The story of the passover lamb (Exod. 12), with 1 Cor. 5:7,
illustrates the meaning of substitution as here used: one life given
in the stead of another. "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all." God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us.
Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree--this is
substitution. Christ died in our place, bore our sins, paid the
penalty due our sins; and all this, not by force, but willingly
(John 10:17, 18). The idea of substitution is well illustrated by
the nature of the preposition used in connection with this phase
of Christ's death: In Matt. 80-28 Christ is said to give His life
a ransom _for_ all (also 1 Tim. 2:6). That this preposition means
_instead of_ is clear from its use in Matt. 2:22--"Archelaus
did reign in the room (or in the stead) of his father, Herod." Also
in Luke 11:11--"Will he _for_ a fish give him a serpent?" (See
Heb. 12:2, 16.) Substitution, then, as used here means this: That
something happened to Christ, and because it happened to Christ,
it need not happen to us. Christ died for our sins; we need not
die for them if we accept His sacrifice. For further illustrations,
see Gen. 22:13; God providing a ram instead of Isaac; also Barabbas
freed and Christ bearing his cross and taking his place.
Upon a life I did not live;
Upon a death I did not die;
Upon another's death, another's life,
I risk my soul eternally.