25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Verse 25 has two parallel clauses and gives two causal factors important to our salvation:
The death of Christ to pay for our sin.
The resurrection of Christ to guarantee our resurrection and ultimate life with God.
25 who [Jesus] was delivered up [judicially by God] because of [cause] our offenses [transgressions],
The death of Jesus as payment for our sins is the principle place in God’s economy of salvation. We cannot have justification or imputation of God’s righteousness to our account without it.
“Delivered up” means handed over. God deliberately handed over Jesus to die for our sins. This was a judicial act of God to deal with our transgressions. Jesus paid the sentence of death for our sins. Neither the Jews nor the Romans ultimately “delivered up” Jesus to be crucified—God Himself did it. He did it from eternity (Re 13:8). All other circumstances are irrelevant. Jesus’ death was in the declarative counsel of God. The entire emphasis is on the work of the Father. As a judge hands over a murderer to be executed, so the Father handed Jesus over to be executed for our transgressions.
Is 53:10, Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Ro 8:32, He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Acts 2:22-23, 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Note the repetition of “because of” in this phrase and the next. These two clauses are set up as parallel statements. This causal statement has to do with God delivering Jesus to pay for our transgressions on the cross. To transgress is to cross over, or violate. It also carries the idea of to deviate from the right path. We violated God’s standards and that makes us transgressors.
Principle:
The death of Christ is the central place in God’s economy.
Application:
Jesus brings us face-to-face with the Father who justifies us. We put our trust in the work of Jesus on the cross in order to fellowship with God eternally.
