did your fathers not persecute?
And they killed those who foretold
the coming of the Just One,
of whom you now have become
the betrayers and murderers.
Stephen preached a convicting sermon to those ready to kill him (Acts 7:1-53). The Jewish leaders stoned Stephen, just as they had been responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. Stephen said that the coming of Jesus, the Just One, was foretold in Scripture. Stephen was suggesting that Jesus was not guilty, and that He had been crucified unjustly. Jesus did not die because He broke a law; rather, His death was a substitute for everyone who had broken the Law. Jesus died on the cross so that people wouldn’t have to die eternally in Hell.
Lord Jesus, You are the Just One, who died for me. Thank You for taking my place.
The title “Just” comes from the Greek word dikaios, which also can be translated as “righteous.” Jesus was always right—He never sinned. He was right in character and actions. The Father made Jesus, who never sinned, to become our sin, so we might have His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). There is a double transfer in this verse. First, our sins were transferred to the sinless One; and second, His righteousness was transferred to us. It’s not just enough to have your sins forgiven to go to Heaven; you must be good—or in the words of this verse, you must be righteous. In His substitution for us, Jesus, the Just One, did two things: He took away our sin (subtraction), and He gave us His righteousness (addition).
Lord Jesus, You came into my heart to take away my sins and give me Your righteousness. You made me “good enough” for Heaven. Amen.
Jesus makes us "good enough" to go to Heaven.
