Saved By Grace - Someone Took My Place

YEAR 3 – Saved by Grace – Jesus Took My Place
Cards with Scripture: Romans 6:23, I Peter 2:24, Romans 10:9
Large double foam heart with slot in top, smaller colored foam heart

Has this ever happened to you?
• You did something wrong and someone else got blamed and punished for it – how do you feel? (relieved? Guilty)
• Someone else did something wrong and you got blamed for it and punished – How do you feel? (Angry, unfair)
• Why is it not fair for someone to get punished for something they didn’t do?
• Why it is wonderful? – relief!

We’ve been talking about sin the past 2 weeks at T&T. We learned God made humans wonderfully, but then humans chose to sin. Remember what sin is?
(anything we think, say or do that breaks God’s Law)

Last week we had some ice cream and some dirt – what was I explaining?
(To show that sin ruins humans)

Right. And we said – there’s nothing we can do to make this ice cream good again. The dirt/sin is all mixed in. It’s ruined.

But this week, we are going to learn that God would not let sin win.
Today we’re going to learn that when God forgives sin, he didn’t say – oh, sin doesn’t matter. Sin matters a whole lot, and sin earns punishment.
Let’s look at Romans 6:23 –
When I sin, I earn wages for that sin – but it is bad wages – it is God’ punishment. When you sin, you earn punishment – not just from mom and dad, but from God. This is a very bad situation. It is very serious to be punished by God.
Let’s imagine that this heart is me. Now it looks really nice and clean, doesn’t it but the trouble is that every human being, boy or girl, grownup or old person – is a sinner. That means that sometimes I:
• Say something mean to someone, that love of sin shows itself (smudge heart)
• Every time I wish something bad would happen to someone, that love of sin shows itself
• When I take the best piece of food for myself,
• When I lie
• When I disobey
I show what’s really in me – a sin nature. And sin must be punished. What do you think – this heart is really looking a big miss. And remember, the Bible says that everyone has sinned, so every has a sinful heart.

Now what if someone said – I feel so bad about (name), and I love (name) so I will take the punishment for his/her sins. Let’s say I offer this to Alexa. There’s a big problem. If I loved her very much I might want to do that, but let me ask you – am I a sinner? Yes. I can’t help Alexa with her sins because I have a problem with sins too. I’m in the same situation as Alexa. So I can’t help. Could Pastor Matt help? He’s a good man who loves God. Why not?
Could a powerful man like Barack Obama help? Why not?
What about a really rich man like Bill Gates? He’s kind and does good things.
Only someone who never, ever sinned might even possibly be able to help, but who could that be? Only one person has ever lived who perfectly obeyed God in everything and that is Jesus.

Take out white heart:
Jesus never pushed in line to make himself first
He never said mean things to hurt someone
He never hurt or hit someone
He never disobeyed his parents
He never lied, cheated, or stole anything

Jesus is the only human being ever who never sinned, and that’s why we can use this clean heart to show what Jesus’ heart is like. He not only never sinned, but his heart didn’t love sin. He was sinless. And so this person – Jesus – never earned any punishment.
Here’s something else that’s important about Jesus. He is full of love for sinners – for you and me.

So one day Jesus took up a big wooden cross and was nailed to it and died. The bible tells us in I Peter 2:24 that on that cross he took all my sins, and all your sins, and the sins of the world. He took all that dirty punishment and sin on him, he gave us his goodness. So because of Jesus, God looks on me (put heart inside white heart) as if I am pure and good.

That’s how God can forgive us. God IS forgiving, but sin must be punished. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. That’s why Christians look at the cross and are full of love and thankfulness. How much God loves us to do this to help us!

Boys and girls, have you ever asked Jesus to take your sins away? Jesus gladly paid his life in your place.

God is asking each of us to:
Admit we are sinners
Believe Jesus died for my sins
Confess your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior

Ask someone to read Romans 10:9

Prayer