“If God is for us” (6)
[Romans 8:31-34]
Last week, we meditated on Romans 8:33b-34a, “… It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?” Whoever God justifies can never be condemned. In John 8:3-11, the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, put her in the center of the court (v. 3) and said to Jesus: “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” (vv. 4-5) They asked this question in order to find an excuse to test Jesus and accuse him (v. 6). In conclusion, Jesus said to the woman: “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you? … I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more” (vv. 10-11). If Jesus did not condemn her, who would dare to accuse and condemn her? On one! Never! It is God who justifies, and who is the one who condemns? (Rom. 8:33b-34a) No one! Never!
Look at Romans 8:34 – “… Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, ….” This Bible verse speak of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is the gospel of the gospel and the core of the gospel. If you just believe in this gospel, you will be saved abundantly. Today, we are going to meditate on the death of Jesus, and next week we will meditate on the resurrection of Jesus. Look at 1 Corinthians 15:2-4: “by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” Here, “the word which I preached” refer to the gospel of Jesus Christ preached by the Apostle Paul. If you believe only in this gospel of Jesus Christ, you will be saved (v. 2). The Apostle Paul spoke of the gospel of Jesus Christ in verses 3-4: “… Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (vv. 3-4). This 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 about Jesus Christ, who died according to the Scriptures and rose again according to the Scriptures, refers to Christ Jesus who died and rose again according to today's text in Romans 8:34. Here, the word “according to the Scriptures” (appears twice) refers to the Old Testament. In other words, it means that Jesus Christ died and rose again in the New Testament just as the Old Testament prophesied about Jesus Christ.
First, let us consider the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the death of Jesus Christ.
Look at Deuteronomy 21:23 – “his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.” This prophecy is a prophecy that Jesus Christ will be hung on the tree, that is the cross. What is particularly important in the word of this prophecy is the fact that those who hung on the tree (the cross) were cursed by God. Look at Matthew 27:35, 38: “When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. … Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.” This is the word that tells the fulfillment of the prophecy in Deuteronomy 21:23 that Jesus Christ (Messiah) would die on the cross, the tree, was fulfilled. The fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross, the tree, from the Jewish point of view of Deuteronomy 21:23, means that Jesus Christ was cursed by God. In other words, the reason why the Jews at the time of Jesus cried out loudly to crucify Jesus (Jn. 19:6) was because they believed that Jesus committed sins of blasphemy (Mt. 26:65; Note: Jn. 10:33, 36) and also sin of blaspheming the temple (Jn. 2:19). Look at Galatians 3:13 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”
Look at Psalms 22:16 – “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.” This prophecy is a prophecy that Jesus Christ would be crucified with His hands and feet. Look at Mark 15:24-25: “And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. It was the third hour when they crucified Him.” Jesus was crucified according to the prophecy of Psalms 22:16 that Jesus was pierced for our transgressions (Isa. 53:5).
Look at Zechariah 12:10 – “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” The word of this prophecy was prophesied that Jesus Christ would be pierced in the side. Look at John 19:34 – “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” This is the word of a soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a spear according to the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10.
Look at Psalms 22:7 – “All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying.” The word of this prophecy was prophesied that they would insult Jesus Christ on the cross, pout their lips, and wag their heads. Look at Matthew 27:39-42: “And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, ’You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.’” This word tells the fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalms 22:7.
Look at Psalms 22:1 – “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.” This prophecy is a prophecy that Jesus Christ would be forsaken. Look at Matthew 27:46 – “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’--which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” According to the prophecy of Psalms 22:1, this verse also tells us that the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, was forsaken by God the Father.
Look at Isaiah 53:8 – “By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?” Here, the phrase “was cut off out of the land of the living” refers to death. The word of this prophecy prophesied that Jesus Christ (Messiah) would die. Look at John 19:30 – “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” This verse tells us that Jesus Christ died on the cross according to the prophecy of Isaiah 53:8.
Look at Psalms 34:20 – “He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.” This prophecy is a prophecy that Jesus Christ's bones would not be broken when He died on the cross. Look at John 19:36 – “These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’” This word tells the fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalms 34:20.
Next, I would like to consider the prophecies in the Old Testament that the death of Jesus Christ would die for our sins and be buried.
(1) It is a prophecy that Jesus Christ died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3).
Look at Isaiah 53:5-6: ”But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” These words of this prophecy are that the reason Jesus was pierced, bruised, and whipped was “for our iniquities.” Also, the words of this prophecy are that God has laid the iniquity of all of us on Jesus Christ.
(2) It is a prophecy that Jesus Christ will be buried (1 Cor. 15:4).
Look at Isaiah 53:9 – “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.” This prophecy is a prophecy that after the death of Jesus Christ His tomb will be with the rich man. Look at Matthew 27:57-60: “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” These words tell us that Jesus was with the rich Joseph because the body of Jesus was placed in the new tomb of the rich Joseph according to the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9.
In this way, Jesus Christ died and was buried for us according to the Scriptures. Jesus died as a ransom for us, and we also died with him. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:14 – “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died.” Since one man, Jesus Christ, died for all, all are dead. Look at Romans 6:6 – “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” Look at Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Because Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3), our sins were forgiven and we received redemption.