The words in the title of this article are found at the end of Luke’s Gospel, where the risen Lord Jesus Christ accompanied the two downcast travellers as they made their way to Emmaus, mourning the very One who then “drew near, and went with them” (Lk 24.27). Then, “beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” What a vast unfolding of the glory of Christ this must have been! Beginning with His first coming, in humility as the ‘seed of the woman’ (Gen 3.15), to His coming in manifested glory as “the Sun of righteousness” (Mal 4.2), every prophecy and every type was expounded to their sad hearts.
We purpose in these few articles to ‘begin’, and also stay, with Moses as we consider some of the great typical pictures of the death of Christ in the Pentateuch. It is often pointed out that in each of the five books of Moses there is an outstanding chapter illustrative of the death of Christ. These are:
Genesis 22 - Substitution
Exodus 12 - Redemption
Leviticus 16 - Propitiation
Numbers 19 - Purification
Deuteronomy 21 - Expiation
Substitution
This is not strictly speaking a ‘Bible word’, but then neither are ‘Trinity’ or ‘Rapture’. They each describe important Scriptural doctrines, however. It is true that the truth of God is best communicated using Scriptural terminology and, especially when we are dealing with the Person and work of Christ, the utmost care should be taken as we handle these most holy subjects, but the word substitution is entirely fitting and suitable to a particular aspect of His death.
Substitution is defined as “the action of replacing someone or something with another person or thing” (Oxford Dictionary) or, put simply, “taking the place of another”. When we look at the death of our Lord Jesus from this standpoint, we are immediately humbled to think that He, the Lord of glory, the Son of the Father’s love, the impeccable and holy Saviour, would condescend, even to the depths of the cross, to take the place of others:
No angel could my place have taken,
Highest of the high though He.
Nailed to the cross, by God forsaken,
Was one of the Godhead three.
(James M Gray)
Substitution is beautifully illustrated in Genesis 22. Genesis is a book rich in Christological typology. We have already mentioned the ‘seed of the woman’ in chapter 3, and one could also think of Abel’s sacrifice in chapter 4. The Scripture says “the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering” (v 4), showing us that this was much more than Abel simply coming with the right attitude, but that he found acceptance on the grounds of his offering. Then there is the account of Noah’s ark; a picture of God’s provision of deliverance from coming judgment. Christ is seen in all, but perhaps most clearly in the chapter before us.
Genesis 22 is a deeply significant chapter from a number of different standpoints. It has primarily a practical significance, in its record of the testing of Abraham’s faith in God. It then has a prophetical significance, connected with the restatement of the covenant (vv 15-18), and the introduction of new elements into it, which look forward to a day of millennial glory for the nation of Israel. Our study, however, focuses on the doctrinal significance of the chapter.
There are several most suggestive statements before us concerning Christ and Calvary. One is impressed with the repeated occurrence of the statement “the place”; seen no fewer than four times. The Gospel writers also speak about a place. Golgotha was a place of crucifixion, for “there they crucified him” (Lk 23.33). It was “the place of a skull” (Mk 15.22), manifesting the emptiness of human wisdom, and John tells us (Jn 19.20) that it was a place “nigh to the city”, but outside it. The world had given Him that outside place, and in their title above His cross they declared their unity in the utter rejection of the Son of God. However, to us as believers, “there’s a place that is most sacred, it’s called mount Calvary.”
The ram caught in the thicket by its horns was unblemished and, as such, it met the basic requirement of sacrifice, and showed the impeccability of the great antitype which it represented. Christ alone is competent to be the sinner’s substitute, because of His absolute sinlessness. His substitutionary sufferings at Calvary as “the just for the unjust” (1 Pet 3.18) is a familiar truth, but we also do well to ever remember the impeccability of our Saviour. Note that the ram was offered up as “a burnt offering” (Gen 22.13). All was to ascend to God; every part was to be relinquished; nothing was to be held back. Leviticus 1 develops this in detail. The burnt offering aspect of the death of Christ is mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 5.2: “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.” Paul is setting before the saints the greatest example of self-sacrificing love - He gave His all “for us”, that we may exemplify in our measure His example. The work of substitution was the total, unreserved giving of Himself; for our good, and for God’s glory.
Now to the crux of the matter: verse 13. Abraham “offered him up a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” This is essentially the truth of substitution. It cannot be put any clearer - one in the place of another! We should also mention that substitution is complemented in Scripture by the great doctrine of propitiation, and it is vital that we distinguish the two. They are not enemies; they are not at odds with each other; neither do they need to be reconciled, but they do need be understood in their respective contexts. We intend to say a little more about this when we come to Leviticus 16.
Finally, substitution must be appreciated. Is this not exactly what happened when we got saved? Did we not come into an appreciation of the fact that Christ died for us? No matter what different experiences we had under the influence of the Holy Spirit leading us to the point of conversion, we all came to this blessed realisation: He died for me! Now, this is exactly the way in which Scripture presents the truth of substitution. Brethren of a former generation would have called it “truth for the family”; that is, only those who are in the family of God can truly appreciate it. This does not in any sense mean that there is doubt, or a hidden agenda, in our preaching of the Gospel to the whosoever will. Acknowledging the infinite value of the death of Christ, we unreservedly proclaim Christ as a Saviour for all men. In 1 Timothy 2, Paul tells us that He “gave himself a ransom for all” (v 6). The word “ransom” is the word antilutron in Greek. It is a compound word and, as such, highlights the character of the ransom price as being substitutionary; ‘a substitutionary ransom on the behalf of all’. So, there is an inexhaustible sufficiency in the work of Christ to save all men but, while it is sufficient for all, it is only effectual for all who believe. And that is substitution appreciated!
Many Scriptures could be cited, all of which are in the context of the apostles communicating truth to the saints (those in the family). Consider Paul’s words to the saints at Rome: “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5.6). While this is true generally, for all are ungodly, yet in the passage he is showing how it applies to the believers there, for “we were” powerless and godless, but “Christ died for us.” To the Corinthians he wrote “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor 15.3), and He was “made … sin for us” (2 Cor 5.21). He tells the Galatians that He “gave himself for our sins” (1.4), and “gave himself for me” (2.20). In Titus 2.14, we read that He “gave himself for us”. Peter, speaking to the saints, speaks of Christ suffering “the just for the unjust” (1 Pet 3.18).
All of these references, and many more besides, show us that substitution is the appreciation of the death of Christ by faith; that when He died on the cross He died for me. Well might our hearts bow in worship and say:
It was for me, yes all for me,
O love of God, so great so free!
O wondrous love, I’ll shout and sing -
He died for me, my Lord the King.
(John M Whyte)
(To be continued …)
