Romans 4:24b-25

Beloved of God,

I hope that all of you who were able to listen to Michael Vogel’s sermon online sermon this morning were as blessed as Ann and I were. Thank you, Michael.

My own evening meditation for today begins with the recognition that this is the fifth and final Sunday in Lent. Traditionally, Lent is the season in which we as Christians get honest with God about our sinfulness. We do so by way of preparation for the Easter season when, as Michael reminded us, the suffering of Good Friday leads to the joy of Easter Sunday.

Today’s short passage focuses us on our sins, on Christ’s resurrection, and on the link between them. It reminds us that Christians are those “who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:24b-25).

Jesus was “delivered up for our trespasses.” In Lent, are reminded of our brokenness, but we are also led to thank God for the great love that he showed us in Christ by being willing to absorb the full penalty for our sins in himself. We are sinners, yes, but we don’t face divine condemnation. God has already taken the full penalty on himself. We are free to be honest with God because we know that every last soiled tatter of sin we dredge up has already been fully and forever forgiven at the cross.

But, how do we know that Christ’s sacrifice was truly sufficient to do away with the judgment we deserve? Or, to use Paul’s own language, how do we know that we are “justified,” declared wholly righteous in God’s sight, because of what Christ accomplished on the cross? The answer given by Paul is that Jesus was “raised for our justification.” Christ rose from the dead. If his death had been inadequate, he would have stayed dead. The resurrection is an emphatic divine affirmation of Christ’s own words on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). The penalty has been fully paid.

We are able, therefore, to face our sins during Lent, to know that we are fully forgiven, and to look forward, beyond the cross, to the resurrection. We are able to look beyond suffering to the joy that lies ahead. And, as we do so, we can remember—as Michael reminded us—that this is how our God works in all circumstances. Not only can we look beyond the cross to the resurrection, but we can also look beyond COVID-19 to the promise of the God who raised Jesus from the dead: in Christ, we too have eternal life (John 3:16).

Peace,

Max