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Romans 5:1-11

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This text is simply laying out what Jesus has done for you. While you were weak, while you were ungodly, while you were still a sinner, while you were an enemy of God – Christ died for you. Jesus didn’t die for anyone righteous; He didn’t suffer for anyone who is good.

Jesus died for you who are fighting against God. Jesus died for rebels raging against their Creator. That is me and that is you.

We imagine our problems are one of a thousand earthly problems. Scripture says that we are not even capable of knowing or diagnosing our real problem (Ro. 7:15). We invent other problems then call them all our real problems. That is why we need God’s Word to tell us again and again that our real problem is hatred of God. And not just that, you need God’s Word to constantly tell you that Jesus’ blood and death rescued you from your hatred of God.

Jesus has rescued you from the real problem that you didn’t even know was your problem. And it worked!

How do you know it worked? The evidence that it worked is not seen when you are somehow more moral, or a little better each day. You don’t see that it worked because you are happier or you ‘experience’ Jesus more and more – whatever that means.

You know the cross actually did what Jesus said it did by the fact that the Father raised Him out of the grave three days after we killed Him on that dark Friday afternoon.

In our Gospel text (Mk. 8:27-38), we see Jesus saying He is on His way to Jerusalem, on His way to rejection, on His way to suffering, on His way to death. In all four Gospels, we see a Jesus who is determined to go to the cross. I forget who, but someone has said, the Gospels are accounts of Jesus’ Passion with really long introductions. True, true.

There is no Jesus, the good teacher. There is no Jesus, the miracle worker (even though Jesus actually did those miracles). There is no Jesus, our example. There is only crucified Jesus. If you do not know Jesus as God-in-the-flesh crucified for you, you don’t know the Jesus of the Gospels. And any sermon or teaching about Jesus that isn’t about crucified, dead, and risen Jesus is no Christian sermon.

My problem and your problem isn’t that we feel guilty before God. Our problem is that we are guilty before God – whether we feel it or not. You and I, all of us, we stand justly condemned before God.

The verdict is in. “Guilty.”

The sentence has been pronounced. “Death.” There is no possibility of appeal. We sit on death row waiting for the judgment to fall.

But then, Scripture steps in and declares that judgment fell already. Two-thousand years ago, your death sentence was carried out. Jesus stepped in between you and your enemy. Jesus, the Son of God, stepped between you and God, your enemy. Jesus shoved you out of the way to safety. He bore your sins in His body. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for you.

Jesus didn’t die for those who needed a little convincing that God really loved them. Jesus didn’t die for those who want to improve their life, career, marriage, or work habits. Jesus died only for God’s enemies. Sin makes you a God-hater. Jesus died only for those who hated God. Jesus says “The light has come into the world, and people (that’s you and me) loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (Jn. 3:19).

Only those who are sick need a physician. Only sinners need forgiveness. Only those who are dead need a resurrection. If you don’t need forgiveness or resurrection, if you don’t need peace with God, than Jesus has nothing to offer you that you don’t already have.

But Jesus has come for you whether you like it or not. God has demonstrated His love for you God-haters. Jesus has brought God’s love to you. Jesus has washed you in His life. He feeds you His love. He has made you His own child. Therefore, you now have peace – peace with God. The peace you have with God is all because of Jesus’ action, Jesus’ doing, Jesus’ dying for you.

You have peace with God and access to God because you stand in grace. You stand in Jesus. You stand where God pours His love into your hearts. Here, at this altar, in this bread, in this wine is Jesus. Here, God’s love is poured on you. Be at peace. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.