Taking Your Place

Dwight L. Moody told of the young man who did not want to serve in Napoleon Bonaparte's army. When he was drafted, a friend volunteered to go in his place. The substitution was made, and some time later the surrogate was killed in battle.
The same young man was, through a clerical error, drafted again. “You can't take me," he told the startled officers. "I'm dead. I died on the battlefield."
They argued that they could see him standing right in front of them, but he insisted they look on the roll to find the record of his death. Sure enough, there on the roll was the man's name, with another name written beside it – the name of the friend who had died in his place.
The case finally went to the emperor himself. After examining the evidence, Napoleon said, "Through a surrogate, this man has not only fought, but has died in his country's service. No man can die more than once, therefore the law has no claim on him." *
Jesus took your place. This concept is easy to say, but is hard to apply, remember and even comprehend. We get so caught up in ourselves we just can’t seem to focus on the fact that Jesus died in our place. That heaven is our home if we just give ourselves to him.
May God help us to receive this gift of grace and live so as to show the world that Jesus’ death was for them too.
* Story received from David Sargent, “Living Word” February 2, 2008