The LORD Our Righteousness!

Throughout the Old Testament, God described to His people His righteousness, and commanded righteousness for His people. They could never attain righteousness, but were always rebelling and disobeying God's righteous commands.

Several times, God promises that He will bring his Righteousness and His salvation to Israel, where He promises it will be seen by them.

In Jeremiah, God promised a son of David who would be God Himself, Messiah, Who would save His people. He would be called the LORD our Righteousness!

This text clearly foretells God's imputation of Christ's Righteousness to His people, because they would see Righteousness in the very person of Messiah, and His Righteousness would be called His people's Righteousness!

Thus, if we wish to see Righteousness, we are to look to Jesus. More astounding, if we wish to see our righteousness, we are to look to Jesus.

Thus, our Lord Jesus personifies Righteousness and Salvation. His very person and body are Righteousness and Salvation to everyone who trusts in Him!

But when Jesus came, almost nobody recognized Righteousness and Salvation in Him. Just as Isaiah had warned, there was no beauty in Him that mankind would desire Him.

Simeon saw the Salvation when he saw the baby Jesus, and he rejoiced to God for it. Paul confirms that Jesus is our Righteousness and wisdom and redemption and sanctification.

The bitter irony of this is that the One Who is Righteousness clasped to His bosom the sin of His people! He owned our sins at Calvary and was treated as unrighteous in the judgment.

By doing so, the perfection of His Righteousness is clearly seen: He worked the greatest love by laying down His life!