In Matt. 27 we see a contrast between man’s unrighteousness and God’s righteousness. In the crucifixion of Christ, man’s unrighteousness turns into God’s righteousness. We need to see this matter very clearly.
As we pointed out in the previous message, the Lord Jesus was on the cross for six hours. During the first three hours, He was dealt with by man, and during the second three hours, He was dealt with by God. Everything man did to the Lord Jesus in chapter twenty-seven was unrighteous. Not only was Pilate unrighteous toward the Lord Jesus, but the Jewish leaders were also unrighteous toward Him. They arrested Christ in an unrighteous way, and they also judged and bound Him in an unrighteous way. Everything the religious leaders did to the Lord was unrighteous. Judas, of course, was also unrighteous in betraying the Lord Jesus. The Roman soldiers also treated Him unrighteously. Their mocking, spitting, and beating were unrighteous. Furthermore, they unrighteously forced Simon of Cyrene to bear the Lord’s cross. Thus, on man’s side, there was nothing righteous.
Praise God that man’s unrighteousness turned into God’s righteousness! Man could only go so far. He could mistreat the Lord and put Him on the cross as the Passover Lamb. Everything man did to the Lord Jesus set the stage for God’s righteousness to come in. On man’s side, everything was black, but on God’s side, everything was white. On man’s side, everything was unrighteous, but on God’s side, everything was righteous. Man’s unrighteousness prepared the way for God’s righteousness to be fully manifested. In this way, man’s unrighteousness turned into God’s righteousness. In the crucifixion of Christ, man’s unrighteousness was fully exposed; yet it brought in God’s righteousness. Thus, the killing of Christ was the first way through which man’s unrighteousness brought in God’s righteousness.
However, this was not the basic way. The basic way in which man’s unrighteousness turned into God’s righteousness was through Christ. In turning man’s unrighteousness into God’s righteousness, Christ first exposed man’s unrighteousness to the uttermost. In all of human history there has not been a case in which man’s unrighteousness has been as totally exposed as in the crucifixion of Christ. As we all know, there is unrighteousness in the judicial branch of any earthly government. But no earthly court has seen as much unrighteousness as was exposed in the case of the trial and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus completely exposed human unrighteousness. We have seen that the Lord’s betrayal at the hands of Judas was unrighteous. The elders, the high priests, and the Sanhedrin all were unrighteous. Thus, the case of the crucifixion of Christ was unique in being filled with unrighteousness. Nearly everyone involved with His case was unrighteous. In every way and in every aspect, it was unrighteous. The very presence of Christ in this unrighteous situation was a full exposure of man’s unrighteousness.
Secondly, the Christ who exposed man’s unrighteousness to the uttermost also bore all the unrighteousness He had exposed. He firstly exposed man’s unrighteousness and then He bore it on the cross. This is like housecleaning. If you do not clean, you may not see the dust hidden under the furniture. In cleaning a room the dust is firstly exposed. Then it is swept into the dustpan. Likewise, on the day of the Passover, the Lord Jesus firstly exposed all the “dust,” all of man’s unrighteousness. Then He cleaned up the “dust” He had exposed. Oh, the very presence of the Lord Jesus exposed every particle of hidden “dust” in the whole universe. Eventually, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself became the “dustpan,” and all the “dust” was collected upon Him. During the first three hours He was on the cross, the time of man’s dealing with Him, all the sins, all the unrighteousness, all the universal “dust,” were put on Him. As He hung there on the cross, He was the universal “dustpan” into which all the “dust” in the universe had been gathered. Thus, after all man’s unrighteousness had been exposed, it was borne by Christ on the cross. This made everything ready for the righteous God to come in to judge the unrighteous ones and all their unrighteousness.
Without the black, the white could not be clearly manifest. Because all the “dust,” all man’s unrighteousness, was put on the cross, the stage was prepared for God’s righteousness to be revealed. If there had not been so much unrighteousness, it would not have been possible for so much righteousness to be manifested. The complete unrighteousness of mankind was heaped upon the Lord on the cross so that God’s righteousness could be manifested. The righteous God came in to exercise His righteousness by judging all this unrighteousness. This is the reason that through Christ man’s unrighteousness eventually turned into God’s righteousness. By this we have been saved.
Christ was the turning point. Man’s unrighteousness turned into God’s righteousness through Christ. Firstly, Christ exposed man’s unrighteousness, and then for judgment by God’s righteousness He bore upon Himself all of man’s unrighteousness that He had exposed. Today are you still in man’s unrighteousness, or are you now under God’s righteousness? Hallelujah, we, the saved ones, are under God’s righteousness!
This matter of righteousness is a crucial aspect of the truth of the gospel. This is very basic, for it is our ground and basis for being saved. Our salvation rests upon the solid rock of God’s righteousness. Romans 1:16 and 17 say, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes, both to Jew first and to Greek. For the righteousness of God is revealed in it out of faith to faith.” Because of God’s righteousness, the gospel is powerful to save everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus. The gospel of Christ is so powerful not because of God’s love nor because of God’s grace, but because of God’s righteousness.
Legally speaking, both love and grace can fluctuate, but righteousness, especially God’s righteousness, cannot. Madame Guyon once said that even if God wanted to change His mind regarding her salvation, He could not do it because He had already judged her on the cross. Through Christ our substitute, we have already been judged according to righteousness on the cross. Therefore, God must save us. God is a just God. Because He has already righteously dealt with us judicially, He is now obligated to save us. We can boldly say to Him, “God, I do not speak now of Your love or of Your grace, but of Your righteousness. I appeal to You regarding Your righteousness. According to Your righteousness, You must save me. If You do not save me, it means that You are unrighteous.” If we say this to God, He will reply, “I surely must save you.”
Nothing binds God as much as His righteousness. Psalm 89:14 says, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne” (A.S.V.). If God’s righteousness could be taken away, His throne would be cast down. We can say, “Praise the Lord! Even if God wants to change His mind, He cannot do it because He is a just God!” How meaningful this is!
Righteousness, or justice, is a judicial matter. Love, on the contrary, is a matter of the emotion. If I love you, I may choose to pay attention to you. But if I do not love you, I may simply forget about you. Many Christians like to quote John 3:16, the verse that says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Yes, God has so loved the world, but His love is not as firm as His righteousness. God, of course, will not change in His love. But suppose His love did change. God has the right to change in His love, but He does not have the right to change in His righteousness. Whether God loves us or gives us up, He is not wrong. He also would not be wrong in showing grace to us or in not showing grace to us. Grace is a matter of God’s wish. In Matthew 20 the Lord told Peter that He wanted to give the same reward to the last as to the first. This is a matter of the Lord’s wish, and there is nothing wrong with it. But righteousness is a matter neither of emotion nor of wish; it is a judicial matter. A judicial matter is related to the execution of the law, to legislation. God’s gospel is altogether a judicial matter, a matter of divine legislation. God has saved us judicially. Of course, God’s salvation is initiated by His love and accomplished through His grace. Eventually, however, it issues in His righteousness. Therefore, the salvation we have received today is not merely a matter of love or of grace, but also a judicial matter of God’s righteousness. Our salvation has been sealed and confirmed by God’s righteousness. Now not even God Himself can change our salvation.
It is upon this righteousness that the kingdom of God is built. Have you seen the contrast between man’s unrighteousness and God’s righteousness, between man’s kingdom and God’s kingdom? Man’s kingdom is not built upon righteousness. This fact was fully exposed in the way Pilate, the Roman governor, dealt with the Lord Jesus. In chapter twenty-six Matthew fully exposed the weakness of Peter’s natural life, and in chapter twenty-seven he exposed man’s unrighteousness. Man’s unrighteousness is even seen after the burial of Christ. The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together to Pilate and said to him, “Sir, we remembered that that deceiver said, while he was still living, After three days I will arise. Command therefore that the grave be secured until the third day, lest the disciples come and steal him away and say to the people, He was raised from the dead; and the last deception will be worse than the first” (27:63-64). Pilate replied, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how” (v. 65). Pilate’s answer to the chief priests and Pharisees was unrighteous. Later, in 28:11-15, the chief priests and the elders bribed the soldiers, paying them to lie about the resurrection of Christ. This shows that the Roman soldiers also were unrighteous. Thus, regarding man’s government, the record is filled with unrighteousness. This exposes the fact that man’s government is built upon unrighteousness. But God’s government is built upon righteousness. Righteousness is the solid foundation of God’s kingdom. We are saved under God’s righteousness. Therefore, the foundation of our salvation is solid.
In chapter twenty-seven we have seen man’s unrighteousness and God’s righteousness. Praise the Lord that eventually man’s unrighteousness turned into God’s righteousness! We used to be in man’s unrighteousness, but now we are under God’s righteousness and in God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is the kingdom of righteousness, and we are the righteous people in His kingdom.
