The significance of Jesus' death

Christ’s death at the hands of the Gentiles (Matt.20:19; Lk.18:32) is, in the first place, a death for Israel or in the place of the nation. As the Son of man figure he pre-empts the suffering of the ‘saints’ who are ‘in him’ or who belong to him. Jesus’ words in Gethsemane, ‘Let this cup pass from me’ (Matt.26:39), are a reference to the Old Testament cup of divine judgment on the people (cf. Ps.75:8; Is.51:17, 22; Jer.49:12; Lam.2:13; Ezek.23:31-34; Hab.2:16). It is not a universal judgment for a universal state of sinfulness that he faces but judgment for the particular sin of Israel’s persistent rebellion against God. But the ‘cross’ is also the means by which the separation of Jews and Gentiles is overcome: the ‘law of commandments and ordinances’, which enforced the separation, has been abolished ‘in his flesh’ (Eph.2:11-22).