The Righteous One

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

JESUS CHRIST, THE RIGHTEOUS ONE

In 1John 2:1 & 2, where John tells us that Jesus Christ is our ‘advocate with the Father’ and ‘the atoning sacrifice for our sins’, he identifies Jesus as ‘the Righteous One’. This word ‘righteous’ means more than morally ‘good’; it is essentially a legal term referring to legal innocence. It affirms that not only was Jesus morally good, but he was also not guilty of any offence in the presence of God, the Judge of all the earth.

And he is the Righteous One – the only person who has ever lived who is one hundred percent guiltless. There is not one charge that the holy God could hold against him. There is no one else who is legally, before God’s judgement, ‘righteous’. As the Bible affirms – ‘There is no one who is righteous, not even one’ (Romans 3:10). But Jesus is ‘the Righteous One’ – the only one who can stand before God unashamed, unaccused, without guilt, without condemnation. He alone is ‘not guilty’. He alone can survive God’s judgement.

This perfect and complete righteousness of Christ is affirmed repeatedly in the Bible:

It is prophetically proclaimed in the rituals of Israel, where the animals offered in sacrifice had to be ‘without defect’: the Passover lambs (Exodus 12:5); the burnt offerings (Leviticus 1:3); the fellowship offerings (Leviticus 3:1); the sin offerings (Leviticus 4:3); the guilt offerings (Leviticus 5:15).

In Isaiah 53:11 God calls Jesus ‘my righteous servant’ who will ‘justify many’.

In Jeremiah 23:5, 6 Jesus is called ‘a righteous Branch’ and ‘the LORD our righteousness’.

Pilate affirmed ‘I find no basis for a charge against him’ (John 19:6).

The early Christians affirmed that Jesus is ‘the Holy and Righteous One’ (Acts 3:14); ‘the Righteous One’ predicted by the prophets (Acts 7:52); ‘the Righteous One’ (Acts 22:14).

Paul described Jesus as ‘him who had no sin’ (2Corinthians 5:21).

The writer to the Hebrews said that Jesus was ‘without sin’ (4:15), ‘holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners’ (7:26).

Peter called him ‘the righteous’ (1Peter 3:18).

Why is this so important?

It important because Jesus Christ as ‘the Righteous One’ is the only one who is qualified to do both of the things that John refers to – only the Righteous One can enter and stand in the presence of God as our Advocate, and only the Righteous One can bear the guilt and the condemnation of our sins. Only he is not banned from God’s presence by personal sin. Only he has no guilt and no condemnation of his own to bear.

The Bible affirms:

That Jesus, the Righteous One stood in our place as our substitute under the judgement of God –carrying our sin and guilt, bearing God’s wrath that would otherwise have fallen on us, being punished for our sin, securing our acquittal.

And that Jesus, the Righteous One, entered the presence of God as our representative and Advocate, securing for us present and permanent uninhibited access and acceptance.

And so we read:

‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him’ (Isaiah 53:5)

‘he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors’ (Isaiah 53:12).

‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2Corinthians 5:21).

‘He himself bore our sins in his body n the tree’ (1Peter 2:24).

‘For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God’ (1Peter 3:18).

Because Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, bore our sins, including their full punishment, condemnation and wrath, those who have received him stand before him fully acquitted: declared ‘not guilty’, and with no threat of punishment, condemnation and wrath hanging over us. This amazing result of the substitutionary work of Christ is called ‘justification’ and ‘a righteousness from God’.

Paul describes it this way:

‘But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus’ (Romans 3:21 – 24).

As Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers: ‘we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain’ (2Corinthians 6:1). Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, did all of this for us. Let us therefore live every moment with the joy and peace in the presence of God that results from this amazing gift.