Substitution: In my place condemned he stood

And again, if you have your Bibles open, we will be in that section of 1 Peter chapter 2 that Steve read for us.

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

We are beginning a new series called Gospel Truths and Gospel Culture.

And we're beginning with a theme of substitution.

To borrow that line from Man of Sorrows,

In my place condemned he, the Lord Jesus, stood.

And so why this series on Gospel Truth and Gospel Culture?

Well, let me begin by thinking about the largest diamond ever discovered in the world.

Perhaps you know its name. It's the Cullinan diamond.

It weighed in at some 3,106 carats.

Discovered in a mine in South Africa in 1905.

Since 1907 has been part of the Crown Jewels.

If you ever want to see it, you can go to the Tower of London.

If you ever want to touch it, you will not be allowed to.

It's far too precious.

But the wonderful thing about diamonds, so I'm told.

I've never experienced this.

But as you turn the diamond, you see its many facets.

You see it refracting the light.

However you turn it, you're going to see fresh glimpses of beauty.

And so with that in our minds,

let's think about the Gospel.

Why are we doing a series on the Gospel

and the culture that the Gospel produces?

Because it's always good for us as the people of God

to slow down and examine

the good news at the heart of our faith,

the person at the heart of our faith,

the Lord Jesus,

to let his beauty shine in our lives.

There are, for a church in every age and generation,

at least two dangers in this regard.

One, we can assume the Gospel,

in which case we will probably very quickly lose the Gospel.

We can use Gospel speak without necessarily knowing

what it is that we're talking about.

So it's good for us to slow down

so that we together understand

the wonderful reality

that is the good news of what God has done for us in Jesus.

But the other danger for us

is that there can be a disconnection

between the truth that we believe

and the lives that we live.

There can be a great difference

between what we affirm

statements of faith

with the way that we share our lives together.

And so I want us to take time

for the next few months

to think about the Gospel

and to see how that should shape

our culture, our life,

our family life together as a church.

I didn't necessarily plan this,

but during my sabbatical,

that was definitely where God led me.

Most of my thinking was about

how should the people of God

and our life together look different

because we believe Jesus is Lord.

So our aim every time that we meet

is that as Christians,

we would delight again and again

in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

And for those of us who are here

who are not Christians,

that you would be drawn to the Lord Jesus

as you come to discover

what God in Jesus has done.

and that these Gospel truths

would more and more shape

how we share life together.

That there would be a Gospel culture

in our church.

And for us to do that,

let's go right to the heart of the Gospel.

Let's think together about substitution.

And our approach today

is going to see this great theme

largely through the eyes of Peter,

the disciple.

So Peter wrote this letter,

but it was also Peter

who provided the content

for Mark's Gospel.

So we'll dip into Mark's Gospel

a little bit

to get a sense of how Peter

understands substitution.

Our little section, I think,

gave us an insight

into why Peter is writing his letter.

New followers of Jesus

are now facing pressure from Rome.

They're facing opposition.

And so what Peter does time and again

is he brings to them,

here is what God has done for you in Jesus.

Here is the good news

that has saved you

so that,

in the case of this little section

we just read,

that as those believers

are united to Christ by faith,

they would then follow his example

and be ready to suffer

for the sake of the Lord God.

So we're going to be in this section,

18 to 25,

and I hope it will help us

answer three questions.

Three simple questions.

One, what is substitution?

Two, who is the substitute?

And three, why do we call substitution

good news?

So first, what is substitution?

And I think at this stage

it would be helpful to clarify

because I imagine most of us

if we hear the word substitute,

perhaps we will think

in terms of sport.

One player goes off,

another player comes on.

Or we might think of the classroom.

A teacher is unavailable

and so there is a substitute

who is brought in.

Or maybe you're just thinking

of your online supermarket shop.

Your product was not available

so a substitute product

is provided.

Now that gets to part of the image

but not the whole image.

It's not simply one person

taking the place of another.

In the Bible,

substitution is the idea

of one person taking the place

of another,

bearing their pain

and saving the other

from that pain.

So perhaps in modern day

it might be a better image

for us to think about

a bodyguard

jumping in front of a politician

or a president

to protect them from a bullet.

Perhaps a parent

giving their life

to save a child

from drowning.

Those noble acts

of loving self,

giving sacrifice

that we hear about.

Well the idea in Peter's mind

as he thinks about substitution

is drawn from

the Old Testament.

And that system of sacrifices

given by God

always intended

to point to something greater.

To point to the reality

that in God's perfect timing

he would send

his own son Jesus

to be our substitute

to die as a sacrifice

so that you and I

by trusting in him

might know salvation.

So we can see this

if you look at your Bibles

in for example

verse 24

Peter speaks of Jesus

and he says

he himself

bore our sins

in his body.

A sacrifice language.

We can also see

it in the quotations

from Isaiah 53.

He committed no sin

and no deceit

was found in his mouth

by his wounds

you have been healed.

We can also see it

in 1 Peter chapter 1

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

and verse 18.

For you know

it was not with

perishable things

such as silver or gold

that you were redeemed

but with the precious

blood of Christ.

When Peter thinks

about Jesus

the substitute

he thinks of that

sacrificial work

fulfilled by Jesus.

So

let's think about that

together.

So every time

an Old Testament

worshipper

went to the temple

with a guilt offering

or a sin offering

a few things would happen.

They would bring

an animal

with them

and that animal

would then

they would then

lay their hand

on the heads

of the animal

to say

my guilt

and my sin

is now being transferred

and then that animal

would be killed

and the blood

would then be sprinkled.

And so the message

in the temple

was clear.

That substitute

dies for my sin

their blood

covers my guilt

so I can be

in the presence

of a holy God.

Perhaps we can go

since we're going

in the book of Exodus

in the evenings

we can think about

the Passover event

when God's people

Israel were slaves

in Egypt

and God announced

that his judgment

was going to pass

right through

the nation

of Egypt.

But in his mercy

he said to his people

there is a way

for this judgment

to pass over you

and what was that way?

They had to take

a spotless animal

and they had to kill it

and they had to

sprinkle the blood

on the doorpost

that they lived in

and then

the judgment

would pass over.

Why?

Because a substitute

has taken their place.

And so every

Old Testament worshipper

understood this

but then

remarkably

in Isaiah 53

God reveals

there would be

a still greater substitute.

It was never

God's intention

that an animal

could be

a proper substitute

for a person.

So Isaiah 53

God reveals

that a man

would come

the servant

of the Lord

would come

the God man

would come

and he would be

the substitute.

And so we need to see

that from beginning

to end

the message

of the Christian faith

is not

Jesus is my example.

Now sometimes

where people go wrong

they think

well

Jesus gives

me a moral code

and he gives me

a set of rules

and if I try really hard

that's what Christianity

is about.

No it's not

Jesus is my example.

Christianity is

Jesus is my

substitute.

I will never

understand

the Christian faith

and its good news

until we understand that.

Now let's think

of it another way.

another way to think

about substitution.

Substitution in the Bible

is presented

as the answer

to humanity's

greatest problem.

So naturally

maybe especially

as we watch

the news

we check our

social media feeds

we perhaps

typically think

our biggest problems

lie outside of us.

And there are many

aren't they

and they are real.

The cost of living

crisis

environmental

disasters

global

conflicts

violence

on our streets

the ongoing

impact of

pandemic.

So we typically

think that the big

problems are outside

of us and the

solutions

again by nature

we think

the solutions

are within.

They're within us.

We have the ability

we have the resources

we can fix these things

we can find

the answers.

And what the Bible

does

is the Bible

humbles us

because it shows

it's the other way

around.

Because the Bible

says time and time

again the biggest

problem lies inside

of us.

It's the problem

of our sin

before God.

It's our rebellion

against Him.

It's our law breaking.

That's the problem.

It's the guilt

that we have

in the eyes

of a holy God.

It's the fact

that by nature

because of our sin

we stand separate

from God.

We are enemies

of God

and we are heading

for a lost eternity

in hell.

That's the biggest

problem

we all face.

And the solution

wonderfully

the solution

doesn't lie

inside of us

it lies

outside of us

in God

giving His Son

Jesus

to save

and to forgive

and to bring peace.

So the Bible

is clear

and Peter

is clear

the heart

of the problem

is the problem

of our human hearts

and the sin

that lies

within.

And it's so important

for us to recognize

these two realities

if we are to understand

why substitution

is good news.

It's important

we understand

first

that we are more

guilty

and sinful

than we realize

and secondly

that God

is more holy

and righteous

than we realize.

by way of

a picture

and by way

of confession

from time to time

I find myself

digging in the garden

sometimes weeding

sometimes planting

but often

maybe some of you

can relate to this

I find myself

quite lazy

when it comes time

to come back inside

forget to take the shoes off

can't be bothered

to clean my hands

and what's the result?

you find those

telltale muddy

footprints

all through the kitchen

you find the towel

that's covered

in dirt

and grime

there are smudges

everywhere

mud sticks

mud affects

everything

and it's a picture

of our own

sin

and we need to understand

that our thoughts

our words

our actions

our motives

before a holy God

are not pure and perfect

and then because

God is holy

and God is righteous

he cannot simply

sweep our sin

under the rug

he cannot turn

a blind eye to him

he can't say

never mind

you'll do better

next time

because if God

doesn't care about sin

if God does not

act righteously

then he ceases

to be who he is

the Bible says

he is a holy God

he is a just God

so he cannot be unjust

so then the question

becomes

how can God

be true to himself

how can he be both

just

and

loving

how can he

justly deal with sin

and how can he love

people like us

who are sinners

the answer

is wonderful

the answer is by

God himself

providing

a perfect

substitute

by the son

of God

coming to receive

the judgment

that we deserve

so that sinners

might receive

pardon

that's the heart

of the gospel

that's the heart

of the good news

so that's what

substitution

is

next

let's think about

who is

this substitute

so we sang

in my place

condemned

he stood

so let's

think together

who is

he

this one

who stood

condemned

in the place

of sinners

and again

this answer

though we may be

familiar with it

should

truly amaze

us

it's also

a way to help us

with the question

is it fair

so sometimes the question

is that

is it fair

that one person

should pay

for the sins

of another

and hopefully

as we think

about who is

the substitute

we'll go some way

to answering that

so who is the

substitute

according to

Peter

well look at

verse 21

we're given a title

there to this

you were called

because Christ

suffered for you

Christ is the one

in verse 24

he himself

bore our sins

so let's think

who is this

Christ

that's a title

that we find

from the Old Testament

God's promised

king

the one who

would be

anointed

given a special

role

this role

to be king

and saviour

and it's this

king

this perfect

one

who is loaded

up

with sin

condemned

at the cross

and so remember

we said at the

beginning that

Mark's gospel

records

Peter's testimony

to the life

of Jesus

and when you

read

in Mark's

gospel

you discover

so much

of Peter

telling us

about the

identity

of Jesus

so verse 1

chapter 1

verse 1

it's the good

news

his gospel

is the good

news

about Jesus

Christ

the son of

God

so who is

this Christ

he is

none other

than the

eternal

son of

God

the one

who became

truly human

to be the

king and the

saviour

the world

was waiting

for

and you go

through the

gospel

Mark

really divides

his testimony

into two

the first

eight chapters

are revealing

the glory

of Christ

so we see

his amazing

miracles

here's the

one who

heals the

sick and

stills the

storm and

even raises

the dead

he is the

one with

incredible

authority

Jesus says

that he has

the authority

to forgive

sins

that he's

lord of

the sabbath

the people

are amazed

that we never

heard teaching

like this

before

and so the

first eight

chapters

he cries

astonished

by the glory

of Jesus

in his

actions

and in his

words

but then

chapters nine

to sixteen

there's a

turn

and it's

revealed that

this same

glorious king

has come to

be the

suffering servant

spoken of

in Isaiah

53

this wonderful

king sent

by God

to be our

saviour

will die

the death

of a criminal

back to

first Peter

and three

truths about

who is

the substitute

first of all

in verse

22 and

23 we

discover that

Jesus is a

sinless

substitute

so it

begins there

he committed

no sin

all of the

actions of

Jesus are

righteous and

holy and

good

he goes on

no deceit

was found

in his

mouth

Jesus spoke

truth

every word

that came

from his

mouth

was

righteous

verse 23

when they

hurled their

insults at

him

he did not

retaliate

when he

suffered

he made

no threats

his responses

were always

perfect and

righteous

even under

the most

intense

suffering

end of

verse 23

instead

he entrusted

himself to

him who

judges

justly

Jesus

in all of

his motives

desires to

do the

will of

his father

his obedience

is perfect

and

complete

maybe you

find yourself

reading the

old testament

and ask

yourself

why is

there the

big emphasis

on these

animals that

are sacrificed

having to be

pure

the answer

is because

they're

representing

a perfect

pure and

holy

savior

so jesus

is holy

and jesus

is sinless

because he

is the

son of

god

we also

discover that

jesus

is the

sin

bearing

substitute

verse 24

can be

described in

terms of

a great

exchange

so what

happens

there

he himself

bore our

sins in

his body

on the

tree

on the

cross

so that

we might

die to

sins

and live

for

righteousness

there on

the cross

jesus

becomes

sin

with

our

sin

so that

we might

become

righteous

with his

righteousness

peter

uses

an

interesting

phrase

in verse

24

in the

newer

version

of the

niv

it

doesn't

necessarily

pick it

up

when it

says

he himself

bore our

sins in

his body

on the

cross

literally

he bore

our sins

in his

body

on the

tree

and so

again

maybe you

have the

question

why is he

talking about

the cross

as being

like a

tree

it's

because

peter

knows his

old

testament

and he

knows in

the

old

testament

that

everyone

who hung

on a

tree

was

recognized

to be

under

the

curse

of

God

and so

peter

deliberately

uses

this

language

to show

to you

and to

me

that

jesus

the

perfect

sinless

son

of

god

was

willing

to go

under

god's

curse

so that

you and

i might

know

god's

blessing

what

what we

discover

happening

at the

cross

is that

jesus

experiences

holy

anger

against

sin

from

his

father

so that

his

people

those

who

trust

in

him

never

will

third

thing

to notice

about

who

our

substitute

is

he

is

a

reconciling

substitute

look at

verse 25

for you

are like

sheep

going

astray

but now

you have

returned

to the

shepherd

and the

overseer

of your

souls

the image

in isaiah

53

god's

people

straying

into

sin

the lord

lays the

iniquity

on him

the image

of the

straying

sheep

that by

nature

left to

ourselves

we are

as people

separated

from god

we are

in

danger

we are

facing

death

in

our

sin

but

jesus

comes

as the

good

shepherd

the good

shepherd of

luke

Luke 15 · chapter mention

chapter 15

who searches

for lost

sheep

in his

love and

grace

who joyfully

brings them

home

to his

father

he's the

good shepherd

who in

john

John 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10

declares that

he knows

his sheep

and he

loves his

sheep

and he'll

lay down

his life

for his

sheep

so it's

through the

cross of

jesus and

it's through

the work of

jesus the

substitute

that you and

i as spiritual

strays

as spiritual

runaways

can be brought

home

because jesus

in his own

body takes

the sin

and guilt

that we

deserve

he pays

the price

we should

pay

and he

does that

so that

we might

be called

home

if we

will receive

him as

lord and

savior

the bible's

remarkable

message

is it's

none other

than

the god

man

who bore

the sins

and took

the place

and faced

the judgment

for his

people

romans 5

Romans 5:8

verse 8

god demonstrates

his love

for us

in this

while we

were still

sinners

christ

this christ

died for

us

maybe we

find ourselves

wrestling with

this reality

peter

who wrote

our letter

he definitely

wrestled with

this reality

he couldn't

see any way

that the cross

could be jesus

destiny or jesus

mission or

good news

jesus if you're

the king why

would you suffer

in humiliation

but after the

resurrection

then peter

understands

and then

substitution

becomes the

heart of the

gospel

that he

loves and

proclaims

let me ask

you today

can you

say

and believe

and rest

your hope

on this

reality

he himself

bore my

sins

in his

body

on the

tree

so that

I

might die

to sins

and live

for righteousness

if that's

your reality

praise god

and if not

ask

for the

faith

to believe

it

here is

the one

who is

totally god

and totally

man

hanging

in the

place of

sinners

and that

reality

actually gives

the answer

to the

question

is the

cross

fair

can

someone

pay

for the

sin

of another

perhaps

we've had

that question

before

and when we

think about

it in terms

of human

justice

so if we

were in a

human law

court

and a

judge

decided to

punish

an innocent

person instead

of a guilty

one what

would we

call that

we'd call it

injustice

wouldn't we

but in

God's law

court by

God's design

what do we

call it

when the

innocent

dies in place

of the guilty

we call it a

miracle of

grace

we call it

the gospel

but maybe

you ask

how can

this be

and it's

because of

the identity

of Jesus

because Jesus

is fully

God

he is the

lawmaker

who gives

himself for

lawbreakers

and so we

understand in

the gospel

that substitution

and grace

are part of

God's eternal

law court

there is a

principle of

justice and

mercy

written

in eternity

that we

see at

the cross

as we

close

why is

substitution

good news

it's not

always good

news in a

world of

sports

nobody really

enjoys being

substituted

unless they

absolutely have

to be

you can

guarantee

if you

watch

football for

a season

you will

inevitably see

at least one

grown man

having a

tantrum

having been

substituted

in our

natural

pride

nobody

wants to

need

a substitute

the cultural

air that we

breathe

tells us to

achieve and

to perform

yet substitution

is God's

way

and it's a

precious way

when we see

it in the

right way

so let's

close briefly

with three

ways it's

good news

for us

all

in some

ways restating

where we've

been

it's good

news when

we think

about justice

when we

think about

the justice

of God

since God

is holy

and we

are sinners

there is a

price that

must be

paid

the bible

says the

wages of

sin is

death

so there

are two

options for

each one

of us

either Jesus

pays for

our sin

at the cross

or we

pay for

our sin

for all

eternity

in hell

it's our

choice

and when we

understand that

then the gospel

is good news

because Jesus

was willing to

take our

hell so that

we don't have

to

the gospel

says Jesus

bore sin

took death

satisfied the

demands of

holy justice

so that when

our faith is

in Jesus

we can know

forgiveness

and we can

have assurance

we can look at

the cross and

say the verdict

is already

in

so it's good

news when we

think about

justice

it's good

news when we

think about

salvation

do you know

that saving

grace is

unique to

Christianity

every other

religion

every other

world view

operates based

on natural

pride and

says either

I don't need

a savior

or I can

save myself

but the

reality is

that we can

never match

God's

standards

and that

has never

been

God's

way

Mark

remember

Mark

records

Peter's

view on

the life

of Jesus

Mark

records

a wonderful

detail at

the cross

of Christ

so remember

Jesus dies

outside of

the city

but Mark

records that

as Jesus

dies

something happens

within the

city in the

temple the

curtain is

torn in two

that barrier

separating the

holy God

from sinful

people has

been torn

in two

the message

is clear

the way

back to

God is

open

through Jesus

and what he's

just done

in dying

on the cross

Jesus on

the cross

declared

it is

finished

God's

plan of

salvation

has been

completed

all that we

bring

is our

need

and our

trust in

him

and lastly

substitution

is really

good news

when we

think about

the love

of God

because the

message of

the cross

speaks

powerfully

of the

love of

God

remember

Romans 5

8

God

demonstrates

his love

and while

we were

still sinners

Christ died

for us

it speaks

of a

loving

father

who gives

his son

it speaks

of a

loving son

who willingly

gives his

life

so that

any of

us

by trusting

Christ as

savior

might receive

eternally

J.I.

Packer

a theologian

said the

measure of

love is

how much

it gives

and the

measure of

the love

of God

is the

gift of

his only

son

to be

made man

and to

die for

sins

and so

to become

the one

mediator

who can

bring us

to God

this week

I came

across a

story from

just after

the end

of the

American

Civil War

there was

a farmer

in Tennessee

who was

observed

kneeling

at a

grave

and he

was asked

is this

the grave

of your

son

and the

man

explained

no I

was due

to go

to war

but I

have a

wife

and I

have

seven

young

children

and so

the day

before I

was supposed

to go

my

neighbor's

son

came

and he

took my

place

and he

died

there

and so

the man

was then

asked

what is

it that

you're

writing

on the

tombstone

and this

Tennessee

farmer

wrote

he

died

for me

love

and

worship

in the

Christian

life

springs

from

knowing

this

reality

to be

true

in our

lives

the

son

of

God

loved

me

and

gave

himself

for

me

that's

why

substitution

is the

very

heart

of

the

gospel

let's

pray

and give

thanks

Lord

our

God

we

thank

you

that

woven

throughout

the

whole

Bible

is

this

testimony

to

your

eternal

people

by

sending

your

perfect

sinless

son

to be

the

substitute

that we

need

to

take

our

place

to

take

our

sin

to

take

the

penalty

sin

deserves

so that

by

your

grace

and by

faith

in

him

we

might

be

forgiven

and we

might

be

welcomed

into

your

family

we

might

have

peace

with

you

we

might

have

hope

in

life

and

death

may

you

give

to

all

of

us

a

growing

appreciation

of

the

message

of

substitution

that

it

would

fill

us

with

worship

and

fill

us

with

a

sense

of

grateful

joy

we

pray

in

Jesus

name

Amen

now

later