The most significant word that
describes the death of Christ for sinful man is
redemption. It means, “buying again,” or “buying
back.” In the Bible it is used especially of
purchasing a slave with a view of setting him free.
It signifies a release procured by the payment of a
ransom price.
The Roman slave could purchase
his own freedom if he could come up with enough
money. The owner could also sell his slave to
someone else who would pay the price and set him
free.
The word “ransom” signifies the
price paid for a slave who is then set free by the
one who bought him.
Jesus said, “For even the Son
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
The apostle Peter wrote,
“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable
things like silver or gold from your futile way of
life inherited from your forefathers, but with
precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and
spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Hebrews 9:12 tells us it is, “not through the blood
of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He
entered the holy place once for all, having obtained
eternal redemption.” In each of these verses the
idea is to “set free by paying a price.”
The redemption price is the
blood of Jesus which makes it possible for a
righteous God to justify a believing sinner on the
basis of satisfied justice.
It is significant in the Bible
that we belong to God, but we fell into bondage
through willful rebellion; and as a result of sin we
must be purchased out of that bondage. Our bondage
is the penalty and power of sin. We were alienated
from God and in bondage to sin; therefore God in His
grace redeemed us from that bondage. We have been
“justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).
Jesus Christ redeemed us by the
sacrifice of Himself at Calvary on our behalf. The
death of Christ breaks the power of sin and cancels
our debt because He paid it in full. He sets us free
by the payment of the ransom price. Christ bought us
in the slave market of sin by His own blood (Gal.
3:13; 4:5). We are His own unique possession and we
will never be put up for sale in any slave market
again.
The Bible does not say to whom
the ransom was paid. The important thing to note is
the extreme price that was paid to set the sinner
free. We were delivered through the death of Christ
on the cross (Heb. 9:12).
God demands that this vicarious
offering be made, therefore the ransom is obviously
paid to God, not Satan.
When Jesus shouted, “It is
finished,” He declared that our redemption was paid
in full.
God accomplished through the
death of Christ precisely what our salvation
required.
We deserved to die for sin
(Rom. 6:23); Christ died for us (5:6, 8). We were
under the just wrath of God by reason of our
transgressions, however Christ bore that wrath in
our place.
The apostle Paul stresses the
truth that we were alienated from God, but Christ
reconciled us to God.
Redemption places the emphasis
on the truth that we were sold under sin, and Christ
Jesus bought our freedom by paying sin’s price in
full.
A significant definition of
this word is the reality that the believer is set
free from sin and is free to live a life pleasing to
God in the power of the Holy Spirit. This becomes
the highest motivation for Christian living. “For
you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify
God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20).
Our redemption will come to its
consummation at the Second Coming of Christ (1 Cor.
15:49). At that moment our redemption will be
completed (Luke. 21:28; 2 Thess. 2:8). We enjoy the
“newness of life” now, and we will experience the
deliverance of the believer from the presence and
power of sin, and this body from the bondage to
corruption at the Coming of Jesus (Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor.
1:30; Eph. 1:14; 4:30).
Abraham’s son Isaac asked,
“Where is the Lamb?” (Gen. 22:7) and John the
Baptist answered it by pointing to Jesus and
declaring, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). Today, in
heaven, the redeemed of the Lamb and the angels
sing, “Worthy is the Lamb” (Rev. 5:11-14).
Have you placed your trust in
Jesus Christ as your redeemer who ransomed you?
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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