The term for Jesus bearing judgment in place of sinners is ____ atonement.

• A. Expiatory
• B. Propitiatory
• C. Sanctifying
• D. Substitutionary

Answer: (D)

Substitutionary atonement is the idea that Jesus bears the punishment our sins deserve in our place. This directly captures the act described by “bearing judgment in place of sinners,” showing how his sacrifice satisfies divine justice so we can be forgiven and reconciled to God. The other terms relate to connected aspects of forgiveness or holiness—expitiation emphasizes removing guilt, propitiation focuses on appeasing God's wrath, and sanctification is about making us holy—but they do not specify the vicarious punishment Jesus took for us. So the term that best fits the concept is substitutionary atonement.