THE GOSPEL: THE GREAT EXCHANGE\
“For our sake He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we
might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
There are certain iconic moments in history that timestamp our lives—things like 9/11, the tragic
death of Kobe Bryant, or the O.J. verdict. These moments seem to be “screenshots” taken by
our consciousness that stay with us forever. We remember where we were and what we were
doing.
March 6, 1999—do you remember where you were and what you were doing? You should. This
was the unforgettable moment in our nation’s history when all-star NHL defenseman Adam Burt
(me) was traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Andrei
Kovalenko. There was an exchange—one player in exchange for another player. (By the way,
none of that All-Star stuff was true—but it’s my blog, so get off me!)
Some 2,000 years ago, there was another trade. Theologians call it “The Great Exchange.” One
man, Jesus, was given over in exchange for the sins of the world. God would pour out His wrath
for our sins—past, present, and future—onto Jesus. We, in turn, would be given the perfect
righteousness of Christ in exchange. It is “the Gospel.” The word gospel literally means “good
news.” I believe it’s the best news possible!
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who believes…” (Romans 1:16)
SALVATION AND THE PROBLEM OF SIN
Do you think a car can have a demon? Theologically, I don’t believe it’s possible. But if it were,
my 2010 Acura MDX definitely had one! I was hit in that car five times. If it wasn’t a demon, it
was some kind of cosmic curse or something. I had been to the local body shop so many times
they knew me by name.
The fourth time I was hit, I was T-boned by a young girl just learning to drive. I felt bad for her,
but c’mon, man! My car limped back to the body shop. I was cordially greeted by the appraiser:
“Welcome back, Mr. Burt,” as if I were returning to my favorite local restaurant or drinking
establishment. After a few weeks, the car was repaired, and I was back on the road again.
I had to pick up a few pastors from LaGuardia Airport and drop them off in Manhattan. I picked
them up in my newly repaired ride and made my way back into the city. Trying to maneuver in
Manhattan can be treacherous—cabs, cars, bikes, and buses are coming at you from all
directions. I arrived safely at the first pastor’s street corner and stopped. He thanked me for the
ride and then proceeded to open the rear door… into oncoming traffic! A cab hit the rear door
and literally wrapped it around to the front of my car!
Have you ever been so angry that you can’t even fake being polite? I was just like, “Bro, get out
of my car and go home!”
I managed to bend the door back into place so I could drive home. The following morning, I
made my way back to the body shop. “Welcome back, Mr. Burt.” Five grand was the estimate to
repair the damage!
Several days later, I met up with the pastor responsible. He apologized again and again and
finally asked, “What can I do to make it right?”
“What can you do to make it right? You can give me five grand!”
“I don’t have five grand,” he replied.
“Well then, I guess there is nothing you can do to make it right.”
You see, somebody has to pay to fix it—and that is the problem with sin. Someone has to pay to
fix it.
JESUS PAYS THE BILL
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
I’ll often hear people ask, “Why can’t God just forgive sin? Why the gruesome brutality of the
Cross?” God does forgive sin, but He can’t just forgive sin. Sin must be paid for, or else God
would be unjust. We want a God of justice sitting on the throne of the universe. An unjust judge
would be untenable.
Imagine the outrage if Larry Nassar, the convicted pedophile who sexually assaulted some 265
young girls, were just randomly set free by a judge who flippantly declared, “I forgive you.” We
would burn that courtroom to the ground. Why? Because it’s unjust.
We love justice—I don’t think it’s even debatable. The last time I checked, there were roughly 70
courtroom TV shows: Divorce Court, The People’s Court, Judge Judy, Judge Wapner, Judge
Brown. Not to mention legal dramas like Law & Order, L.A. Law, Matlock… the list goes on and
on.
We can’t get enough of it—justice. It’s been hardwired into our DNA. I’ll prove it to you even
further. Have you ever been watching a movie where the villain is wicked—I mean really awful?
At the end of the movie, that guy has to die badly, doesn’t he? And if he doesn’t, don’t you feel a
bit unsatisfied? Unfulfilled? That’s your inner sense of justice at work.
But herein lies the problem: when we are sinned against, we want justice. When we sin against
others, you know what we want? Mercy and forgiveness.
What is God to do? He is holy and must do justice, but He is also loving and wants to forgive.
What’s the answer? The Cross of Christ. It’s at the Cross that justice and mercy meet. Jesus
absorbs the righteous wrath of God for us on the cross (justice). He dies so that you and I may
live (forgiveness).
“…but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved
by Him from the wrath of God.” (Romans 5:8–9)
September 29, 2006—Ramadi, Iraq. SEAL Team 3 was deployed to help train Iraqi soldiers.
Delta Platoon was stationed atop a local building to ward off insurgents and keep an eye out for
any rebel activity. The mood was businesslike and quiet as each SEAL Team member went
about his duties.
The quiet was broken by the sound of a loud cry: “GRENADE!” Without hesitation, SEAL Team
3’s Michael Monsoor jumped on top of the live grenade moments before it detonated. The
deadly blast was absorbed by the brave soldier. He died so that the entire team could be saved.
One of the SEAL Team survivors later said, “Mikey looked death in the face and said, ‘You
cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead.’”
Michael’s remains were returned stateside to be laid to rest. What came next was incredibly
powerful. As the wooden casket made its way to the burial site, SEAL Team members dressed
in full uniform were arrayed on either side. As the casket passed by, each member removed his
gold trident pin and placed it on top. One SEAL after another laid down his prized trident as a
sign of unity—a declaration: “What Michael stands for, we stand for.”
When the coffin arrived at its final resting place, it was completely covered in gold.
Michael absorbed death on behalf of his brothers so that they might live. Jesus did the same for
us. In dying, Jesus absorbed death on our behalf, and in rising from the dead, He declared the
“death of death.”
Don’t misunderstand what Jesus is saying—He’s not saying that we won’t ever die. He’s saying
we are safe in death. Because He rose from the dead, we can be confident that we too will one
day rise. Now death is simply a doorway to resurrection and eternal life.