The righteous in place of the guilty. In this exchange, we have a visual demonstration and display of the Gospel itself. We have the innocent Jesus condemned to death for wickedness and we have the unrighteous murderer and insurrectionist Barabbas released as innocent, without charge. What we have here is called substitutionary atonement. That Christ is the means of absolving us from all charges by becoming our substitute. This is The Great Exchange. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.The innocent Jesus bears all the charges of our wickedness, and in exchange, he grants us the declaration of his perfect righteousness.
This is why Paul says in Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Condemnation is the word κατάκριμα, which is the judicial pronouncement of guilt and subsequent punishment upon a person. If you are in Christ. There is no condemnation. You are declared innocent of all charges. How? Because Christ has taken all your charges. And in turn, has released you from condemnation, just as happened with Barabbas.
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