The Lord Jesus as God became flesh. He joined Himself to fallen and sinful humanity, yet He was without sin (Heb. 4:15). We realize from the Word that flesh is not something good but something bad. John says that God became flesh (John 1:1, 14), but Romans 8:3 tells us that Jesus was only in the likeness of the flesh of sin. The Son of God did indeed become flesh; however, He was only in the likeness of the flesh and had no participation in the sin of the flesh (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15). This is exactly like the brass serpent lifted up by Moses for the sinful Israelites, which was in the form, the likeness, of the actual serpent, but without its poison. Jesus died on the cross as the brass serpent to condemn sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:3). Through His death on the cross, the flesh of sin was condemned, the old serpent, Satan, was destroyed, the power of death was judged, and even death itself was destroyed. The world was also destroyed on the cross. His death on the cross as the Lamb of God took away sin with sins. His death on the cross as a serpent was to judge the flesh of sin, to destroy the old serpent, Satan, to condemn the world, and to destroy the power of death. In the eyes of God He was sin. Second Corinthians 5:21 tells us that God made Him sin on our behalf. God condemned sin in the flesh of Jesus.
The Lord Jesus also died on the cross as the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45b). After Him there was no more Adam. As the last Adam, He terminated Adam. Adam was terminated in Him because He was the end of Adam. As the last Adam, as a man in the old creation, He died on the cross for us in the old creation, crucifying our old man on the cross (Rom. 6:6). As the very God He became flesh, and that flesh was the old man not the new man. Man was created by God and was very good in God's eyes (Gen. 1:27, 31), but due to the fall man became old. The old man is the flesh. When Christ died on the cross, He crucified the old man.
He also died on the cross as the Firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15). He is the Firstborn of all creatures, so His death can reconcile the entire creation unto God (Col. 1:20).
Ephesians 2:14-16 tells us that Christ died on the cross as the Peacemaker to abolish all the separations among the human race. This is why today in the church life we do not have any separation. All the different races are now one in Christ. We do not need the United Nations. The United Nations does not work to break down the separating walls, but the church life works. In the church life there are people from all colors, races, and countries that are enjoying the divine oneness. Christ died on the cross as the Peacemaker, and now we have the oneness and peace in the church life.
Thus far, we have seen that the Lord Jesus died on the cross as the Lamb, a man in the flesh, the brass serpent, the last Adam, the Firstborn of all creation, and the Peacemaker. Do not say that I teach these things, but that the Bible teaches these things. By using the verses in the Scripture reading, you can present Christ's death on the cross as these six items.