• 21 – There is a way to be righteous apart from perfectly following the law, and the O.T. (i.e. Law & Prophets) speak of it
    • Luke 9:30-31 – Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) testified “of His decease” (Luke 9:31)
  • 22 – The answer is…faith in Jesus!  All people have access to this.
    • 23 – All people need access to this.  Why?  because God’s glory is suffering
      • note: emphasis is not on man’s happiness, but on God’s glory – Luke 15 speaks of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son, and the joy the owner receives through finding these items…again, emphasis is on joy of owner (i.e. God) in receiving back what was rightfully His
  • 24 – Justification comes from God’s grace which is shown through Christ’s redemption/sacrifice
  • 25 – propitiation = appeasing God’s wrath
    • “by His blood…God had passed over the sins that were previously committed”
      • Exodus 12 – Passover (see also 1 Cor. 5:7)
        • Ex. 11:4 – At midnight death would be in every household in Egypt (compare Matt. 25:6) = JUDGMENT
        • Ex. 12:5 – “lamb…without blemish” (see 1 Pet. 1:19)
        • Ex. 12:46 – bones could not be broken (compare John 19:33)
        • Ex. 12:7 – blood applied to outside of house
        • Ex. 12:12-13 – If there was blood, God did not bring death to the house
          • At midnight, every house had death – either a dead lamb or dead human beings
        • Ex. 12:14 – “everlasting ordinance” – continues to be celebrated today through Jesus
      • Many other offerings throughout O.T. that required blood, pointing to various aspects of the work of the Cross
    • “through faith” – it can only be received through faith
      • “they shall TAKE some of the blood and PUT IT on the two doorposts and on the lintel” (Ex. 12:7) – though the lamb was slaughtered and blood shed, it had to be applied (i.e. taken and put) for the judgment to pass over them.  Similarly, though Christ died for our sins, we have to receive this work by faith to give God glory and escape his wrath
  • 25-26 – “demonstrate His righteousness” – God remains just by giving the penalty of sin (i.e. His wrath) to His Son, so that those who believe in Christ escape this
  • 27 – No one can boast that their works saved them
  • 29-30 – this applies equally to those who were circumcised in the flesh (i.e. natural Jews) and those who were not (i.e. natural Gentiles)
  • 31 – Faith in Christ does not abolish the law (see Matt. 5:17).  Instead, it is the only satisfactory way humans can fulfill the law
    • Since Christ perfectly fulfilled the law, when people put faith in Him and His work, they are said to be “in Christ” (e.g. 1 Cor. 1:30).  Thereby, they are judged by the thing that covers them (i.e. Christ), and can said to be perfectly fulfilling the law when their position is in Him through faith.  Not that they did the works themselves, but they put faith in the One who did!