We are familiar with the idea of a substitute. Substitute teachers take the place of our regular teachers when they have to miss a day. Subs come into the game to play in place of the starters. Artificial sweeteners are substitutes for sugar in our tea. Substitutes are important when a teacher is sick or when a starting point-guard can’t get the job done; substitutes perform tasks for us when we are unable.

The theme of substitution is at the heart of Christianity, and the theme of the substitute lamb runs throughout the Bible. Abraham said God would provide a lamb. As we will see in future sessions, at the Passover a lamb’s blood was shed as a substitute for the life of a firstborn son in Israel (firstborn sons just like Isaac). That sacrifice caused the death angel to pass over them. Also, on the Day of Atonement, animals were given in place of the Israelites as substitute sacrifices. All these stories point forward to the moment when the Lord Jesus Himself would die as the sacrifice for our sins (1 Corinthians 5:7). God provided His only Son as the substitute for the world.

• How does this account strengthen your faith in Jesus?