Many years ago, there was a certain school, among the mountains of Virginia, which no teacher could handle. The boys were so rough that the teachers resigned.
A young, gray-eyed teacher applied, and the old director scanned him, then said, "Young fellow, do you know what you are asking? An awful beatin'! Every teacher we have had for years has had to take it."
He replied, "I'll risk it."
Finally, he appeared for duty. One big fellow, Tom, whispered, "I won't need any help, I can lick him myself!"
The teacher said, "Good morning, boys! We have come to conduct school, but I confess I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me and I will write them on the blackboard."
One fellow yelled, "No stealing." Another yelled, "On time." Finally ten rules appeared.
"Now," said the teacher, "a law is no good unless there is a penalty attached to it. What shall we do with the one who breaks the rules?"
"Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on."
"That is pretty severe, boys. Are you ready to stand by it?" Another yell, and the teacher said, "School come to order!"
In a day or so, "Big Tom" found his dinner was stolen. Upon inquiry the thief was located—a hungry little fellow, about ten years old. The next morning the teacher announced, "We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back! Jim, come up here!"
The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to the neck and pleaded, "Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please don't make me take my coat off."
"Take that coat off; you helped make the rules."
"Oh, teacher, don't make me!" He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see! The boy had no shirt on over his little bony body.
"How can I whip this child," he wondered. "But I must do something if I am to keep this job." Everything was quiet. "How do you come to be without a shirt, Jim?"
He replied, "My father died and mother is very poor. I have only one shirt to my name, and she is washing that today, and I wore my brother's big coat to keep warm."
The teacher with rod in hand hesitated. Just then "Big Tom" jumped to his feet and said, "Teacher, if you don't object, I will take Jim's beating for him."
"Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?"
Off came Tom's coat, and after five hard strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands, and thought, "How can I finish this awful task?"
Then he heard the entire school sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. "Tom, I am sorry I stole your dinner, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I'll love you till I die for taking my beating for me! Yes, I'll love you forever!"
Dear friends, we have all broken God's rules of righteousness. He says, "There is none righteous, no, not one"—eternal judgment. Yet there is a Substitute for us. The Lord Jesus Christ bore that dreadful judgment for sinners, when He died upon the cross. "For Christ also hath suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." If we will receive Him as our Substitute and Savior, the judgment which has fallen upon Him will never be repeated.