The Scripture we read comes from Galatians 3:13-14. Let me briefly introduce what these verses are about.

We are people who believe in Jesus. Or some of you have come to a church where people believe in Jesus. So then, who is Jesus? He is the One who was cursed. That sounds unfamiliar, doesn’t it? And a bit unexpected, right? You’ve come to church to believe in Jesus, and yet what you hear is that Jesus was cursed. That sounds strange, doesn’t it? You might even ask, “Why would you believe in someone who was cursed? Why would you follow such a person as your Lord?”

And how can we know that He was cursed? It is because He died on a cross. That alone tells us—that was a curse. His death took place about two thousand years ago. At that time, the region of Palestine—what is now the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, the land of Israel—was under Roman rule. Under Roman law, the most severe and humiliating form of execution was crucifixion. The one who was crucified was Jesus Christ. But not everyone who was sentenced to death was crucified. The cross was a wooden structure shaped like a “+,” where a person was hung and left to die slowly.

How long did it take for a person to die once they were hung on a cross? For some, it took three days. For others, it could take a whole week. Just imagine how unbearable that suffering must be. The hands and feet were nailed, and this caused them to bleed out slowly. And they were unable to drink water or eat any food. For days, they had to endure terrible pain that pierced deep into their bodies. It was also utterly shameful. Everyone passing by could see them. People would say, “What kind of family is that person from? Tsk, tsk…how pitiful!” “I heard he’s someone’s son.” They became the object of mockery. “He was doing well back then, but look at him now.” Or, “He got what he deserved! Our family must never end up like that.” That was the punishment of the cross. It was a public execution. Even today, in some parts of the world, we may have heard that people are still executed in public using brutal methods. Crucifixion was that kind of execution. And the One we believe in—our Savior Jesus—died in that way.

Some might find it strange, thinking, “There are so many people in the world—but why would anyone worship someone like that as their Savior?” There are even people who say, “Koreans should believe in a Korean god. Why would you believe in a god from Israel, of all places?” Others go even further, saying, “Jesus is just a shaman! Just like we have shamans in Korea, He was just a shaman active in the region of Israel.” Why, then, has this Man—who was misunderstood, despised, and finally crucified in such a terrible way—become the object of our faith? Isn’t that a remarkable thing? Are we Christians out of our minds? There must be a reason. There must be something that makes it worth following the One who died such a death on the cross—even now, two thousand years later.

In fact, crucifixion was the most brutal and extreme form of execution. But what came just before that? There was another kind of punishment—one that didn’t immediately result in death but was still terribly cruel. That was scourging. Among the Romans, there were several types of whips used for scourging. These were made of leather, and when they were swung and struck a person’s body, the whip would tear into the skin. The long leather would wrap around the body, ripping into the flesh, and blood would pour out. To inflict even more pain, metal hooks were sometimes attached to the tips of the whip, or pieces of bone were embedded throughout it. There were many different types of such whips.

Jesus also received that kind of punishment—He was scourged with those very whips. But why? Why would they beat someone who was about to be crucified the next day? Someone who was already going to die? In fact, this was highly unusual. Normally, those sentenced to die by crucifixion were not treated that way. Think about it: if someone were scheduled for execution tomorrow, would people curse him, mock him, and treat him harshly today? No. Usually, people treat them well. They give them a good meal—their favorite food—as a final act of kindness. And it was the same even two thousand years ago during the Roman era. If someone was going to die anyway, they wouldn’t lay a hand on him.

But Jesus was scourged before He was crucified. It was the most painful form of punishment short of death. Why did that happen? ‘The people of Israel at that time—also known as the Jews, and still known as Jews today—begged the Roman governor to have Jesus killed. And not just begged—they demanded it. The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, looked at Jesus and saw that He was innocent. Though the people accused Him and demanded His death, Pilate didn’t believe in God, yet even he could see that Jesus wasn’t guilty of any real crime. From his view, the Jews were not trying to kill Jesus because He had broken any criminal or civil law, but simply because of a disagreement about their faith. So Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man.” He didn’t want to put Jesus to death.

Furthermore, after questioning Jesus, Pilate noticed that Jesus barely said anything. But still, there was something about Him. Pilate said, “Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” But Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.” Hold on moment—shouldn’t He be trying to gain favor with Pilate? Pilate had the authority to release Him. But Jesus didn’t fear Pilate at all. So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. It is not from here—it comes from heaven.” Then He added, “I came to bear witness to the truth!” There was something clearly different about Him—something far beyond a certain level. On top of that, Pilate’s wife had a dream the night before. It was a troubling dream, and it left her with a deep sense of unease. So she pleaded with her husband, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” Because of this, Pilate in every way could to avoid sentencing Jesus to death.

But then the Jews crowded in, demanding that Jesus be put to death. The protests we see today are nothing. It was about to turn into a full-blown riot. Tens of thousands were shouting to demand that Jesus be crucified. And if a riot broke out, Pilate knew his political position would be dangerous.

In that situation, he kept trying to save Jesus. He really tried, but nothing worked. In the end, he turned to one last option. And that option was to have Jesus scourged. The one who was scourged—his appearance would become unrecognizable. They didn’t choose where to strike. The victim would be completely stripped, and they would whip him all over his body. It wasn’t a quick beating that ended after a few lashes. They kept whipping until he was almost dead. The whip would tear across his face, his body, even his head. After the scourging, the person would be swollen, bleeding, and barely recognizable. And this is what Jesus went through. Why? To save Him. To keep Him from being killed. Pilate thought, “If I punish Him this severely—maybe they’ll stop demanding His death,” and he ordered that Jesus be scourged.

So the soldiers scourged Jesus and brought Him back. They dressed Him in a purple robe—like a king’s robe—and Pilate said, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you. Behold the Man!” What he meant was that Jesus was now so disfigured that they could hardly recognize Him. It was as if he was saying, “Take a look. This is the Man. This is the One you brought to me. Just look at Him—do you still want Him dead? Isn’t this enough?”

But the Jews cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified! Let Him be crucified!” They said, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” They struck Pilate at his most vulnerable point. At that moment, Pilate must have thought, “These Jews are so determined. Unbelievable!” So he finally said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” And he took water and washed his hands before the people. It was his way of saying that he would not take responsibility. To that, the Jews replied, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!”

Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to them. Jesus—already scourged, humiliated, and broken—was now led away to be crucified. Normally, those who were crucified could remain alive for several days—some even up to a week. But Jesus died within just a few hours. Why? Because He had already lost too much blood. The pain was so severe that He went into shock—completely drained. That’s why He died so quickly.

The next day was the Sabbath—a holy day for the Jews. So it was not permitted to leave a body hanging on a cross during the Sabbath. So they asked for the bodies to be taken down. The Roman soldiers began removing those who had been crucified. Jesus was not the only one that day. There were three men in total. The other two were robbers—violent criminals. Therefore, to the people watching, Jesus was placed on the same level as those criminals. Just another evil man who deserved to die. The Man not even worth remembering. But why did they do this? It was intentional. They wanted to leave the worst possible impression of Jesus in people’s minds.

Then the Roman soldiers came to take down the first man. Naturally, he was still alive. If they just left him like that, he could run away. So what did they do? They broke his legs. They shattered his leg bones and left him to die. That was how he would eventually die. Then they did the same to the second man. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead. They thought it was strange: “Why did He die so soon?” So they didn’t need to break His legs. Instead, they took a spear and pierced His side. They pierced it upward from below. Immediately, blood and water came out—just as the Bible says. It was confirmed that He was completely dead, and people took Him down and placed Him in a tomb without breaking His legs.

That man—He is the One we believe in. He is our Lord. Strange, isn’t it? Why would people believe in such a man? Are Christians fools? Absolutely not. We are not fools. There is a reason, so we believe in Him. Throughout history, countless people have believed in Jesus. Many even gave their lives for Him. Was it because He was a great man? Not merely that. Then why did He go through all this? Why was He cursed in such a way?

The Scripture we read today speaks clearly. He was cursed like this—so that we might receive what instead? What is the opposite of a curse? Jesus has the heart of a mother. “I will take the curse—so that you may receive… what? A blessing.” That is a mother’s heart.

There was a man named Jacob in the Bible. He had a mother. Jacob desired to receive a blessing from his father—but the blessing was supposed to go to the firstborn son. That special blessing from the father was only given to the firstborn. But Jacob longed for that blessing with all his heart—because it came from God. So he decided to pretend to be his brother and go before his father. Now, his father’s eyesight had become poor. Still, Jacob worried, “Even if my father can’t see well, what if he recognizes my voice and figures out that I’m not Esau?” Then his mother came up with a plan. She said, “Your brother is hairy and you are not. So cover your arms with goat’s skin. Show your father, and it’ll clear his doubts.” In the end, Jacob received the blessing. But before going into his father, he was afraid. So he asked his mother, “Mother, what if I go in like this and my father tries to bless me, but then realizes I’m not my brother? What if he says, ‘You wicked boy! You should be cursed!’ What then? I’m trying to get a blessing, but what if I end up with a curse instead?” And the mother answered, “If your father curses you, let your curse be on me. You go and receive the blessing he gives.” That is a mother’s heart.

This is exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ came to do on this earth. When He was scourged and hung on the cross, He took upon Himself a curse. “I will take the curse—so what should you receive? You must receive the blessing!” But if Jesus took the curse and we don’t receive the blessing, then His suffering becomes meaningless. It would all be in vain. All for nothing. Our beloved Lord bore that curse on our behalf. If we do not want His sacrifice to be in vain, we must receive the blessing. What I’m saying is this: You didn’t come to church today to suffer a curse like Jesus did. Rather, you came to receive the blessing that He so earnestly desires to give you. And this is not the kind of blessing we generally know—it is the blessing that comes from God Himself. A blessing far greater than anything you ever imagined.

But just how strong is God’s desire to give you this blessing? So strong that He sent His own Son—and allowed Him to go through all of that. Jesus was cursed like that, so people say things like, “Jesus? He was just a shaman from that village.” “He was just a man from Nazareth.” “Jesus is just someone Christians believe in—He’s nothing special.” If that were true, He would be nothing more than a pitiful man. But what did God say about Him? “You are My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” God Himself bore witness to Him. In all of Scripture, there is no other place where God directly speaks to people like this. That one moment—that one event—is the only place.

When Jesus came up from the water after being baptized, everyone thought He was just another sinner. But then, a voice was heard from heaven. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God declared it Himself. Also, among all His disciples, three of them went up a mountain with Jesus. At that time, even they still regarded Him as just one of the prophets. But suddenly, a voice came again from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” And from that moment on, people began to believe the testimony of God.

We, too, believe this today: Jesus is the Son of God. He is the One sent by God. But here’s the strange thing—why would someone like Him suffer such a curse? Why was He scourged? Why was He nailed to the cross? It doesn’t make sense. If He had been cursed because of His own sin, then that would have been the end of the story. But we know something far more amazing.

The Jesus who had died was placed in the tomb because the next day was the Sabbath. Then on the third day after His death, early in the morning, people went to see Him. Now, the tombs in that region aren’t like the ones we have here. Instead of digging into the ground and burying the body, they would place it inside a cave. And the entrance of the cave would be sealed with a large stone. So they had laid Him there, and on the third day, they returned to give Him a proper burial. But when they went in, His body was gone. Then an angel appeared and told them, “He has already risen!” That’s how the disciples came to know what had happened.

And then, later on, Jesus actually appeared before them. The risen Jesus appeared to them in person. He rose again. It wasn’t that His body decayed, returned to dust, and then somehow came back. His body never decayed. The body of Jesus rose again. The same body that had been scourged came back to life. To the disciples who still didn’t believe, He even said, “Reach your hand here. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” His hands still bore the nail marks, and the wound from the spear was still there. It was that very Jesus who was raised from the dead.

How could something like that happen? It was by the God we believe in—the unseen God we trust—that Jesus was raised. God testified that Jesus truly is His beloved Son, the One He sent. And so we came to know that Jesus was without sin. It was by raising Him from the dead that God proved this: Jesus was not someone who deserved to be crucified, not someone who had to be scourged.

Then why was Jesus scourged and hung on the cross? It was because of us. Because of us, sinners—human beings who are so sinful that we cannot even lift our faces before God. In our own condition, we are sinners who have no choice but to face eternal punishment. But the Son of God came and took upon Himself the curse and punishment that we deserved. So now, we who should have borne the curse as sinners no longer receive that curse. Instead, He declares, “Now, you—receive the blessing! Receive the blessing!”

Therefore, we, who deserved to be cursed, now receive His blessing. We now possess the very happiness of God. But we must confess this. If we confess it, we will enjoy that blessing. And before that, we must acknowledge this: the curse that was borne on the cross—the scourging that Jesus endured—was actually the curse we were to receive. Jesus was not scourged and cursed because of anything He had done wrong. He bore the curse that was meant for us, and God raised Him from the dead to testify to that. Now, you must accept everything that Jesus did as your own. When you do, not only will you receive the merit of Jesus, but you will also receive the blessing that God has prepared for you.

Let me give you a quick quiz. Earlier, we said that the people who killed Jesus were the Jews. So, what religion do the Jews believe in? That’s right—it’s Judaism. Do Jews still exist today? Then, it follows that Judaism still exists too, right? Yes, Judaism still exists today. Now, what kind of Bible do they use? What kind of Scripture do the Jews read? And here’s another question—do Jewish people like Christians? Did the Jews at that time like Jesus? No, they cursed Him. So, what about now? Do they like those who believe in Jesus? No, they curse them even now. It’s the same today as it was back then.

The reason is this: The God whom the Jews believe in is invisible. He is the Creator of heaven and earth and is almighty. But Christians claim that Jesus Christ is the Son of that very God, the One whom the Jews believe in, the One sent by Him. What does it mean to be a son? It means being equal to the father. If a father has ten million dollars, he gives it to his son. That’s why he is called a son. Likewise, if God has glory, then all that glory also belongs to His Son. So, from the Jewish perspective, they have their God, and now Christians are saying that Jesus is equal to that very God. Can they just let that go? No—they couldn’t tolerate Jesus then, and they still cannot accept those who believe in Him today. In a way, Jews still see Christians as enemies. So then, is it easy to believe in Jesus in a country like Israel? Absolutely not. It is incredibly difficult. In fact, if someone believes in Jesus there, they could lose their life without warning. There are cases of bombings. Believers are treated as threats to be eliminated.

Now here’s something strange. We carry around the Bible, which contains 66 books—39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New. What’s surprising is that we believe in those first 39 books, and they are the same scriptures used by the Jews. That’s right—the very same Old Testament that the Jews read is the one we read too. So how can this be? We and the Jews are reading the same Scriptures. Yet the Jews strongly oppose those who believe in Jesus—even to the point of trying to eliminate them. That sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? But here’s what’s truly amazing: we Christians discover Jesus in that very same Scripture.

The Bible is not a book invented by Christians. Some people say, “You Christians are always using the Bible to prove that Jesus is the Son of God, but wasn’t that Bible made up by your religion?” And then they say, “That’s why I can’t believe in it.” But the truth is, that very Scripture is still being used today by the Jews—those who deeply oppose Christians. It wasn’t something we Christians made up. It is the same Scripture that the Jews have been using for over two thousand years.

And yet, the very One who came just as foretold in that Scripture is Jesus. This is why it’s not a lie. He didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Everything I mentioned earlier—His scourging, His crucifixion, and His resurrection on the third day—had already been prophesied in the Scriptures that the Jews still use today. And Jesus came exactly according to those prophecies. We believe in Him. But the Jews still reject Jesus, don’t they? Why? Because they refuse to acknowledge that He came just as their Scripture said He would. But if we would only open our hearts, it would become undeniably clear—because everything matches.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is the One who came just as the Scriptures foretold—not someone who just suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Some parts of the Bible were written 3,500 years ago. And in those texts written 3,500 years ago, the life and work of Jesus—who came 2,000 years ago—were already recorded. The words that Jesus spoke back then are now being fulfilled in us. The God we believe in speaks first. He proclaims, He prophesies, and then He comes and does exactly what He said He would do. So we don’t believe in Jesus just because we thought, “Well, I feel kind of drawn to Christianity.” We believe in Jesus because He came according to what was prophesied in the Scriptures. The Bible we follow—the same 39 books of the Old Testament that the Jews use—was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. And this tells us one thing for sure: the word of God will certainly be fulfilled.

So don’t take our faith lightly. This is something truly mysterious. The words Jesus spoke 2,000 years ago are being fulfilled in me today. And I pray they will also be fulfilled in you. That’s what I desire. 3,500 years ago, God said to Abraham, “I will bless you. And through you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” And through Jesus, that blessing has now come to us. Now it’s time for you to receive that blessing. And you can.

God said this to Abraham: “You are a blessing! All the nations of the earth will be blessed through you.” So, someone who truly believes in Jesus becomes a blessing. Many nations will receive blessings through that person. Before, you may have been a curse. Those around you might even have been cursed because of you. But now, those who come near you will be blessed. Your family will be blessed because of you. Even someone who passes by you casually will be blessed through you. I bless you in the name of Jesus, that you will now become a blessing—someone through whom all people will be blessings.

Just as the promise given to Abraham long ago was fulfilled, it will be fulfilled for you as well. That is what it means to truly believe in Jesus. So I bless you in the name of Jesus, that by believing in Jesus just as the Bible says, you will become a blessing as God promised.

I will pray.

God our Father, out of the many people in the world, we are the ones who have gathered here and come before You—the living God. You planned all these things from long ago and have been carrying them out according to Your will. Help us to understand that Your great will. Just as You once made a promise to Abraham, may all who receive Your word and welcome Jesus Christ become a blessing. Let them not only be happy in You, but may that happiness be eternal. And through them, may many others in this world also receive a blessing. Let them experience for themselves that every promise spoken by You is truly fulfilled. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.