Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our Justification

Romans 4:25 says, “[Jesus Christ] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised to life for our justification.” The first half looks back to Good Friday when Jesus died for our sins. The second half moves to Easter Sunday. This is what we’re celebrating today: Jesus being resurrected for our justification. Justified means, “Declared righteous.” What does this have to do with Jesus’s resurrection? Jesus is our Substitute. He died in our place and took the punishment we deserve. If He stayed dead that would mean He was a sinner and unable to save us. But his resurrection reveals he is our perfect substitute who could die in our place and take the punishment we deserve. https://youtu.be/cFo4TIdnvfA Jesus Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). This looks to Good Friday and Easter Sunday! Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our JustificationSermon Notes for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our JustificationLesson One: Don’t miss the spiritual, because you’re focused on the physical.Lesson Two: If you’re focused on the physical you won’t want what Jesus offers.Lesson Three: Christ was raised to life for our justification. Family Worship Guide for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our Justification Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: 1 Samuel 16:6-7, 2 Kings 6:15-17, John 3:3-7, 4:10-39, 6:27-35—Can you think of some other examples in Scripture of focusing on the physical versus the spiritual that were not mentioned in the sermon? In what ways do we focus on the physical versus the spiritual? Day 2: John 6:66-68, Luke 24:13-34—Why did the large crowds abandon Jesus in John 6? Why were Peter and the other disciples willing to stay with Jesus? Why were the two people on the road to Emmaus discouraged? Why should they have been encouraged? Day 3: Romans 4:25, Acts 2:24, 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17—What is justification? How are people justified? How can God be both just and merciful? What does it mean that Jesus was raised for our justification? Why is Jesus’s resurrection so important? Sermon Notes for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our Justification He is risen! The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Raised to Life for Our Justification.” Before we get into these verses in Luke 24 I want to back up and help you see the mistake these two made, because it is a common mistake we can make. Just so the mistake can be obvious, I’m going to give you a lesson that spells it out… Lesson One: Don’t miss the spiritual, because you’re focused on the physical. Unfortunately, man has the tendency to see the physical instead of the spiritual and this is why there was so much confusion and frustration associated with Christ’s First Coming: People were focused on what they wanted Christ to do physically But Christ came primarily for spiritual reasons Let me share a few examples with you from Scripture to show you how often this happens… Think about when the prophet Samuel went to anoint the second king of Israel. God sent him to the house of Jesse, who had eight sons. Eliab was the oldest and David was the youngest. Listen to what happened… 1 Samuel 16:6 When [Jesse’s sons] came, [Samuel] looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, stood before Samuel and he must’ve been strong and physically impressive, which caused Samuel to think he was the next king of Israel. More than likely Samuel thought this because he previously anointed Saul, who was a physically impressive man: 1 Samuel 9:2 [Kish] had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel (twice it mentions how handsome he was). From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 1 Samuel 10:23 When [Saul] stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people (now listen to this…), “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” If Samuel – and the people of Israel – would’ve looked at Saul spiritually, instead of just physically, they would’ve seen he was actually very small. And unfortunately, Samuel was only looking at things physically when Eliab stood before him…and God rebuked him for it… 1 Samuel 16:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For THE LORD DOES NOT SEE AS MAN SEES; FOR MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART.” Basically, this means God doesn’t look at things like man looks at things, because man looks at things physically, but God looks at things spiritually. Samuel was one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. If this could happen to him, it could happen to anyone. Here’s the background for the next example… The Syrians hated Elisha the prophet, because every time they tried to attack Israel, Elisha would tell Israel what the Syrians were going to do. It was so bad the King of Syria thought there was a traitor in their midst. He asked his men who the traitor was and they said, “It’s not us, it’s the prophet Elisha. He keeps telling the King of Israel what we’re going to do.” The king of Syria was so angry he sent his army to capture Elisha. When the Army showed up, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, was terrified… 2 Kings 6:15 When [Gehazi] arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Now here’s what’s interesting. They looked terribly outnumbered, but listen to what Elisha said… 2 Kings 6:16 “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open [Gehazi’s] eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened [his], and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Why did the servant think they were outnumbered? Because he was looking at things physically instead of spiritually. This is the mistake people made when Christ came. Turn to John 3 so I can show you the next example. The context is Nicodemus came to question Jesus… John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” At this point, is Nicodemus looking at things spiritually or physically? He is looking at things physically, which is why he completely misunderstands what Jesus is saying… John 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Now Jesus makes it very clear He’s speaking spiritually and not physically…notice Jesus’ emphasis on the Spirit versus the flesh… John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ He’s talking about being born again, not physically but spiritually. All of us are born physically alive, but spiritually dead…dead in our trespasses and sins. We must be born again by God’s Holy Spirit coming into our lives and giving us spiritual life. Turn one chapter to the right. Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well… John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Jesus is talking about spiritual water, but she thinks He’s talking about physical water. Skip to verse 13… John 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water (referring to the water in the well) will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (something physical water could never provide).” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” She’s still looking at things physically. She’s thrilled at the idea of not having to walk to the well to keep drawing water. But to her credit she did end up understanding things spiritually. Look at verse 28… John 4:28 The woman then LEFT HER WATERPOT, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” She left her bucket behind, which shows her transition from focusing on the physical to focusing on the spiritual. She even went and told many people about Christ and they came to faith. Soon after this the disciples tried to give Jesus food, but look what happened in verse 31… John 4:31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” They thought Jesus was talking about physical food, but he was talking spiritually… John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Jesus meant doing His Father’s will sustained Him as much as physical food. Turn to John 6. You’ll notice in verses 1 through 15 Jesus fed the 5,000. They told everyone, so large crowds followed Him. And why were they following Him?