What is the meaning of substitutionary atonement?

from the old testament

• The principle of substitutionary atonement begins in Genesis. When Adam and Eve sinned, death entered the world (Genesis 2:17; 3:19). Yet God clothed them with garments of skin (Genesis 3:21), covering their shame through the death of another life. From this point forward, sin always brought separation from God, and only a substitute could bear the penalty.
• God formalized this in Israel’s sacrificial system. Leviticus 17:11 explains that “the life of the flesh is in the blood” and that blood was given “to make atonement for your souls.” On the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), the high priest sacrificed animals and brought their blood into the Most Holy Place, symbolizing that the penalty for the people’s sin had been carried by another. Yet because animals are not equal to humans, these sacrifices could never fully satisfy God’s wrath.
• The Passover (Exodus 12:3-13) also pictured substitution. In that account, God intended to kill the first born of every family. However, He offered a way to escape that judgement: a lamb could be killed so that the firstborn in the house would live. Only those whose doorposts were covered by its blood were spared from God’s judgment. This vivid picture showed how blood covers sin.
• Most clearly, Isaiah 53 foretells the coming Servant who would be “pierced for our transgressions” and bear “the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). This is prophetic language that God would one day lay the guilt of sinful men and women on His chosen substitute.

from the new testament

• The New Testament declares that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament sacrificial pictures. Hebrews 10:4 says, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Old Testament pictures were just that—pictures. A greater sacrifice was required.
• Romans 3:25-26 explains that God presented Christ “as a propitiation by his blood” so that He could be “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” A propitiation is a blood sacrifice that appeases God’s wrath. On the cross, God’s justice was fully satisfied as the penalty for sin fell on Jesus, and God could declare forgiven all who trust in Him.
• Hebrews 2:17 reiterates that, saying that Jesus was made like us “to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” As fully human, He could sacrificially represent us in a way an animal never could. Because He is sinless, when He died, He had no sin to pay and so could bear our penalty.
• Paul captures the exchange of our guilt for Jesus’ righteousness: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21; c.f., 1 Peter 2:24).
• Unlike the animal sacrifices which had to be repeated, Jesus’ offering was “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10-14). After Jesus died, He then resurrected, making the completion of all guilt for those who trust in Him.

implications for today

God is forgiving, but He is also holy and just—He never overlooks sin. Either the sinner pays for his or her sin in eternity, or the sin has already been paid for by His substitution, Jesus. Through Jesus, God counts the believer as righteous, never holding him or her accountable for sin again.

For unbelievers, there is one take-away: God only provided one ultimate substitution for sin, and that’s His Son, Jesus. Those who remain unrepentant and unwilling to trust in Him, will be judged, found guilty, and cast into Hell (Revelation 20:11-15). This is not because God doesn’t forgive, but because His offer of atonement was ignored.

Jesus is the only escape from the wrath to come. He said that no one who comes to Him will be cast out (John 6:37b). Jesus is the substitute for all who repent of their sin and trust in Him (Romans 10:9); faith in Christ allows you to escape the final wrath against sin (Romans 5:9).

Believers must remember why Jesus died. We don’t remember our past sins to dwell on them but to keep in mind how great, kind, and gracious God is to send a substitute in our place.