Jesus became sin cursed on a tree. His stripes heal us. Are you healed ? 

There are some pieces of scripture that are a bit unusual and awkward, but they are amazingly powerful once you understand them and put the pieces together.

The book of Numbers records the story of the Israelites journey across the wilderness. They became frustrated and rebelled against Moses and God. They suffered a curse of fiery serpents as the consequence of that sinful rebellion. Many were bitten and dying. They recognized the error in their ways and asked Moses to plead for mercy. God told Moses to make a bronze image of a serpent that was biting them and raise it on a pole. All the Israelites who had been bitten were healed when they saw the snake raised on the pole.

This story has its roots in a specific law in Deuteronomy that declares that anything hung on a tree becomes “cursed” by God (unwanted/unsupported/vilified).  This law shaped how capital punishment / death sentences were caried out. For example, the executed body was not to be left hung overnight as a public exhibit because the body would become sufficiently cursed it would defile the land it was later buried in.

So God used this law with Moses and the Israelites.  He had Moses make a bronze image of the serpent that was biting and killing them and had him hang it on a pole. As soon as He raised it up on a pole, it became officially cursed by God. The Israelites all knew this law, and as soon as they saw the serpent raised on a pole, they knew God had cursed the curse of serpents, and they were forgiven of their sin and any who were bitten were healed. They knew this law in thier minds and believed it in their hearts. As soon as they acknowledged it in faith, God’s grace flowed and delivered the promised healing. 

This application of the law extends that concept of things being cursed if hung on a tree in an interesting way by applying the principle of something being cursed to a curse: In this case hanging a curse on a tree curses the curse. If you are a victim of a curse, and you see that the curse is now cursed by God, you are released from the initial curse.  It is sort of a double negative, but it works: If I have a curse, but that curse has been cursed, I am now free from that curse!

The bronze statue of the snake becomes an image of the curse, and the curse becomes cursed when it was hung on the pole. Those that recognize the situation are instantly healed.

That is not a trivial message, but this one is: The image of healing associated with the serpent on a pole has long been associated with the practice of medicine.

 Back to the story; Lets see how this scenario applies with Jesus.

The apostle John tells us Jesus must be raised up the same way Moses raised the serpent so those of us who see Him can be saved from our destruction. When I first was working through this it sounded like we were to raise Jesus on a pole so He would become cursed. That can’t be right, But if we keep working through the parallel verses it starts to become clear.

Moses did not raise a serpent on the pole, he raised an image of the serpent. Jesus allowed His body to be tortured and turned into an image of sin. It wasn’t Jesus himself who was being cursed, it was the image of sin being raised up and cursed. That makes sense and now the connecting verses all make sense:  “He made him to be sin who knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21);  “He became a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree…” (1 Peter 2:24)

Then we get to the real kicker: “…By his stripes you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24). We need to look at Jesus crucified on the cross exactly the same way the Israelites saw the bronze image of the serpent raised on the pole.  When they saw the curse of serpents was cursed, they knew they were healed.  Jesus became sin hung on a cross, sin was cursed.  When we see sin cursed, we no longer need to suffer, we can see Him on that cross and be healed.

So what does that mean to you.  Do you want divine healing? He did the work for us 2000 years ago; He paid the price; He has already made healing available to you. It is on the shelf waiting for you. It is up to you to recognize you are already fully authorized for healing.  God has done all he needs to do.  You need to claim it. The devil will continue to steal life from you until you figure it out and take action.

My prayer

Heavenly father, thank you for loving me and never giving up on me. Jesus thank you for coming here and doing your amazing work 2000 years ago. You lived a sinless life and then allowed your body to be tortured and converted into the image of sin cursed on a pole. We see that God has cursed sin and death and we are set free from that curse;  We now have Love and Life through you.  We confess our sins and recommit to follow you and live a life worthy of the price you paid.  We stand in the righteousness you provide and claim the promises of your kingdom: Forgiveness for our sins by your innocent blood, And healing of our body by the stripes on your broken body. Just as Moses raised the serpent on a pole to heal the Israelites, We see your broken body raised on that cross as the image of sin cursed by God. I am no longer bound by sin and death, I receive your love and your healing. In Jesus name, AMEN.      

Supporting scripture

Anything hung on a tree is cursed

“If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23)

Moses makes a bronze image of the serpent and raises it on a pole so it becomes cursed. Anyone who has been bitten and looks up and sees the image of the serpent cursed on a pole is saved and does not die from the bite. The original curse of serpents has been cursed and the victims who recognize it are healed.  

“Then they journeyed… and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. (Numbers 21:4-6)

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. (Numbers 21:7)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:8-9)

We must see Jesus on the cross the same way Moses had the Israelites look at the image of the serpent on the cross.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)

The law of sin and death is a curse on us. We are born as sinners and will eventually suffer death because of it. No amount of our own sacrifice can fully redeem us of our sin. Our sin has earned us the wages of suffering and death.  

“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. … (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

By sending His son to “become” sin  “cursed” on a tree, God created a situation where the curse of the law of sin and death was now cursed.

“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3)

Jesus body was tortured and became the image of sin

“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 tortured body became the image of sin, the consequences of sin. His body as the image of  Sin was hung on the cross, Sin was then cursed by God

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” )” (Galatians 3:13)

Jesus allowed his body to become beaten and crucified to become the image of sin “hung on a pole”. Be became like the bronze serpent, the image of Sin cursed by God”…We are set free from the curse of sin and death.  When we see that the curse has been cursed, we no longer suffer under the curse and are healed.  

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

Hope this helps. Happy to discuss. Leave a comment if you are moved to do so.