Christ Was Numbered with the Transgressors

It is astounding that the Scriptures tell us Christ was numbered with the transgressors. That is, He was counted amongst the rebellious.

Surely, the wicked world declared Him a sinner, though without just cause. He received sinners, and ate with them! He wrought His miracles by the devil's power. He blasphemed the temple. At His trial, He was convicted of calling Himself Messiah. And at Calvary, He was strung up between two criminals.

But most importantly, the Lord Jesus was counted a sinner by God Himself in the judgment at the cross. All through Scripture is the proof that Christ had our sins laid upon Him by God and had them judged in His body as though He Himself were guilty of them all. He shifted our blame off onto Himself, that we might go free!

All the similes we use to describe what Christ did at Calvary fail us. Even His being God's Lamb falls short, for whoever considered a lamb as morally guilty?

Yet Christ was treated as guilty of our sin in the judgment. Unlike a little lamb, our Lord Jesus knew our sin, and knew the awful judgment for moral guiltiness, which He took on Himself. He felt not merely the physical pain of judgment, but the knowledge of moral guiltiness under judgment. His Father turned His back upon Him as he bore our sin!

Two Psalms, Psalm 40 and Psalm 69, describe our Savior in the death He died. Both of them contain frank statements by Christ personally owning the guilt of His people.

But the same text that proclaims His numbering with sinners also proclaims His intercession for us!

Our Lord Jesus knows personally the terror of being treated by God as guilty. What better advocate could we have then He!