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VICARIOUS SUBSTITUTION

Denival Santos, an unemployed baker’s assistant spent three months in prison posing as convicted robber Rene Coelho Honorato. Santos told police he had wrecked Honorato’s motorcycle and decided to impersonate him to cover the $275 dollars for repairs.

While Santos sat in prison, Honorato continued his life of crime, stealing moneybags from vehicles transporting cash. An investigation uncovered the deception and led police to Santos who had dyed his hair and forged identification papers. An investigator on the case said Santos was fortunate only to serve a few months because Honorato had been sentenced to six years in prison. He said, “Apparently Honorato promised him a swift release and not very harsh conditions, which wasn’t the case.”

Santos has since served an additional four months for impersonating Honorato, and has been released. Honorato has never been captured and remains at large.

—Reuters, Debtor Doing Robber’s Sentence earns Own Jail Time, Monday, October 27, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Though Mr. Santos took the place of another man, he was not able to take away the other man’s guilt. When Jesus took our place, He not only took the punishment we deserved, He also relieved us of guilt. He has truly set us free.

Isaiah 53:5 NIV “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”