Substitute

I have been subbing at Riley's school for about a month. I like it. I think they like me. Riley gets embarrassed most days. And it helps with the family budget!

For the most part a substitute teacher checks attendance, reminds students of assignments, hands out and takes up tests, tries to keep the students quiet, and various other sundry tasks. I've actually taught a little English and Bible.

I hope the opportunities to teach come more often. I like subbing but teaching would be cooler.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is our substitute when it comes to judgment for sin. The penalty for sin is death but God loves us so much that he put the penalty upon his son Jesus. Jesus died on the cross 2000 years ago as the substitute for each of us so that we would not have to bear that punishment.

The ultimate death is actually eternal existence in hell without God. Jesus absorbed that punishment, too. He bore all the effect of sin in our places.

That's an awesome substitute. I'm not that good. I can do some of what the real teacher can do, but not all. As our substitute, Jesus did everything that could possibly be done. He actually did what we could not do.

Wouldn't it be surprising if the substitute teacher was better than the teacher? Yeah, not likely! But our substitute - Jesus - is way better at dealing with our sin than we are. In fact, we can do nothing about our sin. Only Jesus can address our sin problem sufficiently.

My hope as a substitute teacher is to not cause the students to spiral toward failure. Jesus makes it possible for you and me to avoid eternal death and gain eternal life.

He's a better sub than I am.