CHRIST OUR PROPITIATION
by J. C. Ryle - Written About 1887
I am, of course, perfectly aware that there are those who reject this doctrine of substitution, and others who, while they accept it, see in it difficulties which they find it hard to explain, I am not about to study now either the reasons for rejection or the difficulties; but simply to point out that it is the one Divine plan which is taught throughout the Scriptures.
It was prefigured in type, as in all the sacrifices of the Levitical typical system; and preeminently in the type of the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:21), where it is said, "Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head 0f the goat;" in which case the defilement of the people's sin was so completely transferred to the scapegoat that the man who led the goat into the wilderness was defiled by the contact, and was required to wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water before he was permitted to return into the camp.
It was predicted in prophecy, as, for example, by Isaiah when he said (Isaiah 53:6), "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." I have met with the endeavour to explain away that passage, as if it meant that the iniquity of man reached its climax in the crucifixion; but such an abortive attempt is a conclusive proof that there is no real way of evading the clear testimony to the Divine imputation to the Sin-bearer of the sins of those who had gone astray after the way of their own hearts.
So it was taught by the Apostles.
By St. Paul when he said (Galatians 3:13)
"Christ hath redeemed us from: the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
By St. Peter when he said (1 Peter 3:18 ),
"Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."
By St. John (1 John 4:10): " Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
And, above all, by the mysterious conduct of our Lord Himself as His death was drawing near, which, I do not hesitate to affirm, can be explained on no other supposition. There is no disputing the fact that the death of our blessed Saviour was not an example of a peaceful deathbed. There have been thousands of His people who have met their last hour in far greater peace than He did. They have been perfectly happy, resting peacefully in the arms of Him who loved them from eternity, while He was bowed down in mental agony. In the garden on the evening before His death He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood, and pleaded with God that if it were possible the cup might pass from Him; and even on the cross He gave utterance to the marvellous cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" You cannot explain the difference by the severity of His physical suffering, for many of the martyrs have suffered much more pain than He did. Nor can we for one moment suppose that He was forsaken in consequence of any fault in Himself or any unfaithfulness in God. The only possible explanation is, that there was a transfer of guilt; that, as our substitute, He took the place of the guilty, and was treated accordingly; that " He was wounded for our transgressions," and "bruised for our iniquities," that ', the chastisement of our peace was upon Him," and that "with His stripes we are healed." Thus, by that cry of His we are brought to the conclusion so well expressed by Hooker when he said, " I must take heed what I say; but the Apostle saith, ' God made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.' Such are we in the sight of God the Father, as is the very Son of God Himself. Let it be counted folly, or frenzy, or fury, whatsoever, it is our comfort and our wisdom; we care for no knowledge in the world but this, that man hath sinned, and God hath suffered; that God hath made Himself the son of man, and that men are made the righteousness of God."
_______________________________________________