✝️ The Holy Mystery of Jesus Bearing Our Sin
I want to press into something that many theologians avoid, because it can’t be cleanly systematized. But truth doesn’t live in neat boxes. Truth lives on a cross.
Have you ever sensed something about the timing of the weight of sin, placed on Him during the moment of greatest suffering, and why He came to know the full darkness of our sin? Was it simply to bear a payment for God’s vengeance, redirected onto Him? Or could there be another reason? Could it be that He needed to discover how to individually unroot sin in each of us, personally, by entering into it? At that moment did he determine what is needed to touch each heart individually and personally in such a way, that it would turn us away from sin, if only we chose to believe?
1. “He made him who knew no sin, to be sin…” (2 Cor. 5:21)
Let’s look again:
“He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Notice:
- Jesus knew no sin — complete purity, never having tasted the shame, confusion, or horror of it.
- But He was made to be sin — not just bear sin like a backpack, but become it in some mysterious, relational, and cosmic sense.
That word “made” (Greek: ἐποίησεν / epoiēsen) doesn’t suggest payment—it’s about identity, transformation.
And what is sin, if not the total inversion of God’s nature? Selfishness, pride, betrayal, fear, violence, lust, murder, deception—everything that breaks the image of God.
Jesus was immersed into that. He tasted the full reality of what sin is and what it does, while still never committing it.
2. Why During the Pain?
It was an expression of love, to us.
Pain creates vulnerability
Pain strips away every surface layer until only the core self remains. It’s raw. Unfiltered. When you reach that breaking point—when you’ve given all you have and still press on, deeper into the dark where nothing is left—something is revealed—your true essence.
Jesus did this.
Imagine Jesus—who never knew guilt, shame, confusion, malice—suddenly being injected with the full psychic and spiritual weight of human sin. And not just one man’s sin, but every man’s sin. In that moment:
- Betrayal.
- Abuse.
- Rape.
- Racism.
- Self-hatred.
- Suicide.
- Mass murder.
- Secret lust.
- Arrogance.
- Shame.
All of it, inside the mind of a sinless man. While every nerve in his body screamed in pain. It’s not just that Jesus was suffering physically. It’s that while his body was being torn open, his spirit was being infiltrated by the dark disease of sin—our sin.
Yet, He loved us.
He emptied Himself until nothing remained but love. He didn’t speak with just words—on that cross he spoke love with all His heart, all of His mind, all of His soul, and all of His strength. He was demonstrating His love for us. He was petitioning us to trust him, based on this love.
He was saying:
Look at Me. I love you. Can’t you see?
I know your sin and I carry it.
I will endure it for you. I will suffer, for you.
Because I am love, and I love you.
I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I will never quit. I never fail.
My love for you will never fail.
You can trust Me, for I am Truth.
You can find life in Me, for I am the Light of Life.
I am the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for you, and I am the Son of God who raises it back up again.
I did this for you—and for the hope that you would choose to return to Me.
3. Why Did God Do It Then?
Because the pain, the vulnerability, the exposure—these are the conditions in which Jesus, fully man and fully God, would confront the problem of sin from within the human experience.
It wasn’t just: “I’ll carry it and throw it away.”
It was: “I will enter into it, understand it, taste it, suffer under it—and from that place of full knowledge, I will now offer the only real cure: myself.”
It is from this place of full knowledge that He works in us—within the bounds of our free will—to transform our lives by transforming our hearts, not only individually but throughout the world, in both good and bad circumstances, working good for those who love Him.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” –Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And here’s the stunning mystery: He could only truly empathize with us and understand the inner bondage of sin by feeling it from the inside, without ever committing it.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin.” — Hebrews 4:15
So yes—the pain was necessary, not because God needed a “pound of flesh,” but because only perfect love could walk through the fire of sin and emerge unburned, holding out a hand to us and saying:
“I know. I understand. I can carry this for you. But you must trust me.“
4. He Couldn’t Remove What He Didn’t Know
Jesus, in his humanity, could only transform what He had entered into and confronted.
- He didn’t “pay” for sin like a banker.
- He entered sin like a surgeon walking into an an infectious disease ward with no mask.
- He took the disease into his body. Not as a sinner—but as a Redeemer.
And in doing so, He unlocked the mechanism of healing. Not by brute force, but by loving unto death.
“He disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” — Colossians 2:15
He disarmed evil, not with swords, but with unbreakable love.
5. And the Key? Free Will Love
This healing is not automatic. That’s the other part:
He takes away the sin of the world, but only for those who trust him.
Why? Because Jesus is not a cosmic janitor. He is a King looking for voluntary love.
He doesn’t force healing. He says:
“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened…”
“If anyone hears my voice and opens the door…”
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves…”
Only when we choose to trust—to follow, to surrender—does His cleansing power enter our life and begin to remove the sin from the inside.
Final Thought: He Saw It All. And Still Said, “Forgive Them.”
This is something that can only be revealed by the Spirit.
It’s not about punishment. It’s about intimacy. It’s not about wrath. It’s about compassion. It’s not about payment. It’s about knowing—so He could heal.
He had to see it all, feel it all, and still love.
And only from that place could He say with unshakable authority:
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
And the ones who hear that cry and say,
“Yes, Lord. I believe you. I trust you.”
—they’re the ones whose sin is truly taken away.
This one line—“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)—is like a diamond. The more you turn it in the light, the more layers you see.
Let’s look at this through different angles to understand who Jesus meant by “them”, and what He was truly saying in that moment of agony and divine clarity.
1. On the Surface: The Roman Soldiers
At face value, Jesus is speaking about the ones physically crucifying Him—the Roman executioners.
- These men were gambling for His clothes.
- They had mocked and beaten Him.
- They were nailing Him to the cross.
They were following orders, probably numb to cruelty by years of desensitization. They didn’t understand who He was.
They were doing their job. Brutally.
And in that moment, Jesus intercedes—not for justice, but for mercy.
He’s modeling what He taught:
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
— Matthew 5:44
So yes, He meant them.
2. More Deeply: The Jewish Leaders and the Mob
The Sanhedrin, Pharisees, and the stirred-up crowd had:
- Demanded His crucifixion.
- Shouted “Crucify Him!”
- Chosen Barabbas, a murderer, instead of the Author of Life.
And yet—Jesus says, “They don’t know what they’re doing.”
Even though they thought they were doing right, they were blind. Spiritually blind. Hardened. Deceived.
This echoes what Peter would later say:
“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.”
— Acts 3:17
So yes, He meant them too.
3. On a Cosmic Level: All of Humanity
Go further. In a very real sense, you and I were part of that “them.”
It was our sin that held Him there. It was our blindness that failed to recognize Him. It was our rebellion that made the cross necessary.
But even in that, Jesus says:
“They don’t know what they’re doing.”
He sees us through compassion, not condemnation.
This connects back to Isaiah 53:
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
So yes, in the most expansive and beautiful way—He meant us.
4. On a Prophetic Level: The Nature of Divine Mercy
What Jesus says is intercession.
He’s not just forgiving them—He’s petitioning the Father on their behalf.
This is priestly.
This is what Moses did on Mount Sinai after the people worshiped the golden calf:
“But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
— Exodus 32:32
It’s what Stephen would echo as he was being stoned:
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” — Acts 7:60
Jesus is fulfilling His role as the ultimate High Priest—standing in the gap for sinners who don’t yet see the truth.
So who is the “them”?
It’s the soldiers.
It’s the crowd.
It’s the religious leaders.
It’s you.
It’s me.
It’s every blind soul still crucifying truth in their ignorance.
And here’s the miracle:
He said it before anyone repented.
He said it while they were still mocking.
He said it without condition.
Because that’s who He is.
“God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8
Can we pinpoint the moment when all the sin of the world was placed on Jesus while He hung on the cross?
Scripture doesn’t say it explicitly in terms like “at this exact second, sin was transferred,” but what Jesus said on the cross, combined with the sequence of events, gives us very strong clues.
Let’s walk through His words—His seven last sayings—in chronological order, and examine what likely happened before and after the moment sin was laid upon Him.
Jesus’ Seven Last Sayings on the Cross (Chronological Order)
- “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
— Luke 23:34
(Spoken early, while being nailed to the cross) - “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
— Luke 23:43
(Spoken to the repentant thief) - “Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.”
— John 19:26–27
(Spoken to Mary and John) - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
— Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34
(Spoken in the final three hours of darkness, fulfilling Psalm 22) - “I thirst.”
— John 19:28
(Spoken shortly before death, fulfilling Psalm 69:21) - “It is finished.”
— John 19:30
(Spoken at the moment of completion) - “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
— Luke 23:46
(Spoken as He breathed His last)
Crucifixion Timeline
According to the Gospels:
- Jesus was crucified at the third hour (9 a.m.) — Mark 15:25
- Darkness covered the land from the sixth hour to the ninth hour (12 p.m. to 3 p.m.) — Mark 15:33
- Jesus died around the ninth hour (3 p.m.) — Mark 15:34–37
So When Was the Sin Placed on Him?
The best indication we have is that it happened sometime before or during the three hours of darkness, likely climaxing at the moment He cried out:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
— Matthew 27:46
Let’s break it down:
Before That Cry (First 3 Hours):
- Jesus is interceding for others.
- He’s offering forgiveness.
- He’s making arrangements for His mother.
- There is no indication of separation or darkness.
This suggests that, up to this point, Jesus is still consciously connected to the Father, still operating in mercy, and not yet bearing the full weight of sin.
Then… Darkness Falls (12–3 p.m.):
“From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.” — Matthew 27:45
This darkness is not metaphorical—it was a cosmic, supernatural sign. A veil covering the horror of what was happening.
The physical sun darkened, just as the Light of the World was being eclipsed by sin.
This is likely the moment when God placed the sins of the world upon Him.
And at the climax of that three-hour agony, Jesus cries:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
This is the only time in all of Scripture Jesus doesn’t call God “Father.”
It’s a cry of abandonment, echoing Psalm 22.
Not because the Father hated Him—but because Jesus was now standing in our place, experiencing our separation, feeling the full isolation of sin.
This is the moment of bearing sin.
Not just symbolically—but existentially.
After That Cry:
“I thirst.”
— He fulfills prophecy (Psalm 69), still showing awareness of Scripture.
“It is finished.”
— In Greek: “Tetelestai” = It is completed, perfected, fulfilled.
This is the triumph cry, not one of defeat. It doesn’t mean “I’m done suffering.” It means:
“The mission is accomplished. The sin is carried. The victory is sealed.”
Then finally:
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
Notice: He calls God “Father” again.
The separation is over. The sin-bearing work is done.
Summary: The Most Likely Timeline
- Before 12 p.m. — Jesus is still unburdened by sin, interceding and forgiving.
- From 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. — The sins of the world are placed on Him. Darkness falls. The Father withdraws His face. Jesus experiences the crushing isolation and weight of sin.
- Around 3 p.m. — He cries out in spiritual agony: “Why have you forsaken me?”
- Immediately after — He finishes the work, declares it complete, and returns to the Father.
Final Thought: The Silence Between the Sayings
There’s a deep mystery in those three hours of darkness where Jesus says nothing—except that one soul-ripping cry.
This silence may be the most profound period in human history:
- It was the moment sin met holiness, and holiness didn’t run away.
- It was the moment the Son of God entered the abyss—and brought light with Him.
- It was the moment love bore everything that evil could throw—and overcame it.
So the answer is:
The sin was placed on Him sometime between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., most clearly culminating in His cry of abandonment.
Everything He said before that was pure light. Everything after it was redemption.
🕊️ Is There Evidence, According to Jesus (and OT prophecy), That His Death Was a Payment or Substitution for Sin?
Let’s separate what Jesus actually said from how later theology interprets it. Then we’ll cross-reference it with Old Testament prophecies He affirmed or fulfilled.
🧩 1. Did Jesus Ever Say His Death Was a “Payment”?
The only place Jesus used a transactional term is in:
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
— Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28
Greek word for “ransom”: λύτρον (lutron)
- Literally: a price for release, as in freeing a slave or captive.
- It doesn’t necessarily imply payment to God, Satan, or wrath—it means the act that sets someone free.
📌 What it means:
Jesus saw His death as the way to liberate those enslaved by sin—not to “settle a debt,” but to break chains.
⚖️ 2. Did Jesus Say He Was Substituting Himself?
The clearest potential allusion is in the Last Supper:
“This is my body given for you… This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
— Luke 22:19–20, Matthew 26:28
He is clearly saying:
- “For you” → on your behalf.
- “Poured out… for the forgiveness of sins” → echoes sacrificial blood of the old covenant (Leviticus 17:11).
📌 What it means:
Yes, Jesus connects His death to the idea of offering His life in place of others, like a sacrificial lamb.
But even here, it’s covenantal, relational, not courtroom or penal.
📖 3. What OT Prophecies Did Jesus Fulfill?
a) Isaiah 53 – The Suffering Servant
“He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities… the punishment that brought us peace was on him.”
— Isaiah 53:5
“The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” — v6
“He poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors.” — v12
Jesus affirmed this prophecy applied to Him (see Luke 22:37: “this must be fulfilled in me”).
📌 What it means:
Isaiah prophesied a substitutionary suffering—not to appease wrath, but to bring healing and peace.
“By his wounds we are healed” — not “God’s wrath was satisfied,” but “we were restored.”
🔥 4. Did Jesus Ever Use Legal/Penal Language?
Surprisingly—He didn’t.
- No talk of “taking punishment.”
- No reference to “wrath being satisfied.”
- No language of “appeasing” or “settling accounts.”
Instead, He said:
“And I, when I am lifted up… will draw all people to myself.” — John 12:32
“I lay down my life… I have the authority to lay it down and take it up again.” — John 10:17–18
He viewed the cross as:
- An invitation, not a transaction.
- A display of love, not a divine bank transfer.
- A glory, not merely a sentence served.
🧬 5. Jesus and the Passover Lamb Imagery
When Jesus died, it was during Passover.
Paul would later say: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Cor. 5:7)
What was the Passover lamb?
- Not punished in place of Israel.
- Not satisfying wrath.
- But its blood marked trust—and those who believed were spared.
📌 What it means:
Jesus may be the Passover Lamb, but the function of the Lamb was not payment—it was covering, rescue, and a call to trust.
✅ Was His Death a Payment or Substitution According to Jesus?
✔ Ransom (lutron)?
Yes—but not to pay off wrath. It’s about setting free.
✔ Substitution?
Yes—but in the sacrificial, relational, restorative sense—not a courtroom punishment model. He gave His life “for us,” but not to satisfy God’s anger. Rather, to liberate us from sin by entering its full weight and defeating it.
✔ Old Testament support?
Strongly. Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and Passover imagery all point to one who suffers on behalf of others, but the focus is always restoration, not appeasement.
❌ Did Jesus frame it as a payment to satisfy wrath?
No.
That is later theology (especially from Anselm and Calvin). Jesus spoke of trust, love, ransom, freedom, and invitation.
🕊️ The Beautiful Mystery
Jesus’ death is not merely substitution, but revelation:
- Revealing how dangerous sin is (it kills Love).
- Revealing how deep God’s love is (He still forgives).
- Revealing the true path to life (Follow Me).
“No one takes my life from me… I lay it down of my own accord.” — John 10:18
He didn’t die to satisfy God.
He died to rescue you and reveal God—so that, seeing Him, you would believe and be healed.
THE CRY
A Deeper Look into the Most Mysterious Words Ever Spoken from the Cross
“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”
This cry from Jesus is one of the most mysterious, heart-wrenching, and deeply revealing moments in all of Scripture:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
— Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34
(Greek: “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”)
This is a direct quotation from Psalm 22:1. By quoting the first verse, Jesus is calling attention to the entire psalm. He is saying, essentially:
“This… what you’re seeing now… this is Psalm 22. This is happening. Right now. I am the afflicted one”
📜 Psalm 22:1–24 (Selected Verses for Full Picture)
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.”14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet.17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.24 For He has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
He has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
✨ Jesus Cried on Behalf of Humanity — Not Just Himself
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
— Matthew 27:46, Psalm 22:1
This cry was intercession. He was not simply speaking for Himself, but on behalf of every soul who has ever felt abandoned, condemned, or unworthy because of sin.
- He became the voice of all humanity, crying out in the darkness.
- He said what we have all said—or feared to say: “God, where are You in my pain? Where are You in my guilt?”
And yet, He trusted, even in that forsaken moment.
🌅 He Knew the Rest of Psalm 22 Was True
“He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one;
He has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.”
— Psalm 22:24
In other words:
- Though it felt like forsakenness, it was not abandonment.
- The Father never turned away in anger—He listened. He received the burden.
- Jesus approached the Father with our sin, and the Father received it.
This is what He showed us—and it’s absolutely profound.
🛤️ Jesus Made a Path for Us
By bearing sin into the presence of God—Jesus:
- Didn’t just “take it away”—He brought it into the light.
- Didn’t just suffer in isolation—He stood in the gap.
- Didn’t die to convince the Father to love us—He died to reunite us with the Father, who loved us all along.
This is why He said:
“It is finished.” — John 19:30
What was finished?
✔ The power of sin to separate.
✔ The lie that we are abandoned.
✔ The weight of guilt that says God won’t listen.
✔ The closed door between us and the Father.
🕊️ Now Anyone Who Trusts Him Has Access
“Through him we… have access to the Father by one Spirit.” — Ephesians 2:18
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence…” — Hebrews 4:16
Why?
Because Jesus went before us. He carried the worst of us into the presence of the Father, and said:
“Here is all of their sin.
Here is their brokenness.
And here is my blood, shed in love.
Let them come.”
💡 Final Thought
In sum, He carried our sin to the Father, placed it in front of Him, and made a path for us.
The cross was not an execution.
It was a high priest entering the Holy of Holies, with all of humanity on His shoulders.
He was never truly forsaken.
And neither are you.
A Poem to Reflect:
“He Carried It All the Way”
Darkness fell at midday sun,
The sky went black, the world undone.
Creation held its shattered breath,
As Love hung bleeding, tasting death.
He bore no sin—yet wore our stain,
Each guilty thought, each hidden shame.
The curse of every wicked choice,
Now trembled in the Savior’s voice:
“My God, my God, why leave Me so?”
The weight of sin, the depths below.
A cry not born of faithless fear,
But spoken so that all might hear.
He spoke for those who’ve walked alone,
Who whispered, “God, have You withdrawn?”
For every soul in silent night,
He gave their grief a voice, a light.
He felt forsaken—not because
The Father’s love had slipped or paused,
But He who knew no sin became
The vessel for our guilt and shame.
And in that pain—He knew the rest.
The psalm not ending in protest:
“He has not turned His face away;
He heard my cry. He made a way.”
So Jesus bore our sin inside,
And to the Father did not hide.
He held it out—our broken soul—
And let His blood make sinners whole.
He didn’t die to beg God’s grace—
He brought our need before His face.
The veil was torn. The judgment passed.
He made a way back home at last.
So now for those who call His name,
Whose trust is deeper than their shame,
Who see the cross and drop their pride—
They’ll find the door flung open wide.
Jesus, thank you for all that you have done for us. I love you. ❤️