WHY REDEMPTION?
The word “redeem” means to buy or repossess back that which was sold or lost (Leviticus 25, Titus 2:14). God created us for His own pleasure and for us to be in perfect relationship and fellowship with Him. But we disobeyed and separated from Him.
The Word of God declares, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We were lost and without hope in the world. We became enemies of a loving God. As a result, all of mankind became slaves to Satan.
Our sin in the Garden of Eden condemned us before a holy God (Genesis 3, Romans 3:23). Man has sinned, brought under judgment and death. He was helpless and left in the hands of cruel masters: Death, Satan and Hell.
No matter what he did, man would never be able to save himself. He was wicked and disobedient in the sight of God, and judged thus to his ruin. God’s mercy was blocked, and he groped in darkness and confusion without the life of his Maker.
He who is down needs one that is up to help him. Man was down, separated from God. He could not help himself; he needed a Saviour. This is the story of God’s love, that God became a man in order to save sinful humanity.
The mystery of incarnation was brought to the fore in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ugly trajectory of the human race changed for good forever as the angels from heaven announced “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).
This is the announcement of the arrival of God on earth in a human form. What a wonder! What manner of love!
SEPARATED FROM GOD
God’s eternal injunction is that “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). Death and its forces swung into action against man and the planet.
As man fell, hatred, evil, unforgiveness, murder, distrust and betrayal, cheating, wickedness, fear, crimes, vice and avarice, the very nature of Satan began to rule the lives of men and women.
First, we died spiritually, separated from God, the source and fountain of life. And because mankind died spiritually, forever disconnected from their Creator, physical death was inevitable.
And so by the offence of one, Adam, judgment and condemnation came upon every human being. All were made sinners by the disobedience of Adam (Romans 5:18-19).
THE PRICE FOR OUR REDEMPTION
Jesus Christ came to give His own life as a ransom for the forgiveness of our sins. Because His own sinless blood was the only requirement by divine justice, He willingly shed His blood and died to save us.
For it is written, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Today, through the sacrificial life of Christ, we have been reconciled back to God and declared, righteous.
The Bible says, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19).
IT IS FINISHED
While hanging there on that Roman Cross, I need you to understand that Jesus used a legal term when He said ” It is finished. ” That means that all petitions against you and me were settled, and therefore you cannot be accused by the devil any more (Romans 8:1).
OUR SCAPEGOAT
Jesus died as our Scapegoat, Sacrificial Lamb and our High Priest.
In the Old Testament, the sins of all Israel were confessed and laid upon the Scapegoat. Then the goat was taken by a fit man to a wilderness, a faraway land not inhabited, and never to return.
And thus their sins were carried away by the Scapegoat goat, and never to be counted against them any more (Leviticus chapter 16).
OUR SACRIFICIAL LAMB
Every soul was required to bring a lamb to the priest to atone for their sins. When any Israelite brought a lamb to atone for his or her sin, the priest examined it, and if it met God’s requirements, the lamb was then killed and offered to God as a substitute for the sinner.
And thus the person was forgiven of whatever sins they committed (Leviticus chapter 16).
OUR HIGH PRIEST
The high priest used to enter the Holy of Holies once every year to make sacrifice for the entire nation of the Israelites (Leviticus chapter 16, Hebrews 9:7).
No human being was qualified to get in there except the high priest who went in there to stand before God on behalf of the people. And this the high priest did only once every year bringing an animal to atone for his own soul too because himself was not perfect.
But the Lord Jesus as a perfect and sinless man paid the price with His own blood. As our High Priest, He took His own blood into the Holy of Holies in heaven and presented it before God. The Father is pleased and satisfied.
Therefore, God has exalted Him, gave Him the Name that is above every name and made Him sit at His right, far above all principalities and powers (Philippians 2:8-11).
That is what Christ has done for us today and will continue to do for us as our Advocate and High Priest. He paid the price once and for all and stands as our High Priest in heaven for all of eternity.
“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:11-12).
So Jesus died as our Scapegoat to take away our sins. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36).
He died as the sacrificial Lamb to shed His sinless blood for us. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18,19).
He died and resurrected as our High Priest to stand in before God on our behalf. “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec”
(Hebrews 5:9,10).
In light of these truths, everything about you has been settled by Jesus on the account of His death and resurrection. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:14).
This is a matter of urgency. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life, you have to do that right now that you are reading this article. It’s simple, just confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that He loves you, that He suffered and died for you, and resurrected for you, and you are saved (Romans 10:8-10). If you have sincerely done it, congratulations, my good friend. You are a new person!