The Goal is Whole: Who am I? W3: Exchange at the Cross

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W3 Headline

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:8-10).

The word “salvation” here is the Greek word “sozo”, which means rescue or safety, and includes deliver, health, salvation, protect, heal, preserve, do well, to be (make) whole (Strong’s dictionary). All of this is made available to us in the new creation, because of the complete work of the cross, and the great "exchange" that took place there

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Today we will explore what the central event of Jesus dying on the cross reveals about our new identity. We will explore what was happening, and what this has opened up for us now in the new creation.

Entering new life in Jesus is often referred to as being “saved”. Many understand this to mean having sins forgiven, and being given a place in heaven when we die. This is true for sure, but salvation also includes a lot more than that, as we will discover today. But how does this salvation happen? How does it work?

Salvation

Salvation comes through the “Word”, specifically the word of faith, which is what Paul said he was preaching. The Word of faith is the gospel of Christ.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

Agreeing with the word of faith, and aligning with its truth, is a heart and mouth issue. In the heart we believe (this is a choice), and with the mouth we confess (we agree, align, and speak).

So, in addition to receiving forgiveness of sins and a place in heaven when we die, salvation includes all aspects of abundant life in the new creation. The Scriptures use sozo to cover many different aspects of salvation. In the following passages, the words in bold type are all the word “sozo” in the Greek:

In Matthew 14:36, those touching the hem of Jesus’ garment were cured (sozo). So salvation includes healing from sickness.

In Luke 8:36 a man was delivered of many demons, and it states that he was made well (sozo). So salvation includes deliverance from demons.

In Luke 8:48 a woman with a longstanding issue of blood touched Jesus’ garment and the blood stopped, with Jesus telling her, “Your faith has made you well (sozo). So salvation includes freedom from chronic bleeding.

In Luke 8:50, Jesus was told of a child who had died that He said would be made well (sozo). When Jesus arrived he brought her back to life, so being raised from the dead is part of salvation too.

In Acts 3, Peter and John had brought healing to a crippled man outside the temple. Then, giving account to the religious leaders, Peter referred to him as being made well (sozo). Salvation includes restoring a cripple and strengthening withered limbs.

As Peter explained that this healing was through the name of Jesus, he declared, “There is salvation (sozo) in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (sozo).” Healing is part of salvation in the name of Jesus.

Nearing the end of his earthly life, Paul wrote to Timothy saying,

“The Lord will rescue (sozo) me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:18)

So salvation also includes being rescued (or preserved) for the heavenly kingdom beyond this life.

The Cross of Christ

All that we are exploring in what salvation includes was established by Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus Himself spoke about this shortly before His arrest. This was to be no ordinary death!

“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” (John 12:31-33).

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all.” (Romans 6:10)

He died for the whole human race! His death was substitutionary. In other words, He died in our place, effectively taking on Himself our fallen state in the old creation, with all its sin and consequences. He took it all into death and then emerged into resurrection life, qualified to impart the victory of the new creation life! But this is not just a theology. In eternal terms Jesus drew every person to Himself on the cross. He literally died our death, so that we can fully and powerfully identify with all He did for us there.

This is what we call the exchange at the cross. On Himself He took all the fallen-ness of man, and in exchange released to us all the glory and life He carries. Jesus identified with us in our need, and now we can identify with Him in His perfect provision.

Although this exchange is fully revealed through the New Testament, Isaiah described it more than 600 years before it happened:

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the Lord was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:4-12J

In that incredible passage, Isaiah laid out many aspects of the salvation Jesus purchased. Look at all the bold text! He paid the price for it all, for all of us. And He knew it, because that was why He came. What a savior!

From the cross, immediately before He offered up His spirit, He uttered this cry, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The word He used literally means “paid in full”. He paid the price for full salvation for all of us.

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14).

Who we are

Here are some powerful revelations from the exchange that took place on the cross. These are vital realities in our new creation identity:

Jesus was punished so that we might be forgiven

“in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14)

Jesus was wounded so that we might be healed

“For by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24)

Jesus was made sin so that we might be made righteous

“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24)

Jesus experienced death that we might receive eternal life

“Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” (See 1 Thessalonians 5:10)

Jesus became cursed so that we might be blessed

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Jesus became poor that we might become rich

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Jesus embraced shame so that we might receive glory

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God...” (Hebrews 12:2)

“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.” (Acts 2:33)

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Jesus experienced rejection so that we might become accepted

“At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34)

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19)

What a list!

We have forgiveness, healing, righteousness, eternal life, blessing, riches, glory, and acceptance. This is our new identity!

Jesus took on Himself the whole weight of the fallen race, so that we might receive His fullness in the new creation.

“And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)

Let us engage this phenomenal exchange at the cross, and embrace our new creation identity in all its fullness!