A Hard Saying

A Hard Saying

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:13 and Genesis 22:5–8

Series: Comments on Galatians

Today's Scripture Jigsaw

The sins of the world are not simply laid upon the Lamb. Luther teaches us a hard lesson here. “Our sins have to be Christ’s sins or we shall perish forever.” We do not like to hear this; we cannot wrap our minds around the idea. We do not like it any more than the old Catholic theologians did. But Luther insists we see Christ this way, as the one who became sin for us. Luther wrote, “I am told that it is preposterous and wicked to call the Son of God a cursed sinner. I answer: If you deny that he is a condemned sinner, you are forced to deny that Christ died. It is not less preposterous to say, the Son of God died, than to say, the Son of God was a sinner.”

Though the innocent, unblemished Lamb of God, “his sinlessness was defiled,” as Luther wrote, “with the sinfulness of the world. Whatever sins I, you, all of us have committed or shall commit, they are Christ’s sins as if he had committed them himself.” Our sins have to be Christ’s sins or we must die eternally. This is why God provided a Lamb for Abraham and Isaac, for you and me.

Log in to add a comment

Click Here For Content Archives