Substitutionary Atonement Research Paper

Substitutionary atonement is the biblical view that Scripture asserts concerning how man is saved from death and brought to life. To deny substitutionary atonement is to disregard what the Scriptures teach concerning redemption. The Old Testament describes the sacrificial system which was a shadow of what was to come in Christ (cf. Hebrews 10:1-4). Leviticus 16 describes the Day of Atonement, in which several animals had their blood shed in order to atone for the sins of the people. In other words, people were justified because they believed God’s promise that in the future there would be One who would be the final sacrifice for sins. The Old Testament clearly describes that the substation for their sins was of central importance. The Old Testament also teaches that the sins of people were transferred to a scapegoat, and then the goat would go out into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people away. The scapegoat represents Christ, who is the Lamb of God that took our guilt and sin upon Himself. He became the One who died in the place of

One of the most prominent that has been mentioned is Isaiah 53. “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him;” he “was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors” (v. 12b). When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Paul said, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21; cf. 2 Peter 2:21). These passages explain that Jesus became a substitute for sinners. Our sins were transferred to Christ as He bore them as our substitute. Therefore, the doctrine of substitutionary atonement from the Scriptures is unmistakably