In My Place

 Romans 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

This chapter opens with one of the most dramatic verses of the letter, proclaiming our peace with God through faith in Christ. But here I think we have an even higher peak of proclamation in Paul's summary of what Christ has done: He died in my place for my sin, and the sins of all those who trust in Him. That act of sacrificial love - on both the part of the Father and the Son - is the greatest act of sacrifice ever. Paul now restates what he said in verse 1: we are at peace with God; we have been reconciled to Him. He then goes on to describe this replacement principle further, comparing and contrasting the mess Adam got us into, and the glorious salvation of Christ pulling us out.  It's all so overwhelming: Christ in my place.