“If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and hung on a tree, 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 21:22-23 NLT).
The Mosaic law said that a criminal hung on a tree is under God’s curse. And for that reason they should not be left hanging on the tree overnight, but buried that same day, so that the land is not defiled. How ironic that the Jewish leaders would break the law by executing an innocent man, yet insist on keeping the law concerning his removal and burial. For that is what they did on the day they crucified Jesus on a Roman cross.
This law explains the motivation behind the Jews’ insistence that Pilate remove the bodies of Jesus and the two thieves from their crosses before sunset. They actually had an even more important reason. For at sunset that day, the Passover Sabbath began and it was a High Sabbath. For the Passover Sabbath fell on the weekly sabbath that year, making it a High Sabbath.
It is significant that the law says that anyone who is executed on a tree is “cursed.” This emphasizes the degree to which Christ took on our sin and death, that he became “a curse” for us. So, the apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13).
I am especially glad on this day that Jesus has removed the curse of sin and death from those who believe in Him. So that the resurrected Lord stands with us saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are in awe of Your love that You would send Your only begotten Son to die for our sins, taking on the curse of sin that we might be forgiven and set free. Thank You. Now we count our old self crucified with Christ, so that we are risen to newness of life with Christ. Strengthen us to walk by His Spirit today. In Jesus’ name, amen.