The Price of Redemption
Redemption is the transfer of ownership from one to another. This is achieved by the payment of a price or a substitute that is equivalent. All the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament for sin were a visual picture of the high cost that would need to be paid to redeem man from sin. They in themselves could never pay the ransom for sin (Heb 10:4) but pointed to the sacrifice that would once and for all be paid to redeem mankind.
This would not be paid with silver or gold. Mistrust would be paid for with trust, unrighteousness would be paid for with righteousness. Those deserving death would be paid for with the death of one that does not deserve to die. All the ungodly acts committed by men would be wiped away by the life of a godly man.
The life of this godly person is revealed to us in the writings of Isaiah the prophet. He was rejected and despised by men but pleasing and acceptable in the sight of God.
Isa 53:1-12 Who has believed our message? and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he has no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we didn’t respect him. 4 Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth; as a lamb (Jn 1:29) that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn’t open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the disobedience of my people to whom the stroke was due? 9 They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yahweh shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. WEB
- The payment for sin would not be the act of a single event but the life of a person that would entirely surrender their life to God in righteousness.
- A person that would love Yahweh their God with all their heart, soul and might. (Deut 6:5)
Rom 5:18-19 Therefore as by (through) the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by (through) the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by (through) the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. KJV
- Obedience and being in right standing with God go hand in hand.
Heb 5:7-9 He,(Jesus) in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from (out of) death, and having been heard for his godly fear, 8 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. 9 Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation, WEB
- Jesus was willing to put the will of God above that of his own in order to accomplish the will of his father. (Lk 22:41,42; Jn 4:34)
1 Peter 3:18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; WEB
- Christ suffering for sins brought forth spiritual life.
1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, the blood of Christ; WEB
Heb 9:22 According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. WEB
Eph 2:13-16 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both (Jews and Gentiles) one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, 15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace; 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. WEB
God raising Christ from the dead proved that Jesus was worthy to be the ransom that would redeem man from their sins.
Acts 2:22-32 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know, 23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. WEB
- Death did not have a hold on Christ because he had not done anything worthy of death.
Heb 4:15 For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. WEB
1 Cor 15:20-22 But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. WEB
1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. WEB
- We will not only receive life because of Christ but an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that will not fade away.
2 Cor 5:17-21 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. WEB (Col 1:19-22)
- God reconciled us to himself through the faithfulness of Christ Jesus.
The ransom for sin has been paid in full with Christ. (Act 4:10-12; Jn 14:6; 1 Tim 2:5,6) He is the path that leads us back to a meaningful relationship with God.