Jesus is the Perfect Surety

Isaiah 53:5 says,

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

A surety is someone who can be primarily liable for paying someone else's debt. If the surety is able to completely satisfy the debt, the person who incurred debt will not have to pay for those debts. Jesus is the perfect surety because he is able to fully pay for the debts of those of us who believe.

"Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam was pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of His Son with consternation." (The Desire of Ages, E. G. White, p. 753.)

Now, some people may think it is strange that Jesus can volunteer to bear our punishment if, as C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, you think only in terms of "the police-court sense." But he says, "if you think of a debt, there is plenty of point in a person who has some assets paying it on behalf of someone who has not." This is consistent with the idea of who God is - he does not take pleasure in punishing the wicked. Rather, he punishes because debt must be repaid and would love for us to return to him.

Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? Eze. 18:23

Jesus chose to act as a surety by paying our debts when he became a man and died for our sins. Thank God for the riches of Christ poured out freely upon us!