One of the Reasons Jesus came to Die
Jesus Died to Satisfy the Justice of God
Romans 6:23
Let’s start off with a definition of justice so we’ll all be on the same sheet of music.
1. Definition of Justice
Formally, justice is receiving what the law demands. That is, if you break the law; you get what breaking the law demands.
What does God’s law demand? "For the wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23
This is God’s law. You sin. You die. This is the God’s immutable, eternal law. No one can avoid it. No one can sin and escape the demands of this law.
The sentence to everyone who breaks God’s law is death. And all have broken God’s law. All have sinned.
Turn to Romans 3:10-23.
V19 this is what the law says. All the world is guilty before God. Why? V23 because all have sinned and broken the law of God.
We have laws on our books that state certain crimes are punishable by the death penalty.
Where did we get this? God’s laws. God’s laws states, "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed… Gen 9:6
God has given governmental officials power to execute the death penalty. In Romans 13 the apostle Paul states, [government officials] are God's ministers for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for they bear not the sword in vain. They are God's ministers to bring punishment on wrongdoers."vs4
The sword is an instrument of death. Government bears the sword of capital punishment. It is the punishment for wrong-doers.
This is God’s law. The sentence is death. And justice is receiving what the law demands.
2. Demonstration of Justice
This sentence for breaking God’s law was passed down from God as far back as Adam and Eve in the garden.
Right after he created them, He told them do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in the day you eat thereof you shall surely what? Die. Gen. 2:17.
They ate. They broke God law/his command not to eat. They sinned. The wages of sin is what? Death. They died.
Some will say, they didn’t die. They went on to have Cain and Able and other children, Gen 5:5 "And all the days that Adam lived were 930 years: and then he died."
They died and they died immediately after breaking God’s law. Let me show you how they died.
Q -- What happened after they broke God’s law? Gen 3:24 "[God] drove the man out of the garden”
The garden represented the presence of God. Adam sinned and was driven out of the garden…from God’s presence. There was a separation b/ween Adam and God that had not been there before.
What is death? Death is a separation.
When someone dies, a separation takes place. Their soul and spirit depart from their body and we say a death has occurred.
The death that sin produces is a separation from God. Isa 59:2 "… your sins have separated you from your God..."
Wages of sin is death… Sin separates us from God. That’s why "[God] drove the man out of the garden”
The Bible says we are born in sin/as sinners. We’re not sinners because we sin, we sin because we’re sinners.
David said, "I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." Psa 51:5 He’s not saying he was born out of wedlock. He’s saying I was born a sinner.
The Apostle Paul says in Eph 2:1 "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,"
This is why Jesus told Nicodemus you must be born again. You’re born once, physically. You need to be born again spiritually.
Why do we need to be born spiritually? Because we’re dead spiritually. We’re dead spiritually toward God.
When Adam and Eve broke God’s law in the garden they died immediately in their spirit. Their sin separated them from God.
But not only did they die immediately in their spirit, they died progressively in their soul and ultimately in their body. That’s why after 930 years Adam died physically.
They broke God’s law and they died.
3. DEATH OF JUSTICE
When I say the death of justice I’m speaking of Jesus’ death because his death satisfied the Justice of God.
What is justice? Receiving what the law demands.
God’s justice demands death to everyone who sins. That death is eternal separation from God.
The death of Jesus satisfied the justice of God on the behalf of all who believe! Listen to this verse.
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree")," – Gal. 3:13
It says, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.
What is the curse of the law? Death. God’s law says the soul that sins shall die.
"The LORD is just…” Zeph 3:5
That means God must follow the law. He must enforce his law. He must punish those who break his law.
He will not let the guilty go unpunished. What kind of judge would God be if he let the guilty go unpunished?
Because God is just, he must follow the law, enforce the law and punish those who break the law that he has set forth.
We have a problem. We’ve all sinned. Therefore, we all face God’s justice, punishment for sin which is death in hell forever.
There are two options and only two options: 1. We die in our sins and pay the penalty for them which is eternal separation from God in hell, or 2. Jesus dies for our sins satisfying God’s justice and releasing us from the curse of the law.
Gal. 3:13 says Jesus hung on a tree to redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
The reason Jesus hung on the tree and died was to take the curse of our breaking God’s law.
Peter says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh …," - 1Pe 3:18
The justice of God demands death for breaking his law; there-fore, God’s justice demands the death of his Son because there is only one death that God will accept to satisfy his justice on behalf of sinners.
But not only is God just he is also loving. It’s is love for sinners that he sent forth his son to die to meet the demands of his justice.
The apostle John wrote, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Why did he give His one and only son? Because he so loves us.
And it says, if we believe in him we will receive everlasting life. Not death which is what his law and justice demand. Jesus’ death satisfied the demands of God’s law and justice.
Col 2:14 says Jesus "canceled the record of debt that stood b/ween us with its legal demands. …, nailing it to the cross."
Our sins created a record of debt that stood b/ween us and God.
It also says that debt is payable only by death. Jesus nailed that record of debt to the cross and paid it for us.
Pain in full. Hallelujah.
Another translation of Col 2:14 says, "He canceled the record of charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross."
I love this. He canceled the record of the charges against us ….
Some people believe the way to heaven is do more good in life than bad. In the end God just balances the books… if you’ve done more good than bad you make into heaven.
God doesn’t balance the record of charges against us. He cancels the record of charges against us because of Jesus’ death
Our record is cancelled. Jer 31:34 “thus says the LORD. I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
Often a criminal is released from prison because it was later proven he didn’t commit the crime he was originally charged for.
Do you know what happens to his charges upon his release?
His criminal record is expunged. That’s the legal term. Do you know what expunged means? Purged, erased, deleted, removed. As if it never happened.
Jesus died to expunge our record. Our record of offenses against God have been expunged, purged, erased, deleted, removed, canceled. As if they never happened.
They were nailed to the cross. How was it nailed to the cross? On paper? No. On a person, God’s son, Jesus Christ.
His death canceled the record of debt that stood b/ween us and God with its legal demands. …, nailing it to the cross.
His death cancelled the record of charges against us satisfying the justice of God. Our record of sins have been expunged, purged, erased, deleted, removed as if it never happened.
We stand before God forgiven, cleansed. Because of what we did? No. Because of what Jesus did.
To all who believe in him, his death cancels the record of charges against us and we stand before him forgiven, born again, saved, delivered, having eternal life.
Here’s the question. Do you need to come to Christ and have you record of sins purged, forgiven? If you never have you need to.
You need to today. If you will, He will give you life for death. Heaven for hell.
He has taken your punishment for you.
