With Jesus For All Eternity – Post SWO26 Bible Study

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

John 19:30

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

What’s The Point?

“What’s the point?” is a funny question to ask about this topic because being with Jesus for all eternity is the point! It’s the reason for our existence. We were created to be with God, enjoy him, and worship him forever. We sinned and broke that eternal relationship and came under the curse of death. Now, Christ has made a way for us to have restored fellowship with the Father. It is not an exaggeration to say that dwelling with our Lord for all eternity is our purpose.

The two verses we are looking at today are short in length but massive in significance. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 first.

Jesus, who was perfect and without sin, became sin. He was sent by God on this mission so that he could give us the righteousness of God. We need God’s righteousness because we cannot produce righteousness on our own. In fact, Isaiah says, “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). The best thing we can produce from ourselves is filth. How do we get God’s righteousness?

The simple answer is: Jesus takes our badness and gives us his goodness. He took upon himself all of our sin and gave us his righteousness in return. He took those polluted garments we were wearing and clothed us in robes of white. And notice the language Paul uses—Jesus was made sin and we become righteousness. Our identity is permanently changed because Jesus was willing to change his identity to be like us. This was all done “for our sake,” for our good, for the purpose that God had originally planned for us.

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Side Note: The word made, in this verse, is not telling us that Jesus was created by God or that Jesus was forced to do something by God the Father. Jesus is the eternal second person of the Trinity, and he did this out of obedience to the Father but still of his own will. Hebrews 12:2 says that he endured the cross “for the joy that was set before him.”

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Now let’s focus on John 19:30, specifically, the words, “It is finished.” These may be the greatest words a human has ever uttered! In Greek, the language the New Testament was originally written in, these three words are just one word: tetelestai. This word means something has been perfected or brought to completion. Jesus was not just proclaiming he was ready to die; he was proclaiming that all the work he came to do was completed.

The law we could not obey had now been perfectly obeyed. All the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled. The sacrificial system that God gave Israel was now unnecessary because a perfect sacrifice had been made. Jesus lived in our place, died in our place, and now we can dwell with him for eternity.

Because the work is finished we cannot add to it. There is nothing that needs to be added—it is perfect. Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross means that he took our place and bore our punishment in such a way that our debt is paid. We would have been under God’s wrath for all of eternity, but instead, because of Jesus’ death we get to dwell with him in glory forever and ever.

When Jesus died something significant happened physically in the temple there in Jerusalem. “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51). The curtain Matthew is referring to is the veil that divided the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple.

The Most Holy Place is where the priest would enter once a year on the Day of Atonement to atone for the nation’s sins. This is where God’s presence dwelled in the temple. The veil being torn in two represents an end of the Old Testament sacrificial system; it is no longer necessary. A better sacrifice has been made. The torn veil also represents God’s presence no longer dwelling in the temple, but now he is able to dwell with his people through Jesus’ sacrifice. Rather than one priest going once a year before the Lord, now all who confess Jesus as their savior can boldly approach God whenever they are in need (Hebrews 4:16).

Christ took our place. He lived a perfect, sinless life for us and died a terrible death in our place, so we can have confidence through our faith in him and dwell with God for the rest of eternity.

Scripture Memorization

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Prayer

Jesus, I praise you because you are good and you are able to accomplish everything necessary for my salvation. Thank you for bearing the burden that would have crushed me. Thank you for finishing the work that I could never complete. Help me to identify with you rather than with my sin. Help me to love your righteousness more than I love my own sin. Help me to long for eternal life with you more than the pleasures of this world.

Reflection + Discussion

1. Why is it important to understand that we cannot earn righteousness on our own? How do people sometimes try to earn God’s approval today?
2.  How would you explain the idea that Jesus takes our badness and we get his goodness to a friend who has never heard the Gospel before?
3. The temple curtain tearing in two showed that people could now approach God through Jesus. How does knowing you can boldly come to God affect the way you pray?
4. What are some ways we try to find purpose, identity, or fulfillment apart from God? Why do those things ultimately fall short?