UNDERSTANDING: The Wonderful Exchange

From 2 Corinthians 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.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

 

 

Martin Luther, the German Protestant reformer was deeply impressed by these significant words. “The wonderful exchange” was his apt summary of this verse.

 

What an exchange it was! This was the Almighty and Eternal Word. He was the Creator of all things. Angels ministered to Him. Yet He left the rich splendour of heaven for this poor, sinful earth. From realms of uncreated light He came to a planet governed by day and night – to a world darkened by the shadow of sin. He chose to live here! That incomparable life, witnessed by God and by man, was perfect. No one could find any fault with Him. He was the only person ever who “knew no sin”.

 

But what do we see outside of Jerusalem? This same perfect Man was nailed to a cruel cross and was actually made sin for us! Who can fathom this mystery? How can it be explained? He was not “made sinful” – that could not be. Yet He “who knew no sin,” who was apart from sin in every way, was made sin for us. He came from heaven’s majesty to Calvary’s misery, from the splendour to the shame, from the brightest light to the blackest darkness, from knowing no sin to being made sin – and all this was for us! The Source of life became subject to death: that was the exchange He made. 

 

 

A TRULY WONDERFUL EXCHANGE!

How wonderful the exchange too! He was made sin for us. We were unrighteous in every way. Even our very best acts of righteousness were, in God’s sight, like filthy rags, (Isa.64:6). We stood condemned before a holy God. The Lord Jesus was altogether righteous: His perfect life demonstrated that. As He hung upon the cross He did not cease to be righteous. But through His atoning death we who were so sinful become “the righteousness of God in Him.” If we are believers, all of sin’s unrighteousness has been cleared from our account. Christ bore our sins upon the cross. Having removed those sins, He now credits us with His own righteousness – “the righteousness of God” – for God now sees us “in Him”. Charitie Lees Bancroft put it this way:-

 

                                     Because the sinless Saviour died,

                                     My sinful soul is counted free;

                                     For God, the Just, is satisfied

                                     To look on Him and pardon me.   (1)

 

Martin Luther did well to call this “the wonderful exchange”. We cannot understand it fully. That Christ who was sinless should be “made sin for us” is beyond our explanation. That we should become “the rightousness of God in Him” is beyond our comprehension. But this verse does not call so much for our detailed analysis as it does for our devoted adoration. It is “the love of Christ” that is demonstrated here, a love that exerts a constraining influence upon us, (see 2 Corinthians 5:14). We should be moved to praise and worship God for the wonderful exchange that He has made possible through Calvary. It is Christ’s riches for our poverty; we shall praise Him eternally for such grace to us. As we ponder this profound verse, let us praise Him now for what He has done.

 

                                     Glory, glory everlasting

                                     Be to Him who bore the cross,

                                     Who redeemed our souls by tasting

                                     Death, the death deserved by us!

                                     Spread His glory

                                     Who redeemed His people thus.     (T. Kelly)  (2)

 

 

END NOTES:-  (1)Hymn 283 in GOLDEN BELLS: Before the throne of God above.  (2)Hymn 105 in PSALMS, HYMNS & SPIRITUAL SONGS: Glory, glory everlasting.