But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9 ESV)
Substitute
I have done a fair bit of substitute teaching. When, for whatever reason, a teacher is unable to teach, they seek a substitute. Someone to do the work they are unable to do. Other occupations also require occasional substitutes. I know of substitute nurses, substitute receptionists, substitute mechanics, substitute salespeople, substitute coaches, substitute chefs, and substitute postal workers.
But there is one substitute that is more important than any of those.
We, because we are rebels against God, are supposed to die. And that death is supposed to lead to eternal punishment.
But Jesus is our substitute.
He dies instead of us. He, eternal and infinite, suffered our punishment in that eternal and infinite moment on the cross when He said, “It is finished.”
Without that substitution, we would have a terrible job ahead of us.
We are peculiar, we have a substitute.