Lesson Two – Atonement for The Whole Man
Death entered the world through the fall of man; a spiritual death that separates man from his creator. Death is sin’s unchanging nature, and therefore death has permeated the spirit, soul and body of every man ever born. We discussed in the last lesson that sin has to be judged and atoned for before there can be rescue out of death. This is what has been provided by the salvation of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus came and took human nature upon Himself in order that He might be judged instead of humanity. Untainted by sin, His whole human nature could therefore through death atone for sinful humanity. He died a substitute, suffered all the penalty for sin, and offered His life a ransom for many:
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“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. “(John 5:24)
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The actions of one man, Adam, is judged to be the sin of all men, both present and past, because Adam is humanity’s head from whom all men have come into the world. Similarly, the obedience of one man, Christ, becomes the righteousness of many inasmuch as Christ constitutes the head of a new mankind entered into by a new birth. His judgement is therefore taken as their judgement, and all who trust in Christ shall no longer be judged.
Man is a triune being and the whole man was judged because of the fall. Likewise, Christ would be judged accordingly, and the whole man, spirit, soul and body would suffer and come under judgement. Let’s see how Watchman Nee explains this:
Let us first consider his physical suffering. Man sins through his body and there enjoys the temporary pleasure of sin. The body must accordingly be the recipient of punishment. Who can fathom the physical sufferings of the Lord Jesus on the cross? Are not Christ’s sufferings in the body clearly foretold in the Messianic writings? “They have pierced my hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16). The prophet Zechariah called attention to “him who they have pierced” (12:10). His hands, His Feet, His brow, His side His heart were all pierced by men, pierced by sinful humanity and pierced for sinful humanity. Many were His wounds and high ran His fever for, with the weight of his whole body hanging unsupported on the cross, His blood could not circulate freely. He was extremely thirsty and therefor cried out “My tongue cleaves to my jaw” – “for My thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psalm 22:15, 69:21). The hands must be nailed, for they love to sin. The mouth must suffer, for it loves to sin. The feet must be pierced, for they love to sin. The brow must be crowned with a thorny crown, for it loves to sin. All that the human body needed to suffer was executed upon His body. Thus He suffered physically even to death.
Not His body only, His soul as well, suffered. Human souls have fully enjoyed the pleasure of sins; accordingly in His soul Jesus would endure the pain of sins. How shameful is the punishment of the cross! It was used to execute runaway slaves. A slave had neither property nor rights. His body belonged to his master; he could therefore be punished with the most shameful cross. The Lord Jesus took the place of a slave and was crucified. Isaiah called Him “the servant”; Paul said He took the form of a slave. Yes, as a slave He came to rescue us who are subject to the lifelong bondage to sin and Satan. We are slaves to passion, temper, habits and the world. We are sold to sin. Yet He died because of our slavery and bore our entire shame. He nonetheless “endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2)
His spirit too suffered immensely. The Son of God was holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners. His spirit was united with the Holy Spirit in perfect oneness. Never did there exist a moment of disturbance and doubt, for He always had God’s presence with Him. “It is not I alone,” declared Jesus, “but I and He who sent me…And He who sent Me is with Me” (John 8.16,29). For this reason He could pray, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always.” (John 11.41-42). Nevertheless, while He hung on the cross – and if there ever were a day when the Son of God desperately needed the presence of God it must be that day – He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27.46). Jesus suffered this spiritual separation for us in order that our spirit could return to God.
(The Spiritual Man, Volume I, pages 57-61)
This is what He has accomplished for those who choose to serve Him. This is a believer’s position before the Father:
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“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Rom. 6:5-6)
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Positionally, one who has surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, has been crucified with Christ and no longer is a slave to their own carnal nature, the flesh. This however is seldom the experience for believers. While one may be saved through God’s grace and justified by His Son’s atoning blood, this is yet to be manifested in the life of a believer and his walk before the Lord.