Shepherd of the Springs
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

          But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. (Vs. 5)

          This evening we continue or reflections on the Babe to be born in the Manger on the basis of the great Suffering Servant Chapter from the prophet Isaiah. On the basis of our text, you are invited to consider the Babe as the one who will go on to become our substitute. Mmmmmm . . . a substitute. What comes to your mind when you think about a substitute and the kind of contributions they make?  Often in the world of sports, the word substitute connotes the status of an inferior or less capable person who comes in temporarily for the first team player. The substitute comes to relieve the first team player when he needs a break or in the event of some kind of injury or incapacity. The substitute is usually considered not as capable as the first team player, and often has a primary role to kind of hold things for a while until the first team player can get back into the action. Then again, at schools, when the classroom teacher becomes sick, they call in a substitute to take the class on a temporary basis until the main teacher can return. While not always true, the idea of a substitute often carries the connotation of employing an inferior replacement for temporary duty because of a short-time loss of a more capable performer. You hear, Oh he’s just a substitute.

          Such images about substitutes, however, are not at all appropriate as we consider the words of Isaiah in our text. You are invited to consider the babe to be born in Bethlehem as the One who will become your substitute in the working out of God’s plan of salvation. But, Jesus has not come into the world either as your inferior or as a temporary second-team player in the execution of God’s saving work. Here our notion of substitute connotes the one entering the scene to take upon himself the just punishment that is due another. Jesus will become a Man of Sorrows, a Suffering Servant of God who will go from the manger to grow into the Son of Man who will be our substitute and make atonement for our sins. He comes to take upon his shoulders the punishment that is due each of us for our sins, not because we temporarily need a break or are incapacitated for some short period of time or circumstance - not as our inferior - but rather as our deliverer. Sin has not rendered us needing a break or even needing improvement. We sons and daughters of Adam are dead in our trespasses, off God’s team and fully incapable of navigating the game of life he created us for to live. We have forfeited the right to be called spiritually fit or able to occupy the position of crown of His Creation.

         The Babe in the Manger will go on to take our place and become wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. He will make full atonement for our sins. The wages of sin is death and this Suffering Servant will be born in Bethlehem to then suffer and die for our sins in our stead, as the ne who will take our deserved death upon himself on the Cross. Jesus is our substitute in that He takes the entire game over from us who have forfeited any right or ability to perform as God made us. He comes and lives the life that we were created to life as our substitute, and He has come to then take our place and suffer for the just penalty of our sinful rebellious lives. He doesn’t spell us for a time or give us a break or hold things until we can take over the life we were created to live . . . he is our permanent substitute in this life. He places the game of life according the rules of the Law of Life and does so completely fulfilling it for us. We win without any need to play the game. The Law has been fulfilled by his active obedience to the Father in all things. From the Babe born in the Manger, He is perfectly obedient, doing what we cannot do, being obedient even unto death on the cross. Suffering the stripes of the whip, and being crushed for our iniquities, dying the death to sin that we deserve as our substitute, that is in our place, in our stead, doing it all for us, not simply giving us a time out or break.

          In the saving work of the Babe becoming our substitute, the game is over. By his stripes we are not simply rested, or give a time out - we are healed. Jesus as our substitute puts an end to our strife in trying to measure up to God’s performing standards according to the demands of his Law for the game of life.  And then, he remakes us in His own image, healing our spiritual infirmities and rasing us back up as a reflection of Himself.  The substitute for us who does not hold things temporarily for us but who, as our superior in every way, raises and remakes us in his own image to be as He is, our second Adam. Where the First Adam has brought us injury and death, Jesus as the Second Adam has come to bring us healing and new life.

          Some kind amazing substitute this Babe in the Manger will become isn’t He? One might think that He could expect and we could expect or Him to find a hero’s welcome. Seeing this incredible work He will accomplish for us, one would think that he would be received as a celebrity substitute. But such is not the prophecy from our Isaiah in our text. He will actually be viewed in a more inferior light than how some substitutes are seen these days in the games we play. He will not be seen as our moral superior or example, but rather as a common criminal who dies for his own short comings not ours. By oppression and judgment (from our courts of injustice) He is taken away (vs. 8). For those who have a low opinion of substitutes, Jesus fits right in. He executes the saving will of His Father without any spiritual or worldly fanfare. . . no high-fives, no helmet butts, and no flashy spiritual dunks. He will appear to most as simply a lowly spiritual bench warmer, who’s brief entry into to the game of life is cut short by dying a looser’s death. As a spiritual teacher, he was a substitute who simply could not command the class who staged an insurrection and had him killed. He taught a foolish Gospel in which you only win by losing, live by dying, and become righteous by doing nothing.

          But such as it is and became in accord with the prophecy in Isaiah about the Babe born in Bethlehem. Nevertheless, although it may seem foolish indeed, it is true: But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. (Vs. 5).  So get ready to catch a glimpse of the incredible substitute that God is sending to you this Christmastide. You know on the basis of the prophecy of Isaiah and the other prophets together with the witness of the apostles, it is all true . . . it is all true what he will be doing for you and your salvation when He grows up. . .  When He wins the game of life for you, and dies to secure for you an everlasting victory over sin, death, and the Devil as your substitute . . . God’s one star player. So come to Bethlehem and see Him as a Babe in the Manger. He is the Star of Bethlehem. And you can consider the Christmas card that you might receive that so depict Him there - - - well, it will be like receiving and viewing - his rookie card!

          In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. A-men.