2CO 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

>>The unspeakable gift of the Father — in giving His only begotten Son — that He should be made sin — that hell deserving sinners "might be made the righteousness of God in him" 2CO 5:21, is the most memorable event of all history.

>>This most blessed plan of salvation through the atonement of Christ was revealed only in part — yet with amazing detail by men whom the Lord raised up as His witnesses, long before its fulfillment.

ACT 7:37-38 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

>>These prophets of Jehovah foretold the miracles the Messiah would perform.

LUK 4:17-19 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

>>They also prophesied that this glorious God Man should be made sin — that we might be the righteousness of God in Him.

ISA 53:3-4 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

>>It was also foretold that our Lord’s labours of love — and the sorrows He endured would terminate in a death of violence and reproach — as sentenced unto death not only by human judgement

ISA 53:10-11 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

>>As our text says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

>>This was decreed by none other than the Triune Jehovah!

ZEC 13:6-7 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

>>The supernatural events that attended Christ’s death — defy any human argument against the true — and full purpose of the atonement.

LUK 23:44-46 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

>>Even those who nailed our Saviour unto the cross conceded that the death of Christ was no ordinary death.

MAR 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

>>While Christ hung upon the cross His enemies could mock and chide Him.

MAT 27:41-43 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

>>These same chief priests also knew Jesus had said He would rise again.

MAT 27:62-65 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

>>These watchmen were the unquestioned witnesses of the resurrection of Christ.

MAT 28:2-4 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

>>It was these same chief priests who persuaded the Jews to believe that "the last error shall be worse than the first."

MAT 28:12-14 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,

13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

>>The full satisfaction of the justice of God in the atonement made on Calvary’s cross — whereby "we might be made the righteousness of God in him,"

>>was further verified by Christ’s several appearances in the forty days after His resurrection — and His return into heaven before their very eyes.

ACT 1:6-9 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

>>The eternal wonder of Christ’s atonement becomes so manifest as these things that were written beforehand are fulfilled.

ACT 2:16-18 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

>>The attention of Jews and Gentiles were excited — multitudes were prevailed upon to acknowledge the death and resurrection of Christ as the Messiah.

ACT 2:7-11 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

>>The eternal wonder of Christ’s atonement — being made "…sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," was the central theme of the preaching of the apostles.

1CO 2:1-2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

>>This blessed Substitutionary death of our blessed Lord is the very foundation of any hope — we as hell deserving wretches may have — of standing righteous before our God.

ROM 4:23-25 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

>>The death and resurrection of our blessed Substitute — Who was made "to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," is not only the central theme of all apostolic teaching

>>The very heavens shall eternally ring with the anthems of the heavenly symphony — as the angels — and the redeemed shall sing of the eternal wonder of the atonement of our Christ.

REV 5:11-13 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

>>This blessed freewill offering of Christ — giving Himself to be made sin, "…who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," shall be the theme of His exultation — as we eternally cast our crowns at His feet.

REV 15:2-3 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb [recorded in REV 5:11-13], saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

>>As we attempt to speak about the eternal wonder of Christ’s atonement — how can we but stand in holy awe at the authority the Father has given Him as the reward for His humble obedience — and heed His blessed invitation recorded in MAT 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

>>It is so awesome to think our blessed God has condescended — not only to give the unspeakable gift of His Son — "that we might be made the righteousness of God in him," but also that He should reveal why He has done so!!!

ROM 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

>>May our blessed God and eternal Father give each of us the grace to understand the exceeding sinful nature of sin — that we may desire to live to the Honour of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the way of humble obedience unto the gospel.

1CO 1:26-29 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

>>They were not the educated theologians that Christ called to proclaim the wonders of His atonement.

ACT 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

>>Yet with all their enmity against the truth — they had to admit: ACT 4:16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

>>Our text says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."