Galatians 3:13—“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”
Here we behold the very heart of the gospel, where justice and mercy meet at the cross. Paul speaks plainly: the law pronounces a curse upon every sinner, for God’s holy standard demands perfect obedience. The law is good and righteous, but because of our sin, it exposes our guilt and condemns us. Left to ourselves, we stand under its curse, deserving judgment of God, unable to save ourselves.
Into this hopeless condition, Christ stepped willingly. “Christ hath redeemed us”. Redemption is the language of rescue and ransom. It tells us that we were not merely corrected or improved, but bought out of our spiritual bondage at a great cost. That cost was Christ Himself.
Paul then unfolds the wonder of substitution: Christ was “made a curse for us”. He did not become sinful, but He took the place of sinners. On the cross, He bore the full weight of the curse our disobedience deserved. The Scripture Paul quotes, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (cf. Deuteronomy 21:22–23), points us unmistakably to Calvary. The cross was no accident of history, but God’s appointed altar, where the Son of God, as our substitute, endured divine judgment for us.
Here we see the seriousness of sin and the greatness of God’s redeeming love. The curse due to us was borne by Christ. Justice was not ignored, but satisfied by His obedience unto death. And mercy was not withheld, but freely and lavishly poured out through Him.
This verse calls us to humility and rest. We do not work to escape the curse; Christ has already redeemed us from it. For the weary conscience and the trembling believer, Galatians 3:13 offers deep comfort: the curse is gone, the price is paid, and the blessing of grace now rests upon all who trust in Christ.
