What does it mean that Jesus took our place?

Response

On the cross, Jesus bore the punishment we deserved for our sins. He did not deserve death, but He willingly took our place and faced death on our behalf. Jesus’ death was a substitution, “the righteous for the unrighteous” «For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.», (1 Peter 3:18), the innocent for the guilty, the perfect for the corrupt.

The doctrine of substitutionary atonement teaches that Christ suffered vicariously, standing in for the sinner, and that His sufferings were expiatory (meaning His sufferings made amends). On the cross, Jesus took our place in various ways:

Jesus took our place by becoming sin for us. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” «For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.», (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB). As Jesus hung on the cross, with the sins of the world placed on Him «He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.», (1 Peter 2:24). The perfect Son of Man carried our guilt.

Jesus took our place by experiencing physical death—not just any death, but the death of a criminal. Everyone dies, but there is a distinction between dying a “natural” death and being executed for one’s crimes. Sin is the transgression of God’s law «Whoever commits sin is guilty of breaking God’s law; for sin is the transgression of the law.», (1 John 3:4).Transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4), and “the soul who sins shall die” “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4, ESV). Since we have all sinned, we all deserve death (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). Jesus releases us from that penalty. Although He had committed no crime (see Luke 23:15), Jesus was executed as a criminal; in fact, it is because He was sinless that His death avails to us. He had no personal sin to pay for, so His death pays for ours. Our legal debt has been paid in full—tetelestai “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30). As the old gospel song says, “He paid a debt He did not owe; I owed a debt I could not pay.”

So, Jesus took our place judicially, bearing the penalty of sin and dying in our place. “When you were dead in your sins…, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14). In other words, God nailed all the accusations against us to the cross. God will never see believers in Christ as deserving the death penalty because our crimes have already been punished in the physical body of Jesus (see Romans 8:1).

God’s Law says, “You are guilty of sin against a holy God. Justice demands your life.” Jesus answers, “Take My life instead.”The fact that Jesus took our place shows God’s great love: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” «Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. », (John 15:13).

But the penalty for sin extends beyond physical death to include a spiritual separation from God. Again, in this matter, Jesus took our place. Part of Christ’s agony on the cross was a feeling of separation from the Father. After three hours of supernatural darkness in the land, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” «And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? », (Mark 15:34). Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we need never experience that sense of abandonment «Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. », (Hebrews 13:5). We can never fathom, at least in this life, how much God the Son suffered in taking our place.

We know Jesus’ suffering was intense. In the days leading up to the crucifixion, Jesus expressed distress about what was coming «Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. », (John 12:27). But those who tried to dissuade Him from going to the cross were sharply rebuked—the offer to avoid the ordeal was a temptation from Satan himself (Matthew 16:21-23), and Jesus had not come to take the easy way.Way out. On the night of His arrest, Jesus was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” «Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. », (Matthew 26:38). Even with an angel to strengthen Him, Jesus actually sweated blood (Luke 22:43-44).

In order for us to be saved, Jesus had to take our place and die for sin. He had to lay down His life as a sacrifice because “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” «And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. », (Hebrews 9:22). His sacrifice was perfect in holiness, in worth, and in power to save. After His resurrection, Jesus showed His scars to the apostles (John 20:26-27). As long as our salvation lasts (forever), the marks of our Savior’s suffering will be visible «And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. », (Revelation 5:6)—an eternal reminder that He took our place.

“Surely he took up our pain

  and bore our suffering. . . .

He was pierced for our transgressions,

  he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

  and by his wounds, we are healed. . . .

The Lord has laid on him

  the iniquity of us all”

(Isaiah 53:4-6).