What is the doctrine of substitutionary atonement?
“Substitutionary atonement” means that Jesus Christ died in the place of sinners, taking the punishment that sin deserves, so that we can be reconciled to God.
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See this concise explanation of Substitutionary Atonement from Moody Bible Institute: Substitutionary Atonement.
Key New Testament Passages:
“For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45
“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” – 1 Cor 15:3
“The Lord Jesus Christ…gave himself for our sins.” – Gal 1:4
“Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” - Eph 5:2
“Christ…offered himself.” -Heb 9:14
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement.” - Rom 3:25
“Christ died for the ungodly” and “Christ died for us.” - Rom 5:6, 8
Jesus came to be a “sin offering.” - Rom 8:3
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” - 1 Peter 2:24
“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’ - Rev 5:9
Old Testament Foundations
Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22): The Lord commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord. Before Abraham could go through with the sacrifice, the Lord intervened. “Then Abraham looked up and there in the thicket saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burn offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” - Genesis 22:13-14
The Passover: When the Lord freed his people from slavery in Egypt, he sent plagues against the Egyptians to show his power. The final plague was the death of all firstborn males in Egypt. But the Lord provided a way for his people to be spared: kill a lamb and spread its blood on the doorposts. “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” - Exodus 12:13
Israel’s sacrificial system. “For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” - Leviticus 17:11
Isaiah 53. The “Suffering Servant” passage:
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Two Helpful Videos:
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
How did Jesus’ death on the cross fulfill patterns of atonement in the Old Testament?
What are some incomplete or misleading views of why Jesus died on the cross that you have heard or believed?
Respond to this statement: “The atonement gives you a true picture of yourself. That Jesus had to die for you shows you how sinful you really are. That he would die for you shows you how loved you really are.”