[Monday's Devotional] - In my place

Most Christians are clear that the climax of Jesus' ministry was his death.  The Old Testament looks forward to it, the life of Jesus leads to it, and the rest of the New Testament spends much of its time explaining it.

How, then, does the Bible explain the atonement, the death of Jesus for our sins?  In this week's devotionals we will explore some of the pictures that are used.

The Bible is clear that all human beings are sinners.  We have all fallen short of God's high standards; we have chosen to do wrong things; we have acted as if we were God – putting not him, but ourselves first.

But God, out of sheer love for us, suffered in our place.  He took our guilt and sin and, in the person of Jesus, died on the cross.  It should have been us hanging on the cross; instead it was God.  We, in sinning, had put ourselves where only God deserved to be; he sacrificed himself putting himself where only we deserved to be.

Bearing shame and scoffing rude

In my place condemned He stood

Sealed my pardon with his blood.

Alleluia! What a Saviour!

This is substitution.  Jesus suffered and died in our place.  He took our sins –all of them; we received his righteousness – his right standing before the Father.  Paul puts it like this:

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  [2Corinthians 5: 21]

Thank you, Lord Jesus that you were willing to take all my sins and the penalty that goes with them.  Thank you that because of the cross I have been put right with the Father.

David Long