What Does It Mean That Jesus Became Sin for Us?
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“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
How do we understand Jesus becoming sin for us? This profound truth finds its roots in the Garden of Eden, where God’s plan for salvation was first set in motion. After creating Adam, God gave him a simple command:
“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die’” (Genesis 2:16-17).
Even with one simple command, Adam and Eve chose disobedience, eating from the forbidden tree. In that moment, spiritual death entered their lives, and sin entered the world. This has plagued humanity since then; everyone born after this has come into the world with the curse of sin over their life. Yet this was not the end of the story.
What followed their disobedience was not just the consequence of sin, but the beginning of God’s redemptive plan. From that moment, he laid the foundation for what would ultimately lead Jesus to take on the weight of sin for us. Let’s explore how this unfolded.
The Great Foreshadowing
When sin entered the world, it brought with it the need for a sacrifice to atone for that sin. From the very beginning, God revealed this truth in his actions toward Adam and Eve after they disobeyed him. To cover their nakedness, God made garments for them using the skin of an animal:
"And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).
This act was more than just providing physical clothing. It carried a profound spiritual significance. For the garments to be made, an animal had to die. Blood was shed on behalf of Adam and Eve to provide a covering for their shame. This was the first sacrifice for sin. The animal symbolically bore the penalty for Adam's sin, even though the animal was innocent and did not commit the sin.
This would continue throughout the Old Testament. Perfect, unblemished lambs, bulls, and doves were offered as sacrifices for the sins of the people. These sacrifices, though temporary, fulfilled God’s justice in the immediate moment. These sacrifices provided a covering for sin but did not erase it. The shedding of blood served as a continual reminder of the cost of sin but also pointed toward a greater sacrifice — one that would not be temporary, but eternal. These sacrifices were a shadow of what was to come: one ultimate sacrifice that would pay the penalty for sin, once and for all.
The Great Redemption
For God to fully redeem humanity, a temporary shedding of blood was not enough. The sin problem we created required a perfect and permanent solution — one that could fully satisfy God's justice. It would also provide eternal forgiveness and cleansing from sin. The sacrifices of bulls and goats, while necessary under the Old Testament law, were only temporary measures. They could cover sin for a time but were incapable of removing it. Something greater was needed.
That is where Jesus steps into the picture. He would become the ultimate sacrifice, the one who would address humanity's sin problem forever. When John the Baptist introduces Jesus to the world, notice the language he uses.
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" (John 1:29).
A lamb that was going to be sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. To accomplish this, Jesus had to bear the full weight of the sins of the world. He had to become sin so that God’s righteous judgment could be poured out on him, which happened on the cross.
When Jesus went to the cross, God placed the sins of every person — past, present, and future — onto him. In that moment, Jesus became sin for us, allowing God to fulfill his justice because he must judge all sin. As the perfect Lamb of God, he took your sin and mine upon himself. In doing so the punishment required for sin would be complete. No further sacrifice would ever be necessary. The penalty was paid, and sin’s power was broken forever through Jesus’ perfect and eternal offering. This was God’s ultimate plan of redemption, fulfilled in Christ.
The Great Exchange
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, the most incredible exchange in all history is now possible and salvation is available to everyone. This redemption takes place when we give our sins to Christ, laying them on him. In that moment, the judgment we rightfully deserve is completely covered because Jesus became sin for us and has already taken that judgment upon himself. Every sin you or I have ever committed was placed on him, and he bore the punishment as if he had committed those sins. He didn’t become a sinner; he became the perfect, spotless sacrifice for sin.
But here’s the truly amazing part — this sacrifice opened the door for the greatest exchange imaginable. We, who were stained by sin and stood deserving of judgment, can now place our sins on Christ. In return, he places his righteousness on us. Jesus became sin for us so we could become his righteousness. He carried in his body the sins he never committed so that we could carry in our souls a righteousness we could never earn. The cross is not just a moment of judgment — it’s a moment of grace, transformation, and the greatest demonstration of God’s love for us. This is the beauty of what Jesus has done for us. It’s a reason for hope and a reason to rejoice.
The Great Choice
We live in a world where it often seems like sin goes unpunished, but let me assure you — that is far from the truth. The consequences of sin are real, and God is still just. There is no sin, no matter how great or small, that will escape his righteous judgment. However, this is where the incredible choice God has given us comes into play. The question is, how will God judge your sin? There are only two options: you can exchange or you can endure.
To exchange means you acknowledge Jesus has already taken the punishment for your sins. By placing your faith and trust in Christ, you receive forgiveness, freedom, and the assurance that the penalty for your sin has been paid in full. On the other hand, to endure means you choose to carry the weight of your sin yourself, rejecting Jesus’ sacrifice. By doing so, you will face the penalty for your sins on your own.
The choice is yours. You can place your sin on Jesus, who became sin for us, and accept his gift of salvation. Or you can bear the weight of sin yourself. One leads to life and freedom, the other to judgment and separation. This is the great choice that everyone must make.
Final Thought
In the end, the truth of how Jesus became sin for us reveals the depths of God’s wisdom, his love and the magnitude of his grace. A plan that began in the garden with a sin that demanded judgment, has now been completed in Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus took on the weight of sin and the punishment and death we deserved, so that we can have eternal life. Jesus becoming sin for us so we could be righteous for him. Truly there is no greater love.
I will leave you with the words of Isaiah to sum it up best.
“Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.”
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