Our Savior Takes Our Place: Substitution
Notes
Transcript
“During World War II, Father [Maximilian] Kolbe was imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, where he became an inspiration to many of those incarcerated with him. One day a group of prisoners were ordered to parade, and a number were picked out for execution. One of them shouted out that he was a married man with children, and at this Father Kolbe stepped forward and asked if he could take the condemned man’s place. His offer was accepted by the authorities, and he was placed in an underground cell, where he was left to die of starvation. During his final days those who passed by the cell heard him praying and singing hymns.”
Jesus Christ died as the substitute for sinful humanity, taking humanity’s place on the cross.
1. OT images of substitution
1. OT images of substitution
(Genesis 3 – coverings of animal skins; (Genesis 4 – acceptable offerings before the Lord)
1) Examples of substitution:
1) Examples of substitution:
a. Genesis 22:13 (NASB95)
Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
b. See also Numbers 3:12–13 (NASB95)
“Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.
“For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the Lord.”
2) Substitutes atoning for sin or acting as sin bearers:
2) Substitutes atoning for sin or acting as sin bearers:
a. Leviticus 1:4 (NASB95)
‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.
b. See also Exodus 28:38 (NASB95)
“It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.
c. Leviticus 16:21–22 (NASB95)
“Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.
“The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
3) Anticipations of the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ:
3) Anticipations of the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ:
a. Isaiah 53:4–6 (NASB95)
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
NT writers have interpreted the servant as Jesus Christ: as examples, see Mt 8:17 and 1Pe 2:23-25.
b. Matthew 8:17 (NASB95)
This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”
c. 1 Peter 2:23–25 (NASB95)
and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
d. See also Psalm 69:9 (NASB95)
For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
2. The substitutionary work of Jesus Christ
2. The substitutionary work of Jesus Christ
1) Jesus Christ died for believers
1) Jesus Christ died for believers
a. Mark 10:45 (NASB95)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
b. Romans 5:6, 8 (NASB95)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
c. 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 (NASB95)
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
2) Jesus Christ died for sin
2) Jesus Christ died for sin
a. 1 Peter 2:24 (NASB95)
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
b. 1 Peter 3:18 (NASB95)
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
c. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95)
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
d. Hebrews 9:28 (NASB95)
so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
3) Jesus Christ’s substitution is an example
3) Jesus Christ’s substitution is an example
a. 2 Corinthians 5:15 (NASB95)
and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
b. 1 Peter 2:21 (NASB95)
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
4) Jesus Christ’s substitution is an act of love
4) Jesus Christ’s substitution is an act of love
What is the greatest way you can express your love to someone? If you own many homes, you wouldn’t say, “I love you, here’s my house.” Giving up that house is not giving your all—you have other ones. If you’re a millionaire, you wouldn’t say, “I love you, here’s a thousand dollars” because there’s more where that came from. What if you say, however, “I love you, and I will give my life in place of yours so you can live.” That’s something monumental.
The mortar rounds landed in an orphanage run by a missionary group in the small Vietnamese village. The missionaries and one or two children were killed outright, and several more children were wounded, including one girl about eight years old.
People from the village sent for help to a neighboring town that had radio contact with the American forces. Finally a U.S. doctor and nurse arrived in a jeep with their medical kits. They established that the young girl was the most critically injured. Without quick action, she would die from shock and loss of blood.
A blood transfusion was imperative, so a donor with a matching blood type was required. A quick test showed that neither American had the correct blood type, but several of the uninjured orphans did.
The doctor spoke some Vietnamese pidgin, and the nurse a smattering of high-school French. Using that combination together with much impromptu sign language, they tried to explain to their young, frightened audience that unless they could replace some of the girl’s lost blood, she would certainly die. Then they asked if anyone would be willing to give blood to help.
Their request was met with wide-eyed silence. After several long moments, a small hand slowly and waveringly went up, dropped back down, and then went up again.
“Oh, thank you,” the nurse said in French. “What is your name?” “Hung,” came the mumbled reply.
Hung was quickly laid on a pallet, his arm swabbed with alcohol, and the needle inserted in his vein. Through this ordeal Hung lay stiff and silent. After a moment, he let out a shuddering sob, quickly covering his face with his free hand.
“Is it hurting, Hung?” the doctor asked.
Hung shook his head, but after a few moments another sob escaped, and once more he tried to cover up his crying. Again, the doctor asked him if the needle hurt, and again Hung shook his head.
But now his occasional sobs gave way to a steady, silent crying, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his fist in his mouth to stifle his sobs.
The medical team was concerned because the needle should not have been hurting him. Something was obviously very wrong. At this point, a Vietnamese nurse arrived. Seeing the little one’s distress, she spoke to him, listened to his reply, and answered him in a soothing voice.
After a moment, the boy stopped crying, opened his eyes, and looked questioningly at the Vietnamese nurse. When she nodded, a look of great relief spread over his face. Looking up, the Vietnamese nurse said quietly to the Americans, “He thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you had asked him to give all his blood so the little girl could live.”
“But why would he be willing to do that?” asked the navy nurse.
The Vietnamese nurse repeated the question to the little boy, who answered simply, “She’s my friend.”
—Col. John Mansur, United States Air Force (retired). Used by permission.
a. John 15:13 (NASB95)
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus Christ was called a friend of sinners. He proved it by dying in our place, giving his life for us.