And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, He began to tell them what was to happen to Him, saying, “See we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise.” Mark 10:32-34
Jesus predicted everything that would happen to Him in His last week of ministry. Yet every time he tried to tell His disciples about His sacrifice, they didn’t want to hear it. And when it happened, even though He had told them it was coming, they didn’t understand it. Jesus said all this was necessary for their sake. Why? The exchange. Jesus made an eternal exchange for us.
If God is for us, who can be against us? He Who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him gracious give us all things? Romans 8:31,32
God the Father gives up His Son so we can become His daughters and sons. Jesus is given up to death, we are claimed.
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 5:21
Jesus becomes our sin, we become His righteousness. Our sin is gone, forgiven, forgotten, eradicated. Jesus takes the punishment for our sins, wraps His righteousness around us, clothes us with His righteousness, so that when God looks at us, only the righteousness of Christ is visible.
For you know the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Jesus gets poverty, we get riches.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13,14.
Jesus is cursed, we are blessed.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24
Jesus receives judgment, we are forgiven. Jesus dies, we pass from death to life eternal.
What Christ did for the disciples and for us in this last week was make an exchange. As we journey through Holy Week and we remember all the intensity of Christ’s last week of ministry, let’s focus on the exchange, that our Lord Jesus Christ went to the final extremity to save us, and laying down His rights as the Son of God, He has made us children of God. Because of His taking on sin, poverty, judgment, curses, punishment, and death we are forgiven, healed, blessed, enriched, righteous, and forevermore alive with Christ. He made the exchange for us. And because of His resurrection, Jesus Christ guarantees the exchange forever. With awe, and love, and gratitude let us celebrate our redemption, worshipping the One Who for us made the exchange.