Bible Class

Steps to Eternal Life

Lesson Three

He Took Your Place
Two men who lived in France many years ago were close friends. As time passed, one of them was imprisoned by the government. He was tried for a crime against the state, found guilty, and sentenced to death. There was no way he could escape the sentence and no way to escape from the prison. The prisoner's friend had not forgotten him. He had devised an ingenious scheme to save his friend from dying. He gained permission to visit the condemned man in his prison cell. While he was alone with his friend, he exchanged clothes with the prisoner and took his place in the cell. The prisoner walked out of the prison a free man. The next day the friend was executed in the condemned man's place, while the former prisoner fled the country. He had been set free because a friend loved him enough to take his place and die in his stead so that he would not have to pay the penalty of his crime.
Jesus said, in John 15:13, 14: "The greatest love a man can have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are My friends, if you do what I command you." Our opening story is an imperfect example of what our friend, Jesus, did for us. He left the courts of glory above and came down to this prison house of sin and took our place because He loved us so much. He died that He might free us from the penalty of sin, which is death.
Let's take a look at what the Bible says about God's willingness to sacrifice so that we might become His sons once again and live with Him throughout eternity

THE BIBLE SAYS

27.How did God demonstrate His great love for man? John 3:16.
THE BIBLE SAYS

28.What did the angel who announced Christ's birth say Jesus would do? Matthew 1:21.
THE BIBLE SAYS

NOTE: 1 John 3:5: “You know that Christ appeared in order to take away men's sin.”

29.How did Christ save man? 1 John 3:16.
THE BIBLE SAYS

30.What did John the Baptist say Christ was? John 1:29.
THE BIBLE SAYS

NOTE: For years the Jewish people had brought lambs as sin offerings. They confessed their sins on the heads of these innocent animals and killed them. This was their way of showing their faith in the sacrifice that God would provide to take away their guilt and sin. John pointed out that the sacrificial lamb represented Christ, the true Lamb of God.

31.Whose nature did Christ share as He came to this earth? Hebrews 2:14.
THE BIBLE SAYS

NOTE: The divine Son of God was born of a human mother that He might unite humanity and divinity in one body. He had to take man's nature in order that He might truly die in man's stead.

32.Was Christ ever tempted to sin? Hebrews 2:18.
THE BIBLE SAYS

NOTE: He is able to understand and help us because He was tempted in all points. Hebrews 4:15: Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy with our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.

33.How much sin did Christ commit? 1 Peter 2:22.
THE BIBLE SAYS

NOTE: The people were commanded to bring a lamb without blemish. It was to be a perfect sacrifice. This represented the sinlessness of our Lord. He could die for us because He was without sin. He did not have to die for His own sin.

34.Describe the torture that Christ endured for you. Mark 15:16-20.
THE BIBLE SAYS

35.How did they sacrifice the Lamb of God? Luke 23:32-34.
THE BIBLE SAYS

36.What was the cry of Christ as He hung on the cross? Matthew 27:45-50.
THE BIBLE SAYS

NOTE: The sins of humanity that Christ bore separated Him from His Father. He felt the same separation that the sinner will feel at the end of this world's history, as he is shut out from the presence of God. He died the second death for each of us.

37.How did the soldiers make certain Christ was dead? John 19:33-35.
THE BIBLE SAYS

NOTE: Christ died of a broken heart. It was not the wounds in His hands or feet, but the wounds that our sins made in His heart, that caused His death.

38.What did Christ want to do for us by His death? 1 Peter 3:18.
THE BIBLE SAYS

39.What did Christ bear with Him on the cross? 1 Peter 2:24-25.
THE BIBLE SAYS

40.What did the shedding of His blood do for us? 1 John 1:7.
THE BIBLE SAYS

Read again the story of the death of your Lord. Matthew 27:1-54.
As you see Him dying there for you, can you reject Him as your Saviour? He has done everything possible for the Supreme God of the universe to do to buy us back; he paid the price for our sin and rebellion. Must He have died in vain? Will you reach out by faith and accept His sacrifice in your behalf?
Years ago a traveling band of Gypsies came to a rain-swollen river. The only bridge looked old and dangerous, but it was the only way across the river. When one wagon was in the middle of the span, the bridge collapsed, dumping the Gypsy family and wagon into the turbulent river below. The wagon had carried a mother and her son, who was a strong young man and an able swimmer. The mother was old and weak, so the water swept her down the river. Several times her head went under. The son swiftly swam to her side and tried to save her, but in her fear and frenzy she would grab her son and pull him under the water with her. He would pull away and try again, but each time the same thing happened. Then one last twist of the current pulled the mother away and under, never to be seen again. As the other people in the Gypsy band pulled the boy ashore, they heard him say, “I tried to save her, but she wouldn't let me.”
God forbid that Christ should say that about any of us today. “I tried to save him, but he wouldn't let Me.” Why not drop to you knees right now and ask Him to save you? Tell Him how much you love Him for the great sacrifice in your behalf.
Would you like to indicate your response to this lesson?

I do love Christ for what He was willing to do for me.
I want His sacrifice for me not to have been in vain.
I accept His sacrifice on my behalf.

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