by Robert Searles

Created on: September 27, 2008

WHAT WERE THE CORDS THAT BOUND CHRIST TO THE CROSS?

What man, if he possessed divine, supernatural power, would allow himself to be tortured and put to shame on a pagan cross for a crime he had not committed if he were God, and had the power within himself to destroy the world and set himself free? What cords held Christ to the cross when he could have called legions of angels to set him free?

It was not because he was powerless or friendless. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" Math 26: 53
It was not because of human weakness. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John 10: 17,18"
The binding force that held Christ to the cross was the cords of our sins. He became our substitute, our sin bearer. Someone had to pay the penalty for sin. God so loved the human race that he was willing to take upon himself human flesh so that he could suffer like a man and die as a man. He who was sinless took upon himself the sins of the whole world and bore the reproach of all sinners, and paid the penalty for all the guilty. "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproach of them that reproached thee are fallen on me." Psalm 69:9.
He was wounded for our transgressions. All the brutal treatment, suffering, and shame that Christ bore during his trial and subsequent crucifixion, he suffered as our substitute. We, because of our sin were guilty, and deserved such punishment, but because of his great love for us , he voluntarily offered himself in our place to carry out our death sentence. "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his strips we are healed." Isaiah 53:5. "For he hath make him to be sin for us who knew no sin: that we might be the righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor 5:21.
He was made a curse for us. It was a mark of disgrace for anyone to be crucified and hang on a tree as a means of execution. When Christ was hanging on the cross, he was despised, mocked, and spit upon , and shamefully abused. It was our sin that put him there, and our sin that kept him there, bearing the reproach and shame which should

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