience. (1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:3) From the day we enter into this exchange, (John 3:1-7) our goal should be to become like Jesus, (2 Corinthians 3:18), living in the fullness of His righteousness, in the same way that He became like us on the cross, sinners in need of deliverance. 

On the cross, God the Father placed all the sin, transgression, iniquity, guilt, shame, rebellion, sickness and curses that fell upon man, on Jesus. Every wicked thing produced by our rebellion/sin was put on Jesus, as all the goodness in Him became ours because of His obedience. This is absolutely wonderful news. The divine exchange came about in the following ways; Jesus was forsaken so we could be forgiven. (Matthew 27:46); Jesus carried our sicknesses and pains so we could receive healing. (Isaiah 53:4-6, 10); Jesus became sin so we could become righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21); Jesus died our death that we could share His life. (Romans 5:6-11); Jesus became poor that we might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9); Jesus carried our curse so that we could be blessed. (Galatians 3:13, 29); Jesus suffered our shame so that we could partake of His glory. (Hebrews 2:10); Jesus suffered our rejection so that we could be accepted in Him. (Ephesians 1:6)

The father has provide humanity with a perfect and complete redemption. Not only do we receive the blessings of the divine exchange shown above, but also every promise of God revealed in both the Old and New Testament. Look at the following passages, and receive by faith all that our Heavenly Father delights in giving to His children. First know that, "He (Jesus) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." (Hebrews 8:6) This does not exclude the Old Covenant promises of God, but, actually includes them along with all the promises under the New Covenant. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

Notice, the Father through Christ freely gives us all things! "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3) "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:2-4) (Note: these are just a few of the things available to believers through faith in Jesus Christ)

Some of you reading this may have been taught, with the exception of being born again, all these things only pertain to those in the Bible, especially those in the early church, and that they are not for today. This insinuates that God's Word has changed, when in fact He and His Word are one (John 1:1; 1 John 5:7) and as He has not changed (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) then His Word also has not changed. (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Mark 13:31) So, how can we appropriate the benefits of what Jesus has accomplished through His death and resurrection? By faith. There are no substitutions for living by faith. We must wholeheartedly trust in God and believe that He is Who His Word says He is and that He will keep all of His Promises because He cannot lie. (Numbers 23:19)

Also, through God's plan of redemption, Jesus defeated the devil. This victory is irrevocable and eternal. Satan cannot do anything to change it. Jesus is the stronger man Who entered the strong man's house and plundered his house and his goods. (Matthew 12:29; Revelation 1:18) When confronting the devil, his crew of demons and evil spirits, we must not deal with them on any basis other than on the blood and righteousness of Jesus and the authority that He has given to us in His Name. If we try confronting the kingdom of darkness by any other means, we can be defeated. We also need to be aware of the enemy's schemes (1 Peter 5:8-9), because he can camouflage the meritorious work of Jesus, thereby diminishing its power, which is one of the devils strategies against every believer. But, if we confront the enemy on the blood (Ephesians 1:7) and righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) of Jesus, the authority that He has given to us in His Name, (Mark 16:17-18) and the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3) we will always be victorious.(1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 2:14)

God has provided a complete, comprehensive and eternal redemption through Jesus Christ and has made it available to all humanity. (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9) There is no value that man can put upon the Father's ingenious, brilliant plan of redemption that could ever do it justice. What Jesus did for you and me is priceless, beyond any price tag that we could imagine. Therefore, let us never forget what Jesus has done and always remember, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, (selfish, rebellious, hopeless, haters of God) Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) So, never forget the divine exchange that we have through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...