What does "He made Him who knew no sin" reveal about Jesus' nature? The Gripping Declaration of 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Sinless from Eternity: What “Knew No Sin” Affirms • Absolute moral purity—Jesus never committed, approved, nor desired sin. • Complete experiential separation from sin—He faced temptation yet never yielded (Hebrews 4:15). • Unblemished humanity—truly human, yet without the inherited corruption that marks Adam’s race (1 John 3:5). • Divine impeccability—only God is perfectly holy; Christ’s sinlessness unveils His full deity (Hebrews 1:3). Old Covenant Shadows Pointing to His Purity • Passover lambs had to be “without blemish” (Exodus 12:5); Jesus fulfills the type (1 Peter 1:19). • Isaiah’s Servant: “He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). • Priestly sacrifices demanded flawless offerings; Christ is the flawless offering. Witnesses in the New Covenant • John 8:46—Jesus challenges His opponents: “Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin?” • 1 Peter 2:22—“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” • 1 John 3:5—“In Him there is no sin.” • Apostolic preaching consistently presents a Savior unstained by evil, able to take on ours. Sinlessness and the Nature of God the Son • Holiness is an essential attribute of God; Jesus shares that attribute completely. • Immutability—His nature cannot change; therefore His purity never wavered. • Authority—only One untouched by sin can conquer it and grant righteousness. Perfect Substitute, Perfect High Priest • Because He “knew no sin,” He alone could be “made…sin on our behalf,” bearing the curse without personal guilt. • As High Priest, He enters God’s presence for us, His spotless life securing eternal acceptance (Hebrews 7:26-27). • The transfer: our sin imputed to Him, His righteousness imputed to us—possible only if His record is perfectly clean. Living in Light of the Sinless Christ • Confidence—our standing rests on His flawless nature, not our performance. • Worship—His purity draws wholehearted adoration and awe. • Imitation—though not sinless in ourselves, we pursue holiness, empowered by the One who is (1 Peter 1:15-16). |
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