One just needs to educate himself in God's picture book, the Law of the Offerings. There are five main offerings prescribed by God for the devout and the penitent Israelite. They are divided into two main classes: those that are burned on the altar, and those that are burned on the ground.
The first class, those offered on the altar, ascended as a sweet savor to God. These are offerings in which God is well pleased. These are the Burnt, Meat, and Peace Offerings. Lev. 1:1-3:17
The second class of offerings are those which were banned from the altar except for a memorial portion. These are the sin and the trespass offerings. Lev. 4:1-7:27 These were burned on the ground as unclean things far away from God's abode. They did not rise a sweet savor, and so it is written, God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
Both of these classes are instructive in what Christ accomplished with His one sacrifice, once for all. In the first class, we see an offering of a life in service to God, holy and acceptable to God, in which God is well pleased, in exchange for the life of the offerer. In the other we see a life submitted to the judgment of God for sin, in exchange for the life of the offerer.
In the one class, the righteousness of the life offered in exchange, is imputed to the offerer, and in the other, the sin of the offerer is imputed to the life of the offering.
In each case the offering is the substitute for the offerer. The offerer has no righteousness by which he can please God, so a spotless life is offered and "accepted for him." And "who can stand before His indignation?", so a spotless life is offered and judged for him.
Jesus, in His work, was our substitute both in offering the righteousness we owe, and in receiving the judgement upon our sins.
It's quite an uninformed notion to suggest this view originated with the Reformers.
