The Man Who Took Our Place

I was thinking about how Jesus took our place on the cross a while ago, and decided to write a little story about it. I hope that when you read it, it makes you think about how incredibly fortunate we are to have such an amazing God. A God that loves us so much that he would send his ONE and ONLY SON to DIE for US, and then RAISE him from the dead, so that we might spend eternity with him in heaven.


There I was, tied to my cross. I was paying the penalty for my sin. Death was the penalty. The soldier was positioning the nail, ready to pound it into my flesh. Just before he started hammering, I heard a voice say, "Stop! Let me take her place." I looked around to see who had spoken, and saw a man walk forward. He was not a wealthy man; his clothes were simple. He walked up to me and said to the soldiers, "Let me untie her." As he untied my hands and feet I asked, "Why are you doing this?" He said "Because I love you." He took my hand and helped me up. The soldier told him to take off his clothes and lay down on the cross. The man obeyed without a word. I asked again, "Sir, why are you doing this? You haven't done anything wrong." Again he said, "Because I love you." As soon as he said that, the soldier began pounding the nails into his wrists. All I could do was stand and watch. This man, whom I didn't even know, took my punishment for me. As I thought about what he did for me, tears streamed down my face. The man didn't even protest against the soldiers torturing him.

They now had finished nailing him to the cross, and were going to stand it up on the hill. I watched the soldiers cast lots for his clothes. People were calling him names and laughing at him. I just watched silently. I can't even describe my feelings at this moment. You just can't describe the feeling you get when someone dies in your place.

A little later, the man asked for a drink, and the soldiers gave him wine on a sponge. He drank what he could. The man looks so miserable now, struggling to take each breath. And then, he said his final words, "It is finished".

I watched the people go away, back to their homes. They were not even moved by what this man had done and went through. I slowly walked up to the hill where the cross was standing. I fell on my knees and cried, knowing that if this man had not come along, I would be the one on this cross, with my hands and feet nailed, and struggling to take each breath. I stayed at the hill for hours, mourning for this incredible man. I didn't even get a chance to get his name!

Three days later, I decided to go see the tomb of the man who died for me. When I arrived, I saw that the stone in front of the tomb had been rolled away. "Where is he?", I thought. I sat down by the tomb and cried. Then suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw that it was the man! I was overjoyed! "Sir, I thought you were dead!" I said. "Are you a ghost?" He answered, "I was dead, but I was arisen. I'm not a ghost. See? Look at the scars in my hands." "Sir, who are you? Why did you die in my place, when you were innocent?" I asked. "I'm Jesus, the Son of God." He said. "I died for you because I love you. I always have loved you, Mallory. I not only died for you, but for the whole world. You can spend eternity with me in heaven because I died for you. Do you believe that?" He asked. "Yes, Sir. Yes I do." I said decidedly. "Then, come here Mallory." He said. I came to him. He held me and said, "Your sins have been washed away." And then he held me and said "I've always loved you Mallory, and I always will."


Jesus really did take our place on the cross. We all deserve to die because the penalty of sin is death. Since we all are sinners, we all deserve to spend eternity in hell. BUT, because of Jesus we don't have to. We just have to believe that Jesus died for us.

I think that this is absolutely amazing!!!! Words can't describe how awesome it is.

Thanks God for sending your son, Jesus, to die for us, and for raising him from the dead.

Verses for the Day:

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Mallory