Plear's Poem 'The Book My Prayer'

“HE TOOK MY PLACE”

During the Civil War, a company of irregulars known as “bushwhackers” was arrested by the Union soldiers. Because they were guerrilla fighters and not in uniform, they were sentenced to be shot. A courageous young boy in the Union Army touched his commanding officer on the arm and pleaded, “Won’t you allow me to take the place of one of the men you have just condemned? I know him well—he has a large family who needs him badly. My parents are dead and I have few friends. No one will miss me. Please let me take his punishment!” The officer hesitated, but finally gave his consent. Pulling the husband and father to one side, the young man filled his position in the death line. On the stone that marks his grave in a little southern town are these words: “Sacred to the memory of Willy Lear. He took my place.
This story illustrates the idea of substitution, which is the one I’m going to develop today in my sermon. The purpose of this sermon is to help someone understand the reason why he couldn’t pay the price with his own life for his guilt instead and feel no need for God to die in his place. In order to have clear meaning of what we about to do today, it is important to understand the earthly sanctuary in a biblical perspective and the
“4-Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.5. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth”.