March, 1968 Grade 6

Palm Beach Gardens Elementary

JESUS is your Substitute

Jesus died for your sins. The Bible says we've all blown it. We've all made mistakes. None of us is perfect. We have all sinned.

The Bible says that justice demands punishment. Ifyou do the crime, you pay the time.

If you break the law, you pay the fine. If you get caught speeding, you get a ticket. If you break God's laws, you pay God's penalty and, according to the Bible,

"The wages [for our] sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23 –New Living Translation).

In other words, somebody has topay for all the things you've done wrong in life: either you pay or somebody else pays for you.

Jesus Christ was sent to earth to sacrifice his life on the cross and he says,in effect, “I will payfor your sins”. (Rick Warren)

Jesus became our substitute when He died on the cross

Christ himself suffered when he died for you, and with that one death he paid for your sins. He was not guilty,

but he died in the place of people who are guilty. He did this to bringall of you to God. (1 Peter 3:18 – Easy To Read Version)

That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones.

He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.(1 Peter 3:18 – The Message)

We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried — our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.

But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!

He took our punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.

We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong on him. (Isaiah 53:4-6 – The Message)

It was an intentional substitution!

He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge,

God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified,

that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. (1 Peter 1:19-21 – The Message)

This was God’s plan for all of history which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:11 – God’s Word Translation)

Jesus was given to you, and . . . you put him to death by nailing him to a cross. But this was God’s plan which he had made long ago; he knew all this would happen. (Acts 2:23 – New Century Version)

He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ,

a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10 – The Message)

THE LESSON: God wanted me so much, He planned for my salvation

It was a costly substitution!

You know you were not bought and made free from sin by paying gold or silver, which comes to an end.

And you know you were not saved from the punishment of sin by the way of life that you were given from your early fathers.

That way of life was worth nothing. The blood of Christ saved you.

This blood is of great worth and no amount of money can buy it. Christ was given as a lamb without sin and without spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19- New Life Version)

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. (Ephesians 1:7 – New Living Translation)

You have been purchased at a great price . . . (1 Corinthians 6:20 – The Voice)

Not one of them, though rich as kings, can ransom his own brother from the penalty of sin! For God’s forgiveness does not come that way.

For a soul is far too precious to be ransomed by mere earthly wealth.

There isn’t enough of it in all the earthto buy eternal life for just one soul, to keep it out of hell. (Psalm 49:7-9 – Living Bible)

He gave his lifeto purchase freedom for everyone. (1 Timothy 2:6 – New Living Translation)

THE LESSON: God values meso much, He sent Jesus to die for me

It was a compassionate substitution!

But think about this: while we were wasting our lives in sin, God revealed His powerful love to us in a tangible display—Jesus, the Anointed One died for us.(Romans 5:8 – The Voice)

Immense in mercy and with an incredible love, God embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no helpfrom us . . .

Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! (Ephesians 2:6, 8 – The Message)

The greatest love a person can show isto die for his friends. You are my friends . . . You did not choose me; I chose you. (John 15:13-14, 16 – New Century Version)

For God loved the world so much thathe gave his only Son and every one who believes in him shall not be lost, but should have eternal life. (John 3:16 – Phillips)

APPLICATION: God loves me so much, He wants me with Him forever

Let’s Pray