If a man dies while attempting to rescue someone who is drowning, that death can be considered a bold death but not a vicarious death. Something that is vicarious must be related to the law. The bold death of a rescuer is not a death that can be recognized by God's law. But Christ died a vicarious death that was legal according to God's law and was recognized by God. That death of Christ was recognized by God legally, according to His law, as the vicarious death of the One who was the Substitute for us, the sinners.

Some say that Christ was merely a martyr who was murdered because of His philosophy. They say that Christ's death can be considered only a martyrdom and that Christ is nothing more than a martyred hero. This is the talk of the so-called modernists, who do not believe that the Bible is wholly inspired, that Christ died on the cross for our sins and shed His blood for our redemption, and that Christ was resurrected both spiritually and physically. Acts 7:52 does say that Christ was murdered. As he was speaking to his persecutors, Stephen said, "And they killed those who announced beforehand concerning the coming of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become." To murder is to kill. No doubt Christ was killed, but His death should not be considered as only a murder for the cause of martyrdom.

Christ's death was much more than a murder. In one sense, in the eyes of God, Christ was not murdered; but in another sense, in Acts 7 when God came to condemn the Jews, He accused them of murdering the Lord Jesus. In the first three hours that Christ was on the cross, He was being killed by man, but in the last three hours He was not being killed by man but was being judged by God. God killed His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. Thus, that killing was not a murder but a vicarious death to accomplish redemption for us.

Furthermore, Christ's death was not a martyrdom. Christ was not killed by His enemies because of His philosophy or His teachings. Christ's death was something carried out by God Himself according to His law. Hence, His death was the death of One who was a Substitute for others; it was a vicarious death. This vicarious death was accomplished in the last three hours that He was on the cross. At that juncture He cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Today we, as the sinners saved by Him, all must answer, "Lord, it was because of my sins. Because my sins were put on You, at that time You were counted by my God as the unique sinner; so God forsook You for my sake, because You were my Substitute there, dying a vicarious death for me that was recognized legally by God according to His law." Christ's death was not merely a murder, nor was it a martyrdom; rather, it was a death for the accomplishing of redemption, a redeeming death. We all need to know the truth concerning Christ's vicarious death.