We are crucified with Christ!
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – , ESV
“So, wait, what does that mean, exactly? I mean – crucified, that’s kind of… a bad thing, right? Hung up to die of blood loss and suffocation… I thought that that was why… wait, does this mean i have to actually die the way Christ did in order to be ‘saved?!’ This sounds awful!” said no one in particular, though I’m sure some similar thoughts have been thought by some individual or another, if only not quite as hyperbolic.
The overall question is there though – what does it actually mean to die, to be crucified, with Christ?
To answer that, let’s roll back to the Mosaic times for a moment. What happens throughout all of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy? (Except for a lot of repeated historical accounts. Moses really hammers some of those events home, doesn’t he?) They sacrifice animals. A lot of animals. (, , , , , , , just to name… a few.) As you may recall, some of the sacrifices mentioned in the Mosaic books (the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) were called ‘sin offerings’ and were intended to be given in payment for the sins of the people and individuals giving them.
So – in order to pay for the sins of the people, animals had to die, because the penalty for sin is death. Christ came along, and changed all that for us, though. He, being perfect and without sin, took the weight of our sin, the very penalty for our transgression, upon himself, and died so that we would not have to. To be crucified with Christ means that we have given up our lives to him, that our old ‘self’ has died, and that we become alive in the sacrifice of Christ.
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20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (ESV)
3 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. (ESV)
9 “On the Sabbath day, two male lambs a year old without blemish, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with oil, and its drink offering: (ESV)
11 “At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; (ESV)
19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; (ESV)
27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; (ESV)
2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; (ESV)
8 but you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. (ESV)
13 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish;
Numbers 29:17
17 “On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:20
20 “On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:22
22 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:23
23 “On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:25
25 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:26
26 “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:28
28 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:29
29 “On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:31
31 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.
Numbers 29:32
32 “On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
Numbers 29:34
34 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Numbers 29:35
35 “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work,
Numbers 29:38
38 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. (ESV)