True and Better Substitute

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of doing a funeral service for a long time member of our church, Mr. James Cosper. I remember when we first met James asking him where he grew up and what his formative years were like. He told us that he played sports and liked football. I asked him what position he played, and he told me “both ends.” I was not familiar with that position and thought he was referring to offensive end and defensive end. No, he said, “I played both ends of the bench.” Many of us including myself understand that sometimes we have been the substitute player that comes off the bench. It doesn’t matter whether it is football, basketball, baseball or soccer, the term substitute may not sound like the best position and can even come across as “second-best.”

Tonight, as we focus our hearts and minds on the cross and what Christ endured for us, we think about the biblical truth that the opposite is true when it comes to Christ Jesus. Why??? Because He is our substitute! What I mean by this statement, is in order for us to have salvation there had to be a substitute, there had to be a sacrifice, and so the Lord Jesus gave His life so that we may have life. We had no ability whatsoever to save ourselves.

Think about this with me. How many times do we try to run from our problems, situations or relationships or even ourselves? The problem is, no matter where we try to run and hide, the problem remains within us. We are sinners.

We cannot run from who we are, what we have done, and what we deserve. Our only hope is that God will move toward us, substitute himself, and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

I want to take some tonight to look at God’s Word, and see some of the major areas where Jesus has become our substitute.

1. Jesus was the substitute for Adam and Eve.

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

How in the world can a holy and righteous God save sinners? He had to send His Son to be the second Adam. When Adam sinned, he eventually died along with all of his descendants. Even though there was no law from Adam to Moses, Adam died because of his sin. God the Father realized that there was a big problem. Man was sinful and there had to be a sacrifice that would be made for the sin of the world. This is why He sent us His son. Jesus would face many tough things on this earth. He dealt with temptations that Adam faced, but we know that he would not fall. He would obey perfectly where Adam disobeyed, and He took on himself Adam’s punishment.

The second Adam (Christ Jesus our Lord) would die in Adam’s and his descendants’ place. But by doing this He would meet God’s moral requirement, so that we would have a way to have an eternal relationship with God.

2. Jesus was the substitute for the animals of sacrifice.

Hebrews 10:1–10 ESV

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

In the Old Testament one of the things that we know is that the temple area must have been a very bloody place. It may have also been a very stinky place because of all the animal sacrifices. The reason animal after animal had to be sacrificed day after day, was because they were not an adequate payment for the penalty of sin. There had to be a better sacrifice. There had to be another substitute. The final sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came as the better substitute, doing what no animal sacrifice was ever able to do. Jesus atoned our sin once and for all. He came to this earth and was willing to suffer and die, and because He was, we will never have to fear God’s anger. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant sacrifices. Over and over again in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells the religious leaders that He came to earth to do His Fathers will. This will is the New Covenant that replaced the Old Covenant.

3. Jesus was the substitute for the Old Testament priests.

Hebrews 7:23–28 ESV

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

One of the things that we see in the Old Testament, is that no matter how devoted and obedient Aaron and the priests that followed him were, they could not always meet the needs of all the people. While it is true that they were to be set apart for ministering to all the people, they were sinners just like the people they ministered too. Because of their sin eventually the priests would die and there would be another to take his place. This was ultimately an ineffective system. God the Father gave His son Jesus to be the better priest.

He was not only the perfect substitute for all those Old Testament priests; he was the perfect sacrifice as well. As the perfect priest, he offered God the perfect, acceptable sacrifice – himself – so that there would not be any further need for a sacrifice for sin.

Everything Jesus did, he did as a better substitute. Everything he did, he did for you and I. The death we should have died, he died for us. The new life we need, he gives to us.

Jesus willingly endured and suffered because He is the perfect substitute. My prayer tonight for us is that we would remember what the cost was, and that we would live our lives for Christ.

Romans 12:1 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

(Close in Prayer)