Sinners Declared Just by Christ’s Work Alone

"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." (Isaiah 53:11)

The justification of sinners (God declaring them righteous) was entirely accomplished by the LORD Jesus as God’s Servant for the salvation of His people. Note the three parts of Christ’s work that He accomplished to the satisfaction of God the Father:

Satisfaction through His Suffering: He shall see the travail of His soul and be satisfied. This refers to God the Father finding satisfaction in the effect of Christ's suffering. The satisfaction for those given to Him by the Father was fully achieved in the righteousness earned and established by the LORD Jesus for His people.

Justification through His Knowledge: By His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. Christ justifies many, the elect. While many claim their knowledge of Christ as their justification before God, here, the justification is attributed to Christ knowing them and revealing Himself in them—those for whom He sacrificed Himself. Knowing Christ is the evidence of eternal life procured and revealed by Christ Himself, John 17:3. His knowledge of the Father is the reason He came to save and justify those given to Him by the Father, John 17:25. Through His understanding of God’s law and justice, He satisfied the Father on behalf of those for whom He paid the debt and now reveals in them His justifying Grace by His Spirit.

Bearing Their Iniquities: For He shall bear their iniquities. For God the Father to justify those given to His Son to represent, Christ had to bear away their sins. Once He paid for the sins of the elect through His shed blood unto death, only righteousness remained to be imputed to their account. The removal of sin and the subsequent justification of His people were simultaneous, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

The rejection of how the Scriptures reveal God’s justifying work by Christ stems only from the sinful, blind pride of the heart. Pride dictates, “I must fulfill certain conditions to obtain it.” Unbelief opposes and refuses to acknowledge without conditions what Christ has achieved. All the evil inherent in the fallen, depraved nature opposes the free and complete justification by God’s Grace in the death of Christ alone. But praise God! He does not leave in rebellion and unbelief those He has already justified. Instead, He turns their hearts from seeking deliverance through their works or presumed faith to rest in Christ and His finished work alone, John 6:37.