Crystallization-Study of Deuteronomy
Message Eight
Christ—the One Cursed and Hanged on a Tree
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Gal. 3:13-14 Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, “Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree.” In order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
1 Pet. 2:24 Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.
Word of Appetizer
In Deuteronomy 21:22-23 speaks of a criminal could be hanged on a tree, what does the One who was hanged on a tree typify?
The one who was cursed and hanged on the tree was a type of Christ, who was cursed and hanged on the cross to redeem us out of the curse of the law. If in a man there was a sin, a cause worthy of death, and he was put to death and was hanged on a tree, his corpse was not to remain overnight on the tree but had to be buried on that day, for he who was hanged was accursed of God. This was exactly the situation when the Lord Jesus was crucified. He was buried on the day of His crucifixion.
Spiritual Burden
As the seed of Abraham, Christ was made a curse for us “in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”; this promise was fulfilled and this blessing has come to the nations in Christ through His redemption by the cross; the Spirit is the blessing which God promised to Abraham for all the nations and which has been received by the believers through faith in Christ; today our Christian life is a life of receiving the Spirit through faith.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
In Deuteronomy 21:22-23 there is a prophecy that Christ would be the cursed One hanging on a tree; here we have a type of the crucified Christ as the One who was hanged on a tree.
The origin of the curse is man’s sin.
The curse is carried out through the law, for the law administers the curse.
“Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree’”.
As the seed of Abraham, Christ was made a curse for us “in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.
The Experience of Life
As descendants of Adam, all sinners are under the curse; Adam brought us all under the curse. Ultimately, the curse is death; death.
In His humanity as the seed of Abraham, Christ was crucified and became a curse on our behalf to redeem us out of the curse of the law; Christ, the seed of Abraham, has brought God to us and us to God for our enjoyment of God’s blessing.
Practice and Application
The way to receive, experience, and enjoy the all-inclusive Christ as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit—the aggregate of the all-embracing blessing of the full gospel of God: by our receiving of Christ out of the hearing of faith; by being born according to the Spirit and by being given the Spirit of God’s Son into our hearts. By being identified with Him in His death so that it may be no longer we who live but He who lives in us; by living and walking by the Spirit. Today our Christian life is a life of receiving the Spirit through faith.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
Deut. 21:22-23 And if in a man there is a sin, a cause worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree; his corpse shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you must bury him on that day. For he who is hanged is accursed of God…
Rom. 5:17 For if, by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one,…
1 Pet. 2:24 Who Himself bore up our sins in His body on the tree, in order that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose bruise you were healed.
I. In Deuteronomy 21 there is a prophecy that Christ would be the cursed One hanging on a tree
II. The origin of the curse is man’s sin
III. The curse is carried out through the law, for the law administers the curse
- Here we have a type of the crucified Christ as the One who was hanged on a tree; the Lord Jesus was killed by being crucified, that is, by being hanged on a tree, the cross, and He was buried on the day of His crucifixion.
- God brought in the curse after Adam’s sin, saying, “Cursed is the ground because of you”; after Adam sinned, the earth brought forth thorns because of the curse, so thorns are a sign of being cursed.
- The curse was not altogether official until the law was given; the curse, therefore, is related to the law of God, and it is the demand of the righteousness of God upon sinners.
- If we try to keep the law, we will be in the flesh and automatically come under the curse: “As many as are of the works of law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things written in the book of the law to do them’”.
Key Verses (2)
Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is interpreted, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Gal. 3:13 Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, “Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree.”
29 And if you are of Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.
IV. “Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree’”
- On the cross Christ accomplished the great work of bringing us out from the curse of the law, working to bear our sins and to remove the curse.
- Christ Himself “bore up our sins in His body on the tree”.
- When Christ bore our sins, He also took our curse.
- Not only did Christ redeem us out of the curse; He even became a curse on our behalf; this indicates that He was absolutely abandoned by God.
- In His humanity as the seed of Abraham, Christ was crucified and became a curse on our behalf to redeem us out of the curse of the law.
Key Verses (3)
Gen. 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you…; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
Gal. 3:13-14 Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf; because it is written, “Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree.” In order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
V. As the seed of Abraham, Christ was made a curse for us “in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”
- The blessing of Abraham is the blessing promised by God to him for all the nations of the earth.
- This promise was fulfilled and this blessing has come to the nations in Christ through His redemption by the cross.
- The context of Galatians 3:14 indicates that the Spirit is the blessing that God promised to Abraham for all the nations and that has been received by the believers through faith in Christ.
- Today our Christian life is a life of receiving the Spirit through faith.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 The one hanged on a tree is accursed of God (Deut. 21:22-23)
(Please illustrate that the one hanged on a tree in Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is therefore a type of the crucified Christ.)
T2 The Old Testament was written mainly for the sake of Christ (Deut. 21:22-23; 1 Pet. 2:24)
(Please illustrate that the primary purpose of the Old Testament is to portray Christ in various ways by takeing the example of Christ as the One who was hanged on the tree.)
D2
T1 Adam brought us all under the curse (Gen. 3:17b; Rom. 5:12, 17-18)
(Please illustrate that the origin of the curse is man’s sin.)
T2 The curse is carried out through the law, for the law administers the curse (Gal. 3:10)
(Please illustrate that the relationship among sin, the curse and the law.)
D3
T1 “Christ has redeemed us out of the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf” (John 1:29; Gal. 3:10)
(Please illustrate that when Christ bore our sins, He also took our curse. )
T2 God forsook the Slave-Savior because of our sin (Mark 15:33-34)
(Please illustrate that Christ bore our sins and was made sin for us, God, in judging Him as our Substitute, forsook Him economically.)
D4
T1 All nations would be blessed through Abraham’s seed (Gen. 22:17-18; Matt. 1:1; Gal. 3:16)
(Please illustrate that Christ is the seed of Abraham.)
T2 We must be in Christ that we may participate in the promises given to Abraham.(Gal. 3:16)
(Please illustrate that in God’s eyes Abraham has only one seed, Christ.)
D5
T1 In order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:1, 13-14)
(Please illustrate that this promise was fulfilled and this blessing has come to the nations in Christ through His redemption by the cross. )
T2 The Spirit is the blessing which God promised to Abraham for all the nations (Gal. 3:14)
(Please illustrate what is the Spirit.)
D6
T1 In the universe only God Himself is a blessing; all else is vanity of vanities (Eccl. 1:2)
(Please illustrate that the blessing of the gospel is the Spirit, the sum total and the aggregate of the processed Triune God.)
T2 That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:2, 5, 14)
(Please illustrate with experiences that our Christian life is a life of receiving the Spirit through faith.)
