A firm grasp on Jesus, the Lamb of God, will take your application skills to the next level.
Substitution
The Bible paints a glorious portrait of Jesus as one who “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). Jesus is the one who “knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21). “He committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22), and “in him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).
When Jesus began his ministry, John the Baptist called him “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). As the Lamb of God, Jesus fulfilled the role of the Old Testament sacrifices, especially the Passover lamb, which involved offering a lamb “without blemish, a male a year old” (ex 12:5) and whose blood would be displayed so judgment could pass the people by.
Those with the courage to attribute all hope of salvation to the enthroned Father and to the Lamb (Rev 7:10) will find their clothes washed white in the Lamb’s blood (Rev 7:14). God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).
The New Testament regularly portrays Jesus as trading places with sinners to grant them new life. The leper who could not enter towns gets to speak to the priest, while Jesus is no longer able to enter the town (Mark 1:40-45). The Rich One becomes poor so the poor might by his poverty become rich (2 Cor 8:9). The Wise One became as a fool so fools might become wise in him (1 Cor 1:20-31). The Righteous One became sin so sinner could become righteous in him (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus died so others could have life (Matt 27:50-54).
Help with Application
So how does this doctrine help us to improve at applying the Bible?
In nearly any text, you can ask “substitution” questions with respect to the author’s main point:
- How has Jesus obeyed this text perfectly, and how do we fall short in our obedience?
- What hope does it give you to know that Jesus has obeyed God in this area?
- How does Jesus’ obedience free you up from trying to be perfect yourself?
- Now that God already sees you as righteous through Christ, how does that motivate you to make progress in obedience yourself?
- How can you set aside your fear and/or self-righteousness in this area?
- How does the grace of Christ motivate you to be more gracious toward others?
- How can you put Jesus on display, testifying about him for the world to see?
- What sort of God would rescue sinners and grant them such free forgiveness? How does this inspire you to praise and serve him?
- How has Jesus removed the stigma and pressure of the law, freeing you to obey without fear?
- How does this text inflame your love for Jesus and your embrace of his work on your behalf?
- How can you behold Jesus in his perfect obedience and free forgiveness?
I am intentionally sidestepping matters of creation, gifts, strengths, law, and hope for the future when I ask these questions. That’s not because such matters are unimportant, but only because the focus of this post is on the substitution of Jesus Christ for sinners.
Sometimes, robust reflection on Christ’s substitution for sinners will give us ample material to speak into the issues of our age: grace, patience, shame, identity, self-esteem, fear, anxiety, discouragement, depression—to name just a few.
Deepen your grasp of Jesus Christ’s substitution for sinners, and you’ll take your application skills to the next level.