I fought the law and the law lost (Galatians 3:13)

 

From the tract '10 Reasons Jesus Came to Die' by John Piper

#7) So that we would escape the curse of the law

You are a rebel. You robbed 'em blind and got away scot-free. (In medieval Britain a “scot” was a tax paid to the local ruler, so if you were a tax evader you got off scot-free.) How did you pull of the greatest crime know to man? The way any good criminal does it. You let someone else do all the dirty work. You just sat there in the getaway car while some other chump busted open the safe. All you had to do was open the car door when he came running up with piles of loot. You peeled tire getting outta there with the goods while the cops threw your accomplice to the curb. And the best part is you don't have to go into hiding because your partner-in-crime willingly took the fall for it all. Maybe that sounds harsh, but you wouldn't survive a minute in prison. You have sensitive skin. Besides your buddy has some pull in the legal system since it's run by his dad. He'll be back on the streets after a few days.

This may sound like a pretty ridiculous scenario in the modern world of law and order (especially after all the TV spin-offs), but we've broken a law far greater than any government or person could create. The ultimate laws were established by the creator of the universe. Feel free to go through the CliffsNotes of God's Law, the Ten Commandments, and see how far you get before you find one you've broken. If you even get past the first one you're probably lying to yourself. Even if you've lived a better than average life, you can't plead for leniency for just breaking one of the smaller laws. They come as a indivisible group. If you break one, you're guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10). To really drive the point home, God had the Israelites shout a curse upon all who break the law (Deuteronomy 27:26).

Jesus fulfilled our capital punishment and took the curse for us (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Just remember one of the unwritten street rules: you look after the guy who did jail time for you. Now our responsibility is not to the law, but or redemption is in faith and obedience to Jesus.

If you got a cheesy Valentine's Day card for Jesus:

I Choo-Choo-Choose You!