A Substitute Like No Other
We’re all familiar with the term substitute. Webster defines a substitute as a person or thing acting or serving in place of another. At some point in our lives, we’ve probably substituted an object in the place for another or have served as a substitute for someone. As kids in school, we all remember days when the substitute teacher taught in place of our regular teacher. On those days we could expect a respite from the usual classroom routine. In fact, with just the right substitute, we could look forward to watching a movie or at best, light classwork!
As we focus on the Resurrection Holiday, we look at substitution in a whole new light! In this month’s podcast, we discuss our past experiences with substitutes, sometimes from the humorous point of view. However, from the spiritual point of view, we discuss a substitute who is like no other. This substitute is Jesus! He is not just “a substitute,” but rather “the Substitute!”
Romans 3:10-12 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.
Scripture tells us, that the wages of sin is death. But because of God’s great love for us, He sent His Son Jesus as the substitute to die on behalf of our sins! Jesus took on the wrath of God when He went to the cross in our place.
Those who do not trust or recognize Jesus as their Substitute will bear God’s wrath for their own sin on Judgement Day. Those who trust Jesus as their Substitute will escape the deserved punishment from a Holy God. For Believers, with Jesus as our Substitute, God sees Jesus’ righteousness and not our sin.
Finally, a good substitute gets the job done day by day. But Jesus our one and only eternal Substitute has finished the job once and for all. As we celebrate Easter Resurrection Day, let us remember that Jesus paid our debt of sin on the cross, IN FULL! For Believers, the only debt we owe our Savior is a debt of gratitude! Jesus is a “Substitute” like no other!
Food for Today:
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Picture Courtesy
Cover Picture: (“Thief on the cross”) courtesy of Pure Flix
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