Verse from 2 Corinthians

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭

At its heart, Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus “had no sin” shows us the magnitude of Christ’s work through His life and death. The Greek word translated “had” (in some versions “knew”) suggests an intimate acquaintance with something. Jesus knew of sin and its consequences, but it was something he’d never experienced Himself. He had no intimate, personal acquaintance with sin.

Much like the first humans who had no personal experience with sin until they took the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 2:25–3:7), Christ didn’t sin. But “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21)—or “to be the offering for our sin” (nlt)—so that humanity could be reconciled to God forever.