A RANSOM IS A PAYMENT GIVEN TO FREE A PRISONER. JESUS TOLD US THAT HE CAME TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR US. WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE RANSOM, AND TO WHOM WAS IT GIVEN?

AN EARLY CHRISTIAN RANSOM THEORY SAID THAT THE RANSOM PAYMENT TO FREE MAN FROM SIN AND BONDAGE TO SATAN WAS PAID TO SATAN. IN OTHER WORDS, SATAN WAS BEING SATISFIED OR PROPITIATED.

TODAY’S POPULAR CHRISTIAN RANSOM THEORY IS THAT THE PAYMENT IS GIVEN TO GOD THE FATHER. THIS THEORY SAYS THAT THE JUSTICE OF GOD DEMANDS A DEATH FOR SIN; THEREFORE, GOD GAVE HIS SON TO DIE, IN PLACE OF US, TO SATISFY OR PROPITIATE HIS DEMAND FOR JUSTICE, THE PAYMENT OR RANSOM TO GOD BEING THE DEATH OF HIS SON.

JESUS TELLS US THAT IT IS HIS LIFE THAT IS THE RANSOM. BUT DIDN’T HE HAVE TO DIE? YES, HE HAD TO DIE, BUT IT WAS HIS LIFE THAT BROUGHT ABOUT HIS DEATH. THE BLOOD MAKES ATONEMENT BY REASON OF THE LIFE. Leviticus 17:11

EVEN WHILE JESUS WAS STILL IN HIS MOTHER’S WOMB, NO ROOM COULD BE FOUND FOR HIM IN THE INN. THEN IT WAS NECESSARY TO FLEE TO EGYPT TO ESCAPE FROM HEROD’S SLAUGHTER OF MALE CHILDREN UP TO TWO YEARS OF AGE. UPON RETURN FROM EGYPT, THE FAMILY COULD NOT RESIDE IN JUDEA BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF ARCHELAUS’ RULE, AND THE FAMILY HAD TO LIVE IN NAZARETH, A RATHER OUTCAST PLACE IN ISRAEL. THE THREAT OF DEATH WAS JESUS’ LIFELONG COMPANION.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT JESUS’ LIFE THAT BROUGHT ABOUT HIS DEATH? IT WAS HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. OUR FAILURE AND SIN IS OFTEN EXCUSED WITH THE WORDS, “YOU ARE ONLY HUMAN.” BUT SINCE THE BIRTH OF GOD’S HUMAN SON, THE SON OF MAN, THERE IS A NEW STANDARD FOR US. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HUMAN PERFECTION IS THE JUDGMENT OF OUR SIN.

“THIS IS THE JUDGMENT, THAT THE LIGHT HAS COME INTO THE WORLD, AND MEN LOVED THE DARKNESS RATHER THAN THE LIGHT, FOR THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL. FOR EVERYONE WHO DOES EVIL HATES THE LIGHT, AND DOES NOT COME TO THE LIGHT FOR FEAR THAT HIS DEEDS WILL BE EXPOSED.” John 3:19-20 JESUS’ HUMAN PERFECTION CONDEMNS OUR SIN.

THE JUDGMENT OF GOD IS NOT SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF HIMSELF THAT MUST BE SATISFIED OR PROPITIATED. IN THE INCARNATION, GOD BECOMES OUR JUDGMENT. GOD INCARNATE BECOMES BOTH THE JUDGMENT AND THE RANSOM FOR OUR SIN.

WHERE ADAM FAILED, JESUS SUCCEEDED. HE OVERCAME OUR SIN THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE AND UTTERLY CRUSHED THE SERPENTS HEAD ON THE CROSS. GOD, IN CHRIST, DISARMED THE ENEMIES OF MANKIND, CANCELED OUT THE CERTIFICATE OF DEBT CONSISTING OF DECREES AGAINST US, TAKING IT OUT OF THE WAY, NAILING IT TO THE CROSS, DISARMING THE RULERS AND AUTHORITIES, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN JESUS. Colossians 2:14-15

GOD’S PAYMENT, SATISFACTION, PROPITIATION, RANSOM IS FOUND IN HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN HUMAN SON. IN FLESH, JESUS REALIZED THE ETERNAL SONSHIP OF GOD. HE WAS THE FULFILLMENT AND REALIZATION OF ALL OF THE DESIRE OF GOD FROM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. JESUS IS THE REDEMPTION FOR ALL SIN FOR ALL TIME AND ETERNITY.

TO WHOM WAS THE RANSOM GIVEN? THE RANSOM, JESUS, IS GIVEN BY GOD TO MAN AND BY MAN TO GOD.

THE PRISON DOOR HAS BEEN OPENED. ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO STAY WITHIN THE PRISON OF OUR SIN AND DEATH, OR ARE WE GOING TO WALK THROUGH THAT OPEN DOOR INTO THE NEW LIFE OF THE NEW CREATION?

“I CAME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY.” – JESUS

Rosemary E. Hyslop  January 11, 2015