In Scripture, we discover that Jesus’ death was no accident. He was not the victim of circumstances beyond His control. Rather, Jesus intentionally laid His life down to save His people from their sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
How can God love and forgive the sinner and at the same time punish sin? The answer is: with a substitutionary sacrifice. Someone who takes punishment on our behalf. A person who has known no sin Himself, righteous enough, holy enough, good enough, to become our substitute. Someone who can suffer in our stead.
The only one who could do that was the Son of God. He is God’s substitutionary sacrifice—and our Savior.
We can’t do enough good things to pay for our sins, nor can we stand before God on the merits of our
own righteousness. But God has done what we could not. Through Jesus, we receive complete and total
forgiveness of sins.
