[ ] 4/5/2015 #1102

THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

2 Corinthians 5:21

INTRODUCTION: On this Easter morning as we take of the Lord's Supper, we are remembering Christ's
death for us. We worship Christ because He is our risen Lord and soon returning King. As we take of the
bread and juice, Jesus said to do this "in remembrance of Me." Our text is just one verse, but it relates to
the meaning of Easter and the Lord's Supper. Charles Spurgeon called this one verse the heart of the
gospel.

Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz crashed the Airbus A320 into the French Alps, killing all 150 people
on board. His act was deliberate. He wanted to take his own life and the life of those on the plane with
him.

Jesus came to this world to deliberately die on the cross. He died so others might live with Him in heaven.
These two men committed premeditated acts. Andreas wanted to destroy lives; Jesus wants to bless lives.

I. IMPECCABLE REDEEMER
A. SPOTLESS LAMB. "knew no sin"
Jesus' character was impeccable. No one could find any sin in Christ; He was perfectly holy and righteous.
Jesus did the will of His Heavenly Father flawlessly. He never broke any laws of God.

Speaking of Christ, John wrote: "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is
no sin." (1 John 3:5 KJV)

The Old Testament provides details for the lamb that was to be offered in Israel. God was very specific.
It was to be a lamb and only a lamb. The lamb that was offered as a sacrifice to God had to be without
spot or blemish. The lamb could have no disease or physical defect. The lamb had to be a one year old
male.

God gave even the specific details of the Passover so they would point to Jesus Christ. The
lamb offered in the Old Testament was a picture of the coming "Lamb of God."

Jesus was God's "lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:19 KJV)

A sinner could never pay for his sins or the sins of another sinner. Jesus came to offer Himself as God's
perfect Lamb to take away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

Jesus could not have sin and be our Savior. God required a perfect sacrifice to make atonement for man's
sin. Only Jesus met the requirements of the Father for a sacrifice that He would accept.

B. SACRIFICIAL LAMB. "made . . . to be sin for us"

Jesus, the sinless Son of God, became sin for us. He did not become a sinner, for that would be impossible.
He was holy God in human flesh. (1 Tim. 2:16)

Christ remained perfectly sinless while hanging on the cross. He never committed a sin and therefore He
never became a sinner. According to 1 Peter 2:24, Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree." The
weight of our sin was placed on Jesus. "Bore our sins" means He suffered the penalty of our sin as our
substitute.

1. Jesus is the sinner's substitute. Christ died in the place of guilty sinners.
Someone has said it this way: "His nails were meant for you, the crown of thorns should have been on
your head, the spear should have pierced your side, and the cheers and insults were meant for you. It
should have been you hanging on a tree–but it wasn’t. It was Jesus dying in your place."
2. Jesus took the sinner's penalty.
On the cross Jesus became the sinless Sin-Bearer. He paid the price we owed to God, the debt we could
never pay. His death satisfied God’s righteous decree. Sin must always be punished.

The Bible states that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. (Heb. 9:22)

When Jesus left heaven, He knew he was going to die. His blood would be shed in order for sinners to be
saved. Sinners are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God. (1 Peter 1:18-19) There is no other way for
a person to be saved except by Jesus. (John 14:6)

II. IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

A. GUILT OF THE SINNER.
The sin of Adam is imputed to all his descendants. (Rom. 5:12) We are all guilty before God. The Bible
states there are none righteous. (Rom. 3:10) Our greatest need is for righteousness, to be right with God.
In comparing man's righteousness with the righteousness of God, our righteousness is as filthy rages. (Isa.
64:6)

B. GRACE OF THE SAVIOR.

As sinners, we are alienated from God. Our only means of being reconciled with God is through the life
of the sacrificial death of Christ.

The word "impute" is a term from the banking world. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior,
something wonderful happens. Our sin is credited to Christ's account, and His righteousness is credited to
our account.

Jesus paid a debt we owed and could never pay and He gives us what we need, but what we never
desired.

Someone had said that Jesus "paid what we owed (and could never pay) and he gives us what he has (and
we could never earn)."

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6 KJV)

How good is the good news of the gospel?

The gospel is better than a blind man receiving his sight. The gospel is more wonderful than a crippled
man being healed so he can walk. The gospel is far greater than a dead man being raised from the grave.

How can the gospel be better? God gives us spiritual sight so we can know the truth of His Word. He gives
us spiritual healing so we can walk in His light. The gospel is far greater than a dead man raised from the
grave because we have been given eternal life and we will never die spiritually!

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (Romans 5:10 KJV)

Lessons for life:

1. The Lord's Supper is a reminder of Christ's death, burial, resurrection and His Second Coming.
2. Easter is a reminder that Christ has conquered death and salvation is available to all who will come to
Him in faith and repentance.
3. In taking of the Lord's Supper and celebrating the resurrection of Christ, we are reminded how blessed
we are by the grace of God. Rejoice!