When I was young, the outdoor game of choice was baseball (softball). I learned the rules from those older; I learned various finer rules from listening to Chicago Cubs baseball on the radio. Major league games featured pinch hitters. I didn’t quite understand the “choreography” for being a pinch hitter, but I understood that someone batted for someone else. With a child’s mind, I once tried to convince my sisters that a pinch hitter stood behind the batter (we had no catcher) and could hit the ball from there if the first batter missed!
The term “vicarious atonement” describes an action similar to that of a pinch hitter. The term is not found in the Bible, but it aptly describes Bible truth. Likely, you know the word “vicar.” Our seminary students each fulfill two six-week terms as a vicar. A vicar serves in a congregation under the guidance of the pastor, similar to a student-teacher, or an “intern.” The unusual word “vicar” comes from vicis, a Latin word for “a bend, a change, an interchange.” Roman government used the term to refer to a lower official who was authorized to act for a higher one. Similarly, the Roman Catholic Church began using the term to refer to one acting in the place of a bishop or the like. Our CLC vicars learn about the ministry by “substituting ” for the pastor. Vicars conduct worship, preach sermons, teach confirmation classes, and carry out other duties, all in an effort to learn.
Interestingly, the same Latin word vicis shows up in our English expression vice-versa—”one for the other.” It also shows up in our English words “vice-chairman,” “vice-principal,” and “vice-president”—one of lesser position who substitutes for one of higher position.
In the Bible, Christ is portrayed as our “vicar”—not that He is the less important one, and we more important ones. Rather, He served as our substitute in God the Father’s dealing with sin. Sin and sinners get punished! The Son of God stepped in for us—was our pinch hitter. Nor do we stand ahead of Him in the batter’s box to see if we can do it on our own, and then He will pick up the slack if we miss. The fact is that you and I are out of the game! It all depends on Him. In baseball, a pinch hitter’s hits, runs-batted-in, and runs scored, all count for him and his record. In Jesus’ case, His pinch hit “home run” counts as if it were ours! His suffering and death, and His glorious resurrection, all count for us! We may confidently stand before the Father, humbly trusting His own promise that Jesus is the settlement for our debt of sin. We are pronounced “not guilty”—for Jesus’ sake!
Jesus made peace for us. His action atoned for us. Atonement is a “payment for peace.” A convicted bank robber must atone for, make peace for, his crime. He must pay back the theft and also spend a number of years behind bars. Jesus has atoned for all sins—the world’s, yours, and mine. No one is able to atone for his own sins before God. Jesus’ flawless life and holy death set us at peace with God. We, who were “at odds” with God, are now at peace with God—”at one.” Jesus has “at-one-d” us. He has “atoned” for us.
“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV) “He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
(2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV) The vicarious atonement is a precious peace! Jesus, our substitute, bore the blame. We sinners now have peace!
We may confidently stand before the Father, humbly trusting His own promise that Jesus is the settlement for our debt of sin.
is pastor of Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church in Lemmon, South Dakota.