“Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25).  “Delivered” primarily means given over to.  Christ was “delivered” by Judas to the chief priests (Matthew 26:15), by the chief priests to Pilate (Matthew 27:2), and by Pilate to the will of the people (Luke 23:25) and to the soldiers who would crucify Him (Mark 15:15-16).  Of course, each of these actions fulfilled the determinate counsel of God.  “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day shall rise again” (Luke 24:7).  Let us remember, the Father “delivered” His Son to be crucified as the Substitute and Sacrifice “for our offenses.”  It is written, He “delivered Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32).  Christ was “delivered” into the hands of justice and death, not for any offenses of His own, but for the offenses of His chosen people so that God might be both “a just God and a Saviour” (Isaiah 45:21).

     Now, as Christ was “delivered for (because of, on account of) our offenses,” so He was “raised again for (because of, on account of) our justification.”  By His death Christ made full satisfaction to offended justice for all the offenses of His people and brought in everlasting righteousness.  His resurrection was confirmation that He finished the work He undertook to do.  He arose as the Head and Representative of His people, and as He was fully acquitted and justified, so were all of those for whose offenses He was delivered.