In Our Stead

“I should have been crucified, I should have suffered and died;

I should have hung on the cross in disgrace,

But Jesus, God’s Son, took my place.”

Many of the songs that have been written in the past 50 to 100 years have simply missed the mark: some have little or no real message; they fail to honor the Lord; some are flawed in that they are doctrinally or theologically unsound. Many believers find refuge in the old hymns of the faith. One of my favorites is: “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. . .On Christ the Solid Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.” Sometimes a song may be written that is far closer to being doctrinally straight than perhaps even the song writer is aware. And we may sing that song with a limited comprehension of the glorious truth to be found therein. I think this to be true in this case. I would ask you to study, to meditate with me on this most important teaching given us in the Holy Scriptures.

“in the stead of”

May we recall that ultimate test given Abraham, the sacrifice of Isaac. You are well acquainted with the story. In obedience to the Lord, Abraham and Isaac find themselves going together up the hillside. Let’s listen in on their conversation. “My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.“ “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altarthere, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac, his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.”

The Heavenly call. “And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” May we identify the “Angel of the Lord.” It is none less than Christ himself! The proof is in the last part of the verse: “thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.” No created angelic being could possibly be qualified to make such a statement. It is the Lord.

“Lay not thine hand upon the lad” But our Lord is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Even as He spoke to Abraham He was fully aware of what He was to face. Isaac carried the wood; Jesus would bare the cross: Abraham would have slain his only son; Jesus would be “stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. . .He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter.” Isaac would be offered as a sacrifice, a burnt offering unto God; “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. . .Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.” Isa. 53.

“Lay not thine hand upon the lad.” God would spare Abraham’s son. He would not need to give him up. But “He [God, the Father] that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all. . .” Rom.8:32.

“And Abraham lifted his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the STEAD of his son.”Gen. 22:7,13.

And we behold the fulfillment of this Old Testament picture: “He that spared not His own Son, butdelivered him up for us all. . .” Rom. 8:32. “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ . . .God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;. . .For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” II Cor. 5:18a,19a,21.

The doctrine of imputed righteousness.

Isaiah chapter 53 has well presented imputed sin: “the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” How can a Holy God not impute, render us accountable for our trespasses? By imputing them unto Christ; rendering Him accountable for our sin. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” Rom.5:12. (The Law of Sin and Death was made known unto Adam and Eve in the garden: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” Gen. 2:17. (I suppose that the law of sowing and reaping might well be seen here: man violates the tree and is hanged on the same, as we shall see.)

We are rendered accountable unto God for our sin: it is imputed to our record; it is a witness against us. We are [were] under the Law of sin and death. But God hath made Him to be sin for us. “There is therefore now NO condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. . .For the LAW of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the LAW of sin and death” Rom. 8:1a,2.

What of the imputed righteousness? Let’s look at Romans 4:20-24. “He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him forrighteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed unto him; But for us also,to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: Who was delivered for our offences, [the imputing of sin to his account] and was raised again for our justification [His righteousness being imputed to our account.]

The Roman cross.

“Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross!” But I fear that we have not seen the cross from the Jewishaspect. Though the Roman government was instrumental in the crucifixion, we must believe that their actions were only in response to a frenzied crowd of Jews. Pilate “took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person,” “Then answered the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children” Matt. 27:24,25.

The Law and the Tree.

In Acts chapter 5 we find Peter and other of the apostles being brought before the high priest and the council to be reprimanded for their teaching in the name of Jesus. To this replied Peter, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” Again we find, in Acts chapter 10, Peter addressing the house of Cornelius: “And we are witnesses of all the things which he [Christ] did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:”

We may not sense the frustration experienced by those religious leaders, but they knew full well of what the Apostle was saying. “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” You said he was of Beelzebub, that he was a blasphemer because he told you that God is his father. But He has proven you wrong, in that God has raised his Son from the dead. He is acknowledged of the Father to be who He said he was!

Let us look now into the scriptures to try to understand what they understood. Is there any special significance to this term, hanged on a tree, of which the apostles speak? You’d better believe it! Deuteronomy chapter 21, verses 21 and 22: “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;)

“A law for the burying of the bodies of malefactors that were hanged, vs.22. The hanging of them by the neck till the body was dead was not used at all among the Jews, as with us; . . .it was usual, by order of the judges, to hang up the dead bodies upon a post for some time, as a spectacle to the world, to express the ignominy of the crime. . .Now it is here provided that, whatever time of the day they were hanged up, at sunset they should be taken down and buried. . . He that is hanged is accursed of God, that is, it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach that can be done unto a man. . .Those that see him thus hang between heaven and earth will conclude him abandoned. . .”

          Matthew Henry

The conspiracy.

Judas, having “communed with the chief priests” and “covenanted” with them, betrayed our Lord into their hands. “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled” Matt. 26:57. Let’s listen in on the conversation.

“And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee [swear, an oath] by the Living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of [enochos, Gr. - subject to] death” Matt. 26:63-66.

O.K. The scribes and elders are assembled. Why? Because they are the learned; they are well versed in the Law; they are the Israeli Supreme Court! Whatever they say is law, and the Jews will follow their decisions. What is the purpose of their meeting? “all the chief priest and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.” The plan was simple: get Him to admit before the judicial court that He is the Son of God: get Him to blaspheme. Listen. Those Jews are going to follow the letter of the Law: you can count on it! Deuteronomy 21: “If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree. . .” Would they dare use the Law against the Law-giver? Absolutely! O.K. What about the blasphemy issue? They’ve got that covered too. “and the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses. . .And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp.[sound familiar?] And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death.”Leviticus 24:11a,16.

Without the camp? That’s where Golgotha is. Put to death? Hanged on a tree? The Roman cross will suit their purpose quite nicely! And no one will ever know of their treachery - will they?

“For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, Saying,God hath forsaken him: PERSECUTE HIM AND TAKE HIM; for there is none to deliver him” Psalm 71:10,11. They were so sure, weren’t they? As Jesus hung on the tree, “the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe” Mark 15:31,32. “See and believe.” Does not this well typify the Jews? Consider the account of brother Thomas after hearing testimony of the other disciples who had seen the resurrected Christ: “Except I shall see. . .I will not believe!” The Jews required a sign? Then here’s the conclusion of this episode with Thomas: “And many other signs did Jesus in the presence of His disciples. . .” John 20:30.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me” Psalm 22:1 & Matt. 27:46. While this is a grievous cry that pierces our hearts, those Jews were elated upon hearing it! Remember what we just read? “He that is hanged is accursed of God. . .it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach that can be done unto a man. . .those that see him thus hang between heaven and earth will conclude him abandoned.” “My God, my God, why hast thou FORSAKEN me?” To the Jewish leaders this was an admission of guilt! Hehas committed sin worthy of death! He is accursed of God. Therefore he is abandoned of God. What further proof was needed? Is this the man who would be the Christ, the King of Israel? And he admits with his own mouth that the God of Israel has forsaken him! He has discredited himself. This man has brought shame upon the people of Israel; he has disgraced them and has been an embarrassment in front of the Romans. Let them know that we “receive him not.”

“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away“ John 19:31. As we are told, the Romans had no such law, that criminals should be taken down on the evening of their crucifixion. But for the Jew, it had to be done! If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God.” Again, those Jews can be counted on to fulfill the Law! Isn’t it amazing how man can do his worst wickedness, and still be fulfilling the purpose of God?

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” Gal. 3:13. Here we have an iron-clad link between Old and New Testament.

“Moses, by the Spirit, uses this phrase of being accursed of God . . .that it might afterwards be applied to the death of Christ, and might show that in he underwent the curse of the law for us. . .”“. . .he was in the evening taken down from the cursed tree and buried (and that by the particular care of the Jews, with an eye to this law, John 19:31), in token that now, the guilt being removed, the law was satisfied, as it was when the malefactor had hanged till sunset; it demanded no more. Then he ceased to be a curse, and those that were his! And, as the land of Israel was pure and clean when the dead body was buried, so the church is washed and cleansed by the complete satisfaction which thus Christ made.”

          Matthew Henry

“It is finished” cried our Lord from the tree! Finished, for the law was satisfied, its demands fully met by the perfect, sinless One!

Now! The law (of sin and death) being satisfied, God the Father may lawfully, morally, and righteously - raise His Son from the grave in a glorious resurrection!

Oh my dear friend! We did indeed lawfully and justly deserve to hang on the tree. We were the malefactors, having committed sin worthy of death. We were under the sentence of Sin and Death. We were due everything that our Lord suffered in our stead. . . “He that is hanged is accursed of God. . .Those that see him hang between heaven and earth will conclude him abandoned. . .” “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” II Cor. 5:21.

And so we look anew at the words of the song. May its truth burn within our souls as we meditate upon the cross-work, the tree, upon which our Lord Jesus died - in our stead.

        And I should have been crucified; I should have suffered and died.

        I should have hung on the cross in disgrace;

        But Jesus God’s Son took my place.