Friday Rhapsody Of Realities - He Went In Your Place

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).

The phrase in the theme verse, “the firstborn from the dead,” doesn’t mean the first to be raised from the dead. Prior to Jesus’ vicarious death, there were those who had been raised from the dead; so what the Apostle Paul communicates by the Spirit here, is different. When our sins were laid on Jesus on the cross, He died spiritually. Spiritual death is separation from God. Only through a spiritual rebirth does one awake from this death. Jesus Christ was the first born from spiritual death.

As Jesus hung on the cross, He suffered the agony of being separated from the Father: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). This was a result of His being made the sin sacrifice, which automatically identified with sin: “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).

It should have been illegal for Jesus to be crucified and sent to hell, because He was innocent and without sin, but He went in our place. Recall the graphic details in Colossians 2:15 when He engaged Satan in that awful combat in hell, and defeated him and all the cohorts of darkness: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” No one ever came out of spiritual death or out of Satan’s bondage, but Jesus did. He paid the full penalty for every man.

Thus, because a righteous man was given for sinners, it became legal, and possible, for sinners to be given His righteousness. He took our place of sin, that we might obtain His righteousness. Now, you’re as righteous as Jesus is! He’s made you the very expression of His righteousness. The righteousness that He was clothed with was made available to you, because He died for you, and when He came out of death, you came out in and with Him. Hallelujah!

PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, who became the very representation of sin on my behalf, and died in my place, so that I might be made righteous, and also be the expression of your righteousness. I walk in, and manifest, your righteousness today and always, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY: Romans 5:17-18 - For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

1 Corinthians 1:30 - God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.
Isaiah 53:5-7 - But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. ⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Acts 7:1-53, 2 Chronicles 29-30
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Isaiah 3