#002 He Also Lived On Our Behalf (Matthew 4:1-11)
Christian, we know that Jesus died for us. On our behalf. You probably (hopefully) hear that every week at church.
But, do you also know that Jesus lived on our behalf?
Jesus’ death was only part of his work of salvation.
You see, at the cross, he was punished for our sin. Once a punishment has been completed, those who were guilty go free. We no longer hold their crime against them. Likewise, because Jesus’ death was a fitting and sufficient punishment for our sin, God now says to those who trust in Jesus ‘I will remember their sins no more’.
However, we don't just need to be sinless in God's eyes. We also need to be positively righteous. As Micah says ‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’
The thing is, we’re just not capable of doing that. The gospel is clear - we cannot make up for our own sin, neither can we contribute to our own righteousness. As Isaiah says, a sinners’ righteousness is nothing but filthy rags. Sin tarnishes every good deed making them unacceptable to God.
So, Jesus does two things in order to enable our salvation. He takes away our sin. Which happened at the cross. And he provides our righteousness.
Which comes through his own sinless, righteous life of perfect obedience to God. Jesus died on our behalf. He also lived on our behalf.
This merciful necessity is seen clearly in Matthew ch4, where we read of Jesus being led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan. An experience that mirrored the exodus.
Even then, Jesus did not sin. He resisted temptation. And he continued in obedience his entire life. Even to death on the cross.
Where Adam failed, where the people of Israel failed, where we fail to be righteous, Jesus was righteous, despite Satan’s best effort, on our behalf.
In living sinlessly and obediently, Jesus earned a righteousness that he himself did not need, since he himself is God and is fully righteous. Being fully man, and our representative before God, he offers us his righteousness, which we also receive by faith. A righteousness complete and sufficient enough to please the Father. God now accepts us as, not just sinless, but righteous. As righteous, even as Jesus himself.
By faith in Jesus’ death we may consider ourselves sinless. By faith in Jesus’ life we may consider ourselves righteous. Altogether, because of what Jesus has done for us, in life and death on our behalf, we may, by faith, consider ourselves saved.
But, do you also know that Jesus lived on our behalf?
Jesus’ death was only part of his work of salvation.
You see, at the cross, he was punished for our sin. Once a punishment has been completed, those who were guilty go free. We no longer hold their crime against them. Likewise, because Jesus’ death was a fitting and sufficient punishment for our sin, God now says to those who trust in Jesus ‘I will remember their sins no more’.
However, we don't just need to be sinless in God's eyes. We also need to be positively righteous. As Micah says ‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’
The thing is, we’re just not capable of doing that. The gospel is clear - we cannot make up for our own sin, neither can we contribute to our own righteousness. As Isaiah says, a sinners’ righteousness is nothing but filthy rags. Sin tarnishes every good deed making them unacceptable to God.
So, Jesus does two things in order to enable our salvation. He takes away our sin. Which happened at the cross. And he provides our righteousness.
Which comes through his own sinless, righteous life of perfect obedience to God. Jesus died on our behalf. He also lived on our behalf.
This merciful necessity is seen clearly in Matthew ch4, where we read of Jesus being led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan. An experience that mirrored the exodus.
Even then, Jesus did not sin. He resisted temptation. And he continued in obedience his entire life. Even to death on the cross.
Where Adam failed, where the people of Israel failed, where we fail to be righteous, Jesus was righteous, despite Satan’s best effort, on our behalf.
In living sinlessly and obediently, Jesus earned a righteousness that he himself did not need, since he himself is God and is fully righteous. Being fully man, and our representative before God, he offers us his righteousness, which we also receive by faith. A righteousness complete and sufficient enough to please the Father. God now accepts us as, not just sinless, but righteous. As righteous, even as Jesus himself.
By faith in Jesus’ death we may consider ourselves sinless. By faith in Jesus’ life we may consider ourselves righteous. Altogether, because of what Jesus has done for us, in life and death on our behalf, we may, by faith, consider ourselves saved.
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