Jesus Our Sin-Bearer

1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by those strips ye were healed.”
On the day some are calling Good Friday let us examine what had just happened. The Lamb of God had just been offered as a sacrifice for us. He had been killed by jealous religious men but His death was foretold and had a purpose. It would be easy to construct the whole plan of redemption around the words “He bore our sins.” These four simple words carry great weight for they express what Jesus has done for us.
When we hear that Jesus bore in his own body bore our sins we automatically have a vision of a load, or burden. The Bible calls sin a heavy burden. Man was never intended to carry the heavy load of sin. Yet man feels he is capable to carry this heavy load. That load can be described as a death penalty. It also carries the power to convict and separate us from God. This is the burden Jesus bore for us on Calvary’s tree. God already knew that sin was going to be heavier than any man could bear, so He sent His son to carry all our sins. Not just the sins of those who wanted Him dead but the sins of the entire population of the planet; then and now. John the Baptist introduced Jesus to us when he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John1:29
Before Jesus could be our sin-bearer he had to identify with us. He had to become flesh and feel the pain we feel, feel the frustration we feel, face the temptations we face, but he also had to be free of sin. He did not experience sin as we do but he had to understand it. He then knew the weight of the burden He must carry. Paul talks about this in Hebrews 2:14. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of the flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil.”
As Jesus hung between heaven and earth and looked into the eyes of those who accused him, try to imagine what must have been going through the minds of the chief priest and elders as they watched Jesus die. As Jesus hung on the tree in mortal pain the sin of the world tearing at his soul; He looked not only at the ones who stood by to watch him die but he looked at you and me when he said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.
There are still those who do not believe Jesus bore our sin but was simply a martyr for a cause. God’s Word is clear, saying “The chastisement of our peace was upon him” Isaiah 53:5. The Lamb of God was offered as a sacrifice for t lost world.