(Photo by Michael Heuser on Unsplash. Berean Standard Bible.)
Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Pacific.
In Lesson 71, we are going to study the 1st part of 1 John 2:29.
Let’s read this part of the verse.
1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous...
Let’s go over the definitions of the words.
If (1437. ean) — means provided that or on the condition that.
You know (1492. eidó) — means that you know as a fact, beyond all doubt, with full certainty.
That He is righteous (3754. hoti) (1510. eimi) (1342. dikaios) — means since Jesus is innocent, holy, upright, approved by God, just in the eyes of God, and perfectly conformed to God’s standard.
Today’s lesson is about knowing Jesus as the Righteous One. To know that He is righteous, we must see that His righteousness is not only what He does but who He is. Everything He says, thinks, and does flows from His perfect nature.
As we go through this lesson, we will see how the Bible reveals the righteousness of Jesus in His nature, in His perfect obedience, in His bearing of our sin so that we might become the righteousness of God, in His role as our righteous High Priest, and in His example of moral righteousness.
We will look at each of these areas in more detail to understand what Scripture teaches about the righteousness of Jesus.
Jesus is the Lord Our Righteousness
In Jeremiah 23:5-6 we find a prophecy about the coming of Jesus. He is described as the righteous Branch who will come from the line of David. He will reign as King and will rule with wisdom, justice, and righteousness. His name will be called The Lord Our Righteousness, revealing that He Himself is the source of our righteousness.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
Jesus is the Righteous One
In 1 John 2:1 we learn that Jesus Christ is our advocate before the Father when we sin. He is able to intercede for us because He alone is perfectly righteous, completely just, sinless, and morally pure. His advocacy is not based on our merit but on His own righteousness, which satisfies God’s justice. (See Lesson 20)
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Jesus is righteous by nature.
In 1 John 3:5 we read that there is no sin in Jesus. He is pure and incapable of moral corruption. Jesus is the only one that can take away sins.
1 John 3:5 And you know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
Jesus fulfilled all righteousness through obedience.
In Romans 5:18-19, we learn that through the obedience of Jesus and His one act of righteousness, which was His willing sacrifice on the cross, we can be made righteous and justified before God.
Romans 5:18-19 So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Jesus bore our sin, so we might become the righteousness of God.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we learn that Jesus knew no sin. He was completely sinless and righteous by nature. God made the One who was without sin to bear our sin, so that through His righteousness we might become the righteousness of God. It is only through a perfectly righteous substitute that we can be made right with God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus is the righteous High Priest.
In Hebrews 4:14-16, we learn that because of Jesus’ sinlessness, He is qualified to sympathize with our weakness. He is both human and perfectly righteous. Because of the righteousness of Jesus, believers can approach God confidently in order to receive mercy and grace.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus is the example of moral righteousness.
In 1 John 2:6 we learn that to abide in Christ means to walk as Jesus walked. This involves imitating His actions, attitudes, and character, following His example in love, humility, obedience, and righteousness. To do this, we must spend time learning from His life in Scripture and rely on the Holy Spirit to empower us to live as He lived. (See Lesson 29)
1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
In conclusion, we have seen that Jesus is the Righteous One. His righteousness is not something He earned but something that defines who He is. He is righteous by nature, perfectly obedient in life and in death, our righteous High Priest, and the perfect example of moral righteousness for every believer to follow.
Because Jesus is righteous, we can be made righteous through faith in Him. His righteousness becomes our own when we abide in Him. May this truth inspire us to worship Him with gratitude, walk in obedience, and depend daily on His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to live in a way that reflects His righteousness to the world.
Here’s a simple prayer to help you respond to today’s lesson.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being perfectly righteous, pure, and holy. Thank You for bearing our sins so that through Your righteousness we can be made right with God. Help us to abide in You, to follow Your example, and to walk in obedience and love by the power of Your Spirit. Amen.
Let’s read our verse, one more time.
1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous...
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Listen to these lessons over and over again.
Meditate on God’s Word throughout the day. Pray continually. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
If you have any prayer requests, please share them in the comments.
Thank you and God bless you.
Jeff M Newman
