Rescued by a substitute

Sports like football and cricket have concussion substitutes. A player is replaced after they suffer concussion. Did you know that there are substitutes in the Bible?

The book of Exodus in the Bible starts with the Israelites as slaves in Egypt and ends with them travelling towards the promised land. The turning point is the 10^th miraculous judgement described in chapter 12 when all the firstborn Egyptian sons died on the same night. But the Israelites were protected from this tragedy by the substitutionary death of a lamb. The death of one lamb (shown by its blood around the doorway of their house) saved the firstborn of the family from death. They had to be in the house to be saved. The lamb took their place. It was a substitute.

Later God established the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) when one goat was offered, by the priest for the sins of the whole nation (Lev. 16). The death of one goat (shown by its blood being sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place) saved the nation from death. They had to be in the nation to be saved from the consequences of their sins for a period of 12 months. The goat took their place. It was a substitute.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming he said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29NIV). Jesus was the sinless Son of God in human flesh. His death had infinite value and power to deliver us from sin. When “one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water”, it was evidence of the death of Jesus (Jn. 19:34). The death of Jesus as the Lamb of God (shown by the sudden flow of blood and water) saved all across the world who trust in His substitutionary death. They have to believe that Jesus was the Son of God to be saved. Jesus took their place. He was a substitute. Christ died as a substitute for sinners like us (Mk. 10:45; Heb. 7:27; 10:14; 1 Pet. 3:18). The Bible says that “without the shedding of blood [a death] there is no forgiveness (of sin)” (Heb. 9:22).

So at the Passover one lamb was offered per family to save the firstborn from death. And at Yom Kippur, one goat was offered to forgive the sins of the nation. And at the cross, Jesus (one person as the Lamb of God) was offered to forgive the sins of people across the world. “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3). He died to take the penalty for our disobedience, indifference and rebellion towards God (1 Pet. 2:24).

Because of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven (that’s God’s mercy). And someone has paid the penalty owing (that’s God’s justice). Jesus is the ultimate and final substitutionary death.

These were all sacrificial substitutes. They were killed. Recently I helped my son find a war grave in northern France. In July 1916 my grandfather’s brother was killed in action in a war against the German army. It was a sacrificial death. Likewise, the Passover lamb and the Day of Atonement goat and Jesus were sacrificial deaths. They were pattern prophecies of Christ’s death. But Jesus was different because He was divine.

We are not saved by Christ’s example or His teaching. We are saved by Christ’s sacrificial, substitutionary death on the Cross. He did for us what we can never do for ourselves. We cannot save ourselves from the destiny of hell.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you for the provision of substitutionary sacrifices to save your people from the consequences of their sins.

The death of Jesus Christ on the Cross was a divine substitutionary death; He died in our place. He died at Passover, the same time of the year that the Passover lambs died in Egypt.

Thanks that you are concerned with all the people across the world and not just individuals (like the firstborn) or particular nations (like Israel). We thank you for sending Jesus to die for the sins of all the people of the world. Through His death our sins can be forgiven, and we can look ahead to a home in heaven. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Appendix: Other substitutes

The first mention of a substitutionary sacrifice in the Bible was when a ram died instead of Isaac (Gen 22:13-14).

By sacrificing an innocent animal, the Israelites could have their sins forgiven (Ex. 29:41-42; 34:19; Num. 29:2). The sins were symbolically transferred to the animal and the animal died instead of the sinner. These sacrifices were temporary and symbolic, pointing forward to Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice.

Barabbas, a criminal, was released and Jesus was crucified instead (Mt. 27:15-26). This was substitution—someone guilty was replaced by an innocent one to suffer the penalty.

Written, June 2025