"Jesus, Our Substitute"

March 21, 2009

Isaiah 53:4-6: - "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."


My brothers and I grew up playing soccer. My dad coached our teams, and we played many weekends and evenings. Whenever a person got hurt or exhausted from a hard play on the field they yelled out, "Coach, I need a sub!" The game would stop, and another player would take the field in the injured player's place.In a more somber way, the idea of a substitute comes into view during the season of Lent. No longer is the word "substitute" used only in sporting events. It is used to communicate with and open our hearts, minds, and souls to the reality found in Isaiah 53.God's only begotten Son was born to take our place under His Father's divine judgment. He became the Suffering Servant, standing under the guilt of the world's sins. He carried them to that fateful hill outside the gates of Jerusalem. There our Lord was crucified for our transgressions.Even as disciples of Christ, we forget the costly sacrifice made on our behalf. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."Therefore, in this season of Lent we focus on the substitution Christ made on the world's behalf. Just as verse six of Isaiah rings true in our ears, so does verse five that shares the Gospel message: "But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for those times I take Your sacrifice for granted. Thank You for being my substitute through Your death on the cross. Strengthen my faith through the working of Your Holy Spirit in my life. Amen.

Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministry
Written by Pastor Ryan Honeycutt Redeemer Lutheran Church - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio