20 The parents must say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and REFUSES to OBEY. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of his town must STONE HIM to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid. 22 “If someone has COMMITTED a crime worthy of death and is executed and HUNG ON A TREE, 23 the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung is CURSED in the sight of God.
-Deuteronomy 21:20-23
This is crazy to me, verse 20-21. We are that person that deserves to be stoned to death. How many times have we not listened to our parents? This is what we would be subjected to if Jesus didn't die on the cross and give us the gift of Salvation through belief in Him. Yet, Jesus, the Son of God, OBEYED his Father, one aspect we still haven't grasped. Jesus, after being betrayed by Judas, was then scourged (beaten harshly, sometimes led to death itself) "Mark 15:15" paralleling Deuteronomy 21:21.
Then it continues in verse 22. "Committed a crime punishable by death". We have committed that crime, while Jesus' crime stated above him on the cross, in three different languages, was he was "the King of the Jews". Are Messiah had committed no crime. Verse 22 then says "he is put to death, and you hang him on tree". Crucifixion on a tree was the lowest deaths someone could have had. This part parallels Acts 10:39,
“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree."
Finally in verse 23 it says, "for a hanged man is cursed by God". We should be this person hanging on the cross, cursed by God. But innocent Jesus placed ALL our sin, shame, and guilt on Him so we can be FREE from the LAW. Why? Because the Son of God OBEYED His Father, the God of the universe, who LOVES us SO SO MUCH. Today He is betrayed, beaten, and crucified. It should have been us. Praise the Lord! For his never-ending love!!
"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.
- Isaiah 53:5 (written 700 years before Jesus)
