If you'll turn back with me now
to Romans chapter four. We're gathered here on what this world calls a holiday. I don't know why they pronounce
it that way. What they mean by that is holy
day. But it's no holier than any other
day. And they call this day Easter. The holiday is said to be in
recognition of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That after three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth, our Lord
rose from the dead, was released from the grave clothes that he
was bound in, and walked out of that tomb a victorious savior. And yet for all the Hooperah,
there's very little, if any, understanding of what that resurrection
was all about. He arose, and they'll sing about
it, up from the grave he arose, wonderful hymn. But what does that mean? What
does that mean? There's very little, if any,
true understanding of what took place on that glorious morning.
If you've got a Bible with you this morning, I invite you to
turn over there where I read a few moments ago in Romans chapter
4, and I want to concentrate on verse 25. This will serve
as my text this morning. and which if you'll give some
study to the chapter, you'll realize that it sums it all up. In Romans 4.25, he said, who,
talking about Christ, was delivered for our offenses and was raised
again for our justification. In order for this verse to have
any impact upon your minds and hearts, there's four things that
need to be established in us. Four things that we need to understand. First of all, we need to know
from the Word of God who this man Jesus of Nazareth was. If he's just a man, then his
resurrection was no different than Lazarus. His resurrection
was no different than that man who fell out the window that
Paul went over and took by the hand and raised him up. He wouldn't be the first man
who was raised from the dead. So in order for this verse of
Scripture to have any impact on us, we have to understand
who this was who was put in the tomb. and why he died. We need to know this from the
word of God, who this man Jesus of Nazareth is. Now the fact
that he died is a fact. It's a historical fact. It's
undeniable fact. Jesus of Nazareth was crucified and then taken down from the
cross, dead, examined, made sure he was dead. He wasn't breathing.
He was gone. And he was taken and he was wrapped
in grave clothes and laid in a borrowed tomb, and that tomb
sealed with a great stone. Who is this man? Where'd he come
from? The Jews said, we know you. We know your mama. We know your daddy. We know your
sisters and brothers. We know you. How do you say you
come down from heaven? We know you, we know your family.
We used to see you working in your dad's carpenter shop. We
know you. Where did he come from? Why is
he here? Why is he doing the things that
he did? Why should these things have
an impact on us? To them, he was just a common
Jew, born in poverty, Made a living as a carpenter. Had no reason
for grandeur, no respect or reverence for men. Kings of the earth looked upon
him as no more than a figment of religious men's imagination. That's how Pilate viewed him. But who is this man by the testimony
of God? Who is this man? This man, Jesus,
was declared to be the Son of God. That's what the scripture
said. He was declared to be the Son
of God. Who declared that? God did. This is my beloved Son in whom
I'm well pleased. This is the Son of God. God come into the flesh, God
with us, God our Savior, Emmanuel. He's none other than the one
prophesied of, the virgin-born Son of God. A child was born,
Isaiah said, and a son was given. He's the God-man. God and man
in one glorious person, one mediator, between God and me and the man,
Christ Jesus. And God said this about him,
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people,
not the whole world, not every son and daughter of Adam. He
shall save his people from their sins. He came into this world to save
that which is lost. I came to seek and to save that
which was lost. Lost unto sin, lost in the garden
by Adam. He came, John said, to do the
will of his father. And he said, this is the father's
will which has sent me, that of all which he hath given me,
I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. who is Jesus of Nazareth. He's
the promised Redeemer. He said, in the volume of the
book it's written of me. You can find Him in all the books
of Moses. You can find Him in the book
of Ruth, the book of Esther. You can find Him all the way
through the Scriptures, in the book of Judges. You find Him in the Psalms. That
day he joined himself to those two mourners who were walking
that road to Emmaus after his death. He came up to them and
he said, what are you mourning about? But they didn't know who he was.
And they said, where you been? And they started telling him
about this Jesus of Nazareth. And then finally they wound up
their little talk and said, but we thought. this should be the
Messiah. He said, O fools, slow of heart
to believe all which was written of me, and beginning at Moses,
and in all the prophets, and in the Psalms, he declared unto
them all those things concerning himself. And when he disappeared
out of their sight and left them, and they got together with their
friends, they said, Didn't our hearts burn within us as He opened
to us the Scriptures? Who is this man? Who is this
man? He's the promised Redeemer. Promised
from Genesis, in Genesis chapter 3, called the woman seed, all
the way through the Scriptures. the promised redeemer. All right,
secondly, what did this man come to do? Why did he come? Why would God robe himself in
human flesh and come down here in the humility of this? I can't
even imagine how humiliating it would be to be God, because
I don't, I can't enter into that. He's God. In him we live and
move and have our being. He God. And I can't, I just can't
enter in it, but for God to dwell in human flesh, what a humiliation
that must have been. He who thought it not robbery
to be equal with God humbled himself. took on him
the form of a man. What did he come to do? Why would
God commit himself to such humiliation? Why would God robe himself in
human flesh? Almighty, eternal God, why would
he do such a thing? He said, when the fullness of
the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made
under the law, subject to the law. He wrote the law. He inspired
the law. But being a man, a substitutionary
man, and a representative man, he was made under the law. Why? To redeem them that were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. He God come into the flesh and
he came according to his father's will to save a people for the
glory of his name. This is why there's a universe.
This is why there's an earth. This is why you have a being
this morning. You're not here by some freak
of nature, some paramecium spit out of the salt water under volcanic
action and this little one-celled paramecium grows into a man? Give me a break. The reason you
have a being this morning, the reason for this earth to be here,
the reason for all things is Christ. He's going to manifest
the glory of God To us, I can't imagine. What could be more spectacular
than that? What could be a greater cause
of wonder than that? That God, the eternal God, is
going to make himself known. How's he going to do it? He's
going to save sinners. He's going to save sinners. He's
God come into the flesh. And he came to save a people
for the glory of his name. God never even hints that he
came to attempt something. This world's always talking about
God trying to do this and trying to do that. God done all he can do, now it's
all up to you. Scripture never mentions anything
about God trying his best to do something. or doing a little
and then asking you to finish it. That'd be like the world's greatest
artist carving a masterpiece. And he gets all done but a few
things, William, and then he says, here, take this knife and
finish it up for me. It's ridiculous, isn't it? Who
could manifest the glory of God but God? That's why He came. That's just
Jesus of Nazareth. What did this Jesus of Nazareth
do? The scripture said He bore our
sins, my sins, your sins, the sins of all His elect. He bore
our sins in His own body on the tree. You believe that? Ask yourself that question. I challenge you, ask yourself
that question with the help of the Holy Spirit. Ask him to show
you, do I believe that? Do I believe that everything
contrary to God, everything I've ever done, everything I've ever
said, everything that I might do in the future, all my sins,
were laid on him. And he bore those sins in his
own body on the tree. Do I believe that? Oh, my soul. He manifested God's love He never mentions universal love. He doesn't hint at universal
redemption or universal salvation. That's just a soap bubble. That's
all that is. Has no basis in the Word of God.
What did this Jesus of Nazareth do? He bore our sins in his own
body on the tree. The Word of God said he put away
sin. Whose sin? Our sin. He put them
away, never to be remembered again. He put them away. Boy, I tell you, I remember them,
but God don't. God don't. All of the sins of
God's elect were charged to him, never was charged to you, never
was. He said, you're gonna preach
reconciliation to wit. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself. People out of every nation, kindred,
and tongue under heaven. He's reconciling the world unto
himself. Now listen, not charging their
trespasses unto them. He never did. He never did. Think about that. He never did.
that we're always charged to his son, charged to his son.
Can't imagine that, can you? It's so. He hath made him to be sin for
us. He stood before God the sinner. The sinner. How was he made sin? I don't
have a clue. I don't have a clue. I just know
what God said. God said, he hath made him to
be sin for us. Now I wanna hear all that about
the word made. I've got the best dictionary
that's ever been printed, an OED. I went all the way back
in time, and you know what I discovered? That word made means back in
the 16th century, same thing it means today. Nothing but intellectuals trying
to split hairs, that's all that is. He was made, made sin. And by his suffering and death,
he put away our sins. And then thirdly, what was accomplished
by his life and death? If you listen close, religious
people tell you what they believe. He didn't actually accomplish
anything. You're still accountable. Still accountable for your sins,
you're still accountable for righteousness, you're still accountable
for all these things. Religious people, really and
truly, if you listen to them, they're telling you he didn't
accomplish anything. He tried, but he come short, he began something
he couldn't finish, and he did a little, but he needs a sinner
to finish it up for him. God said in Hebrews 9, 12, that
by his own blood, he entered in one time. into the holy place
having obtained. Got it in his hand. Eternal redemption
for us. You believe that? Well, I believe God. That's what
God said. One time in the end of the world
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Did he do it? That's what he
came to do, did he do it? Says he did. Colossians 1.20 said he made
peace through the blood of his cross to reconcile all things
to God, things in earth, things in heaven. And you that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled. in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy, unblameable. And think on this, unapprovable
in his sight. What did this Jesus of Nazareth
accomplish in his life and death? He accomplished a redemption
that declares God to be just. in his justification of sinners,
righteous in his remission of their sins. He paid the debt
in full, he satisfied the demands of a holy God, and he fulfilled,
this Jesus of Nazareth, fulfilled every prophecy of God concerning
his promised appearance, every last prophecy. And those who
knew the scriptures best couldn't see it. Our Lord told him, he
said, if you don't believe me because of what I'm preaching,
believe me for the very work's sake that I'm doing. Jesus of Nazareth did everything
that God's hand and God's counsel determined before to be done.
He was given power over all flesh to give eternal life to as many,
the scripture said, as the Father had given to him. So who is Jesus of Nazareth?
He's the promised Redeemer. He's the God-man. He's the Word
made flesh. He's the covenant surety. What
did He come to do? To save His people from their
sins. To accomplish the redemption
of sinners and to do the will of God. And what did he accomplish? He perfectly satisfied God on
the behalf of his elect. He put away our sins by the sacrifice
of himself and by his own blood he obtained eternal redemption
for us. And by his obedience unto death
he fulfilled all righteousness and is at this moment at the
right hand of God making intercession for us. He made peace by the
blood of his cross. He manifested such a love as
was never seen or experienced by men. A love that would give
itself to die for sinners, die for men who were at that moment
cursing him, hating him. A love without limit. Think about that. Put no limit
on his love. A love without limit, a love
that cannot fail, a love that will never change, never be withdrawn
from its objects. An everlasting love, a true love,
an endless love, and an effectual love. If God loves everybody,
then his love's not effectual, because only some are saved. Now, How do I know if he was
that promised redeemer? How do I know that? How do we know if what he did
was sufficient? How do we know that God was satisfied
with his person and work? Do we have to go on in fear until
judgment? Wait till judgment and find out
then? Must I continue not knowing anything
but that he lived and died? Do we just live out our days
in an unanswered hope? A baseless hope? No. He, all that implies, was delivered. Who delivered him? God did. God
did. He was delivered by God's eternal
counsel and appointment. Why? For our offenses. Everything we are and have done
is contrary to God and his righteousness. Now listen, this is what this
day ought to be all about. He was raised again for our justification. Would have been no trouble for
God to have taken him after his death on the cross straight into
glory. It wouldn't have been too difficult
for God. He died. They verified that he died. His
death was sufficient. Why didn't God just take him
right on into glory? But that would have defeated
his whole purpose in creation and salvation. God's purpose
in creation was to save a people to manifest the glory of his
name, to manifest that glory to men and angels, and to show
what otherwise could never be known. God saved us, Paul said,
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world was. God chose us from the beginning
to salvation, through sanctification of spirit and belief of the truth,
whereunto he called you by our gospel." Now listen, to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The very glory of God
is manifested in the salvation of sinners, a glory which could
never be known any other way. He said, of God are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. But according as it is written,
he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. You're not gonna
glory in the Lord until you obtain that glory, and you're not gonna
obtain that glory till you understand what it's about. The resurrection of Christ was
a public declaration of God's acceptance of all that his son
did. Everything that he did, every
claim that he made, every promise that he preached, it's a public declaration, an
undeniable declaration that God is satisfied with his son. That his righteousness alone
is sufficient. sufficient to present his people
not only unblameable, but unreprovable in his sight, that nothing else
is needed to clothe the sinner but the righteousness of Christ. You know, I told you this a few
months ago, you may have forgotten about it, but one verse of scripture
said, if the righteous scarcely be saved, what in the world? What that's saying is righteousness
is infinite. Righteousness, when you get to
the top of righteousness, this is God. This is God. To be saved,
you have to have that righteousness. And the righteous are scarcely
saved as it hits that level that God demands. And that was fulfilled
in Christ. How do I know that? God raised
him from the dead. God raised him from the dead.
He didn't die with his sins, he died with mine. He didn't
die for himself, he died for me. You see what I'm saying?
His righteousness alone is sufficient to present his people unblameable,
unreprovable in his sight. When God raised his son from
the dead, he declared a full, free, and final justification
of all his elect. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect, it's God that justifies. When did he do
that? When he raised his son from the
dead. They're gonna try, Winston. They're
gonna try to lay things at your feet. But who's gonna do it? God justified me. Being justified freely by his
grace, Paul said, through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus,
whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith
in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of our sins.
When God raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead, he declared that
all for whom he lived and died were fully reconciled. They're
reconciled. They're not trying to be reconciled. We're preaching a reconciliation
that was accomplished 2,000 years ago. I'm not trying to get anybody
to reconcile. They're already reconciled. I'm
just trying to preach it. I'm trying to let you in on it. Reconciled. Do you know that when our Lord
entered into heaven, He opened a way to the Father that there's
no veil there. You can walk straight into the
Holy Place. I can take my request straight
to the Father. Straight to Him. Fully reconciled. When God raised the Son of Man
from the dead, he declared a full victory over sin, Satan, death,
and this present world. He's victorious. He's victorious. The world couldn't do anything
with him. Satan couldn't do anything with him. Death couldn't do anything
with him. He's victorious. And you know what it says? When
he raised from the dead, It said he raised us up with him, with
him, and seated us with him at the right hand of God. Read Ephesians
chapter two. That's what the salvation of
grace is all about. Resurrection of Christ was not
just another divine miracle, but rather a declaration of salvation,
redemption accomplished, righteousness established, sinners accepted
in the blood. That's what this resurrection's
about. And then lastly, when God raised up our Lord Jesus
Christ, he declared a guarantee that all for whom he died will
be saved. Huh? He gonna call them? He gonna give them faith? They're
gonna repent, they're gonna believe, they're gonna follow him, they're
gonna submit to him. They're gonna persevere in this
life because they're preserved in Christ. We're not of them
who draw back under perdition. We're of them who believe to
the saving of the soul. All this God did when he raised
his son from the dead. He guaranteed it. Our guarantor
sits at the right hand of God. And he gonna be sure that all
the heirs get their inheritance. He's the guarantor. And then lastly, when God raised
up our Lord Jesus Christ, he declared this guarantee. And
Paul said in Christ, Christ is risen from the dead,
1 Corinthians 15, and become the first fruits of them that
slept. This is, when he raised him from
the dead, he guaranteed that in that final day, he's gonna
raise you. He's gonna raise you from the
dead. I can lay down at the end of my days and rest in peace
knowing that God's gonna raise me from the dead. How could you
possibly know that? How could you know that without
any doubt? Because he raised his son from
the dead. Now here's the thing. Where's
your hope? Huh? Where's your hope? My hope's in him. It's not in
the resurrection. My hope is in him who was raised. That's my hope. If you have that
hope, you have the guarantee of that resurrection. Oh, may
God teach us that. Thank you.