God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NET
This verse is the gospel in a nutshell. Yet it is a densely packed and challenging nutshell, describing a transaction God made on our behalf—a sacrifice of atonement. This transaction had two parts: God’s action on our behalf and the result of that action.
What did God do for us? He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us. While not specially named in this verse, the one who did not know sin was Jesus. Jesus was without sin, yet God made him to be sin for us.
Becoming Sin for Us
How did Jesus become sin for us? Did he somehow become sinful? Leviticus 16 can help us to understand this. This chapter describes the Day of Atonement, an annual sacrifice made to atone for the sins of the people. A sacrifice that looked forward to what is described in this verse.
This sacrifice involved several animals. One of these animals was named the scapegoat. The high priest would place his hands on the head of the scapegoat and then send it into the wilderness, bearing the sins of the congregation (Lev. 16:20-22).
This goat did not become sinful, but it did bear the sins of the people. Similarly, Jesus did not become sinful, but he was made to carry our sins.
The result of this transaction was that, with our sins transferred to the one who knew no sin, we might become the righteousness of God. God exchanged our sin for his righteousness.
Becoming the Righteousness of God
However, the result of this transaction is not for everyone. Paul says that in him, in Christ, we become the righteousness of God. He mirrors this in Romans 3:21-22 where he says that “this righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” So, only those who believe in the Lord Jesus are given the righteousness of God.
God offered Jesus as a spotless sacrifice to atone for our sins. God made the sacrifice, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Nothing we can do will add to what God has done for us. And that is why Paul could tell the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31 NET).