Cloak of Righteousness

A Children’s Lesson

Intro/Set-up

Do any of you guys have a special piece of clothing at home?

What makes it special?

Do you see what I am wearing?

Dad’s Hamlin Fire Dept Shirt

Do you know why this shirt is special to me?

Because it belonged to my dad.

This necklace (pull out and show), my dad gave to me when I was in high school. Now, I added the cross later, but he gave this necklace to me way back then. It is special to me.

BUT THIS SHIRT, was my father’s. After he died, I decided to keep it.

On the one year anniversary of his death, I wore it.

Why would I do that?

Because it made me feel close to him. Wearing something that belonged to him made me feel close to him AND it felt like a way to honor him.

For my mom, I wore her wedding band and engagement ring on this necklace (for a while and especially on the anniversary of her death.

Again, I did this because it made me feel close to her and it honored her memory.

Transition

NYou see, when we wear something that belonged to someone else, it creates a kind of bond, of connection to them.

It can strengthen connections that already exist, and show honor and value.

Body

Did you know that we wear something every day that belongs to Jesus?

Galatians 3:27.

Galatians 3:27 NLT

27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.

Did you know that when we trust in Jesus and ask him to forgive us of our sins, we put on Jesus just like you put on your clothes?

Weird, right?

NO! It is cool!

Specifically, we put on HIS righteousness.

What does it mean to be righteous?

2 Corinthians 5:21.

2 Corinthians 5:21 AMP

21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

So, what does it mean to be righteous?

It means to be RIGHT. To be acceptable.

It means to be free from guilt, shame, and wrong.

To be righteous is as the AMP bible here says, we are WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE, what we should be. We are in the right, good, and correct place in our relationship with God.

BUT

It is not because of the good and right things we have done that our relationship with God is right, but what JESUS has done.

It is HIS obedience and HIS actions that we get to be in right, good relationship with God.

HIS obedience and good behavior COUNTS FOR US.

That would be like your brother or sister obeying RIGHT away and WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE and their obedience and good attitude is counts for you too even though you did not obey right away and even when you did, you complained the whole time.

AND YET, your parents consider that YOU OBEYED joyfully because your brother/sister did and they asked that their obedience be counted for you too!

Illustration

And when they ask that, when you parents do that,

YOUR siblings’s obedience is counted as yours and YOU wear their right behavior as if it were your own.

That is what Jesus did for us.

HIS obedience and good behavior is COUNTED as ours when we trust Him and Ask His forgiveness for our sins.

Jayden here is going to help me out in illustrating this.

He is going to be Jesus

Jesus is wearing this really special cloak.

This cloak represents his righteousness, his obedience, his right attitude and actions.

When I tell Jesus I am sorry for my sin and ask him to forgive me, telling him that I want to obey Him and love Him from now on, HE TAKES HIS CLOAK off and gives it to me.

PUT ON CLOAK.

NOW, I am wearing HIS cloak. I am wearing HIS right behavior and attitude.

I am wearing Jesus.

And because I am wearing what belongs to Jesus, I am closer to Jesus now. We are connected. We feel close.

Just like I feel every time I wear my dads’s old t-shirt.

I am wearing what is His, so I feel close to him.

I look like Him.

I am honoring Him.

Transition

EVERYDAY you and I, because we love Jesus and have asked him to forgive us of our sins, we wear Jesus

We wear His right behavior and actions and they count for us.

And we are close to Jesus because of it.

We honor Jesus because of it.

Conclusion

This is what we are remembering and worshipping at Easter time.

Jesus dying for our sins and His righteousness being given to us, to everyone who says they are sorry for their sins and asks God to forgive them.

Then we get to wear Jesus special cloak of righteousness everyday.

Let’s pray.

Dismiss Kids

For the Adults

The Cloak of Righteousness

The warmth flooded me.

Someone else’s warmth.

His warmth.

Transferred to me.

It feels foreign on my skin.

Uncomfortable, unfamiliar.

For deep within,

I know it isn’t mine

The weight of it,

Though not heavy

Per say,

Sits upon me.

It’s presence, 

Clear.

Known.

Unmistakably felt.  

As I feel its light,

It’s warmth, 

Radiating within my being

Filling me…

I know.

I am taking more

Than mere heat,

More than mere comfort.

It is more,

So much more

That I take

From the King of Kings.

I pull HIS cloak,

Tightening it around me;

A deep, deep rightness to it.

A deep, deep wrongness too.

I am wearing

What is His.

His light.

His warmth.

I am enveloped in it,

His scent clinging still to it.

His essence, undiffused

Veils me about.

I cling to it, now

This precious gift;

HIS cloak.

His rightful garment. 

Drawing it more tightly still 

Around me,

I burrow within

Knowing the cloak is more;

It is more than fabric;

More than warmth;

It IS righteousness;

HIS righteousness. 

It is THE life

In which I stand.

The hope

To which I look.

And it belongs

To another.

My hope, my salvation, 

Is not in me.

My gaze remains

Fixed.

Down.

At the ground.

I do not want

To lift my gaze;

I did not want

To see.

For what he now bears

Is of far less quality. 

MY dirty, hole ridden garb,

Wretched and putrid. 

It now adorns His flesh

Cloaking His being

The Eternally Worthy One

Cloaked in sin.

My putrid attire

Taking Him to the cross

Where even that

He redeemed.

He suffered for,

Endured the shame for,

Another’s guilt.

For me.

The exchange; 

His for mine,

Mine for His;

Was hardly fair

Or right

Or just

But without hesitation 

He made the swap

So that I would 

Have the right

To stand before

His holy presence. 

He gave me

What I did not earn

What I could not earn

To wear forever;

His righteousness;

His holiness;

A borrowed righteousness

A legal declaration 

Unmerited

Undeserved 

But legally binding

Forevermore.

His cloak of righteousness

Now the garb

For an unworthy 

Sinner

The warmth of it

Against my sin

Unabated

Soothing my every fear.

Caressing the fabric,

Gently considering 

What was mine 

Forevermore

I knew.

This garment 

Forever

And intimately 

Linked me with Him.

Bound me 

In intimate 

Belonging

With the original

Wearer

The rightful 

Owner.

Hazarding a glance

Up;

I beheld Him.

The Son of Man.

Wearing what is His

Fashioned a form

Of intimate connection 

Of relational bonding.

Wearing what belongs to Him,

A show of honor

An act of devotion 

A sentimental display.

A heart’s uniting 

A bonding of two

That intimately 

And relationally links us.

Running my hands

Over the cloak once more

I look upon His face

Right into His eyes.

It is beaming.

A light of joy 

Cascading forth

At what He beholds. 

“You are beautiful,

My beloved!”

He croons

Utter joy emanating from him.

I cannot be mistaken. 

He regrets nothing

Of the exchange 

It was worth it all

His radiance

Says it all

He is pleased

That I bear 

What belongs to Him

His cloak of righteousness

His mantle of holiness

His worthiness, given to me.

He is pleased 

To make this exchange 

To give me what is His

So that I might live.

As the warmth

Of HIS cloak

Infuses me

I stand in wonder

Awe fills me

That I should wear

His cloak of righteousness

And be granted life evermore

Cold will never touch me again

Death will never defeat me

Sin will never convict me

The Adversary will never condemn me

For HIS cloak is now mine

His righteousness 

Imparted to me

Now and forevermore.

Intimacy is forever ours

His cloak

I will wear forever

With joy and pride!

What a wonder

O Son of Man

That you give

So precious a gift!