WAS THE DEATH OF CHRIST VICARIOUS? THE WORD VICARIOUS MEANS SUBSTITUTE. SOME ARGUE THAT JESUS WAS NOT OUR SUBSTITUTE ON THE CROSS BECAUSE HE DID NOT SUFFERED THE FULL PENALTY OF OUR SINS. BUT WE CERTAINLY DESERVED THE PUNISHMENT HE WENT THROUGH! JESUS WAS INNOCENTE, AND WE WERE GUILTY! HE DID NOT HAD TO DIE FOR US! WORST STILL, WE WERE HIS ENEMIES! WE HATED GOD! WE WERE ANTI-GOD BY THE SIN NATURE. YET HE LOVED US BY SACRIFICING HIMSELF FOR US! OH THE LOVE OF CHRIST! INCOMPREHEMSIBLE LOVE! CERTAINLY JESUS WAS THE PERFECT SACRIFICE. WHO HAD BELIEVED OUR REPORT? WHO BELIEVES THIS GOSPEL THAT JESUS TOOK THE PUNISHMENT THAT WE DESERVED ON THE CROSS? FOR OUR SINS, WHAT DID WE DESERVED? DEATH, AND DEATH ONLY! HEREINS GOD'S GRACE: WHEN WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US! BUT WHO BELIEVES THIS? THIS IS THE GOSPEL WE PREACH. THE GOSPEL OF THE VICARIOUS DEATH OF CHRIST. TO WHOM THE ARM (POWER) OF THE LORD HAS BEEN REVEALED? THERE CHRIST WEAK AND BEATEN IS THE POWER OF GOD DISPLAYED! CHRIST CRUCIFIED: THE WISDOM AND POWER OF GOD! YET, THE MEANING OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST MUST BE REVEALED! UNLESS GOD GIVES YOU REVELATION OF WHAT THE DEATH OF CHRIST MEANS YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE THE GOSPEL! WHAT IS THE GOSPEL OF GOD BUT THE CRUCIFIED LAMB OF GOD? HE WAS TENDER (ISIAH 53:2).HE EXPRESSED NO RETALIATION AGAINTS THOSE WHO ABUSED HIM. HE DID NOT DEFENDED HIMSELF, THOUGH HE WAS INNOCENT! THEY DISFIGURED HIS FACE, THEY PUNCHED HIM, THEY HIT HIM WITH STICKS, THEY SPAT ON HIS HOLY FACE, THEY MOCK HIM, THEY HUMILLIATED HIM, AND THEY INSULTED HIM. HE BECAME LIKE A WORM SINCE HE LOVED US SO MUCH! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE DID IT! ALL BECAUSE OF LOVE! OH THE LOVE OF CHRIST! MEN HATED HIM AND ALL HE DID WAS GOOD! HE WAS REJECTED AND DESPISED! THEY SCOURGED JESUS, TORTURED HIM, HIT HIM WITHOUT COMPASSION, THEY TREATED OUR PRECIOUS LORD LIKE A WORM. WHY LORD? WHY LORD? WHY DID YOU DO IT? WHY LORD? YES, JESUS SUFFERED SO MUCH FOR US BECAUSE HE LOVED US. HE IS THE MAN OF SORROWS. WE DID NOT RESPECTED HIM NOR ESTEEMED HIM. WHEN WE SIN WE DON'T RESPECT THE LORD NOR ESTEEM HIS INFINITE WORTH! HE BORE OUR GRIEF, SO I NEVER HAVE TO BE DEPRESSED AGAIN. HE BORE MY PAINS, SO I DON'T HAVE TO CARRY NO SICKNESS PAIN. WE WERE THE GUILTY ONES. WE WERE THE ONES WHO BROKE GOD'S LAW! THE BLOW DUE TO US, HE TOOK IT. THE PUNISHME THAT WE MAY OBTAIN SHALOM WAS UPON HIM! (ISAIAH 53:5). SHALOM MEANS WHOLENESS! SHALOM MEANS HAPPINESS! SHALOM MEANS BLESSEDNESS! SHALOM MEANS PROSPERITY AND WELL BEING! SHALOM MEANS PEACE! SHALOM MEANS COMPLETENESS! SHALOM MEANS HEALING! SHALOM IS AN ALL-INCLUSIVE WORD! AND THAT IS THE GOSPEL! THOSE ARE THE GLORIOUS GOOD NEWS! BECAUSE OF HIS STRIPES WE WERE HEALED (MADE COMPLETE IN HIM). YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE SICK. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE BROKE. JESUS TOOK YOUR CURSE (HE WAS MADE A CURSE THAT WE MAY RECEIVE THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM) THAT YOU MAY ENJOY HIS BLESSING FOR GOD'S GLORY! THAT IS THE GOSPEL! THE FULL COMPLETE TOTAL GOSPEL! YOU SEE, WE WERE ALL REBELLIOUS! WE WERE ALL AGAINST GOD! WE WERE ALL GOD'S ENEMIES! WE WENT OUR OWN WAY (ISAIAH 53:6) YET THE LORD PUT THE PENALTY OF OUR CRIMES UPON HIS BACK! BARRABAS REPRESENTS US, CRIMINAL WHO HAVE BROKEN GOD'S HOLY LAWS. THE EXCHANGE HAPPENED: JESUS TOOK MY CURSE, I RECEIVE THE BLESSING, HE TOOK MY SICKNESSES, I RECEIVE FREELY HIS HEALING, HE TOOK MY WEAKNESS, THAT I MAY BE FREE FROM SIN! ;YES, HE FELT ABANDONED BY THE FATHER, THAT I MAY NEVER BE SEPARATED FROM GOD THE FATHER. HE WAS OPPRESSED, THAT I MAY NEVER BE DEPRESSED! HE WAS AFFLICTED THAT I MAY BE FOREVER JOYFUL (REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS! AGAIN REJOICE!) HE WAS THE SILENT LAMB, TOTALLY SUBMISSIVE TO THE WILL OF THE FATHER. IT WAS THE FATHER'S WILL TO CRUCIFY HIS OWN SON FOR OUR SINS! OH THE LOVE OF GOD! OH THE DEPTHS! HE EMBRACED HIS DEATH FOR US WILLINGLY! WITH JOY HE DIED FOR US! YES, THERE WAS GREAT PAIN IN HIS BODY, YET HE LOVED US! HE WAS TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL AND A PRISONER! YET HE HAD A DECENT BURIAL (THE TOMB OF A RICH PERSON) BECAUSE HE DID NOT ABUSED NOBODY. HIS HUMAN BEING BECAME AN OFFERING FOR OUR SINS, HE BORE OUR SINS (VERSE 11). HE PAID THE BAIL! HE POURED HIS WHOLE BEING TO DEATH FOR US! BY THE REVELATION (KNOWLEDGE) OF HIS DEATH, HE THE RIGHTEOUS ONE, SHALL MADE MANY RIGHTEOUS IN HIM (VERSE 11). THEREFORE I WILL GIVE HIM ALL THE CREDIT FOR HIS DEATH! I WILL GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY BECAUSE OF HIS SACRIFICIAL AND SUBSTITUIONARY DEATH! HE MADE INTERCESSION FOR MANY! THIS MEANS HE BRIDGED US BACK TO GOD! THROUGH HIS PERFECT SACRIFICE WE WILL NEVER BE SEPARATED FROM GOD! YES, THE CHASTISMENT FOR OUR SHALOM WAS UPON HIM! YES, ALL CREDIT IS HIS BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS! YOU SEE, THE GOSPEL IS NOT BASED ON WHAT YOU DO, BUT ON WHAT CHRIST DID ON THE CROSS FOR US! THAT IS WHY PAUL ONLY BOAST ON THE CROSS BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT SACRIFICE WHICH IS CHRIST AS THE LAMB OF GOD, WE WOULD HAVE NOTHING TODAY! WE OWE ALL TO HIS SACRICE! HE IS THE SUBSTITIONARY SACRIFICE! TO HIM WHO DIED FOR OUR SIN, TO THE LAMB OF GOD WHO REIGNS AND RULES FOREVER BE ALL GLORY AND PRAISE FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN!
