We see in movies and on TV shows scenes where a family is contacted with instructions of how to pay a ransom in order to get a loved one back. It is usually a large amount of money that needs to be paid. These scenes don’t only happen in movies, but sometimes in real life, as well. What will they use to pay the ransom to redeem their loved one? They might or might not have enough money in the bank. If they had silver or gold coins, that might cover the ransom. Perhaps some exquisite and valuable jewelry. However, no one would think that blood could pay a ransom! Our Scripture today tells of a ransom that was paid in just that, in blood. It was paid in not just any blood, but the Blood of the Son of God.
The word “redeem” means to buy back. It is money that is spent to buy back something, often of a person who might have been kidnapped, maybe taken as a prisoner of war, a hostage, or captured and made a slave. In our Scripture today, the Apostle Peter used the word “redeem” to refer to the price paid to buy the freedom of one in bondage to sin.
As we read in the opening chapters of the Bible, mankind came under the bondage of sin when they listened to Satan and disobeyed God. God did not want to leave us in this condition. He loves us too much to do that. So what did He do? God redeemed us from the tyranny of sin, but not with money. Instead, He redeemed us with the precious Blood of His Son.
What is the price of sin? As we read in the Book of Romans, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). When mankind chose to follow sin, the result was death. What could bring remission from that sin? God’s Word tells us that only the shedding of blood brings remission from sin (Hebrews 9:22). We are also told that the blood of bulls and goats, the animals typically used in sacrifices, could not truly bring this forgiveness (Hebrews 10:4), instead it had to be the blood of someone who had never sinned themselves. That could only be from Jesus, the Son of God. The most precious commodities on earth could not redeem fallen man. The things of this earth are all corruptible. Even though some things, like gold, silver, and precious jewels may last a very long time, they will all eventually perish (vs. 18). Not the Blood of Jesus! That, alone, could pay the price.
Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins was not an afterthought, or something that God decided to do when the world spun out of control. This plan was set in motion by the all-knowing, eternal God, long before the world was created (vs. 20). In eternity past, before Adam and Eve sinned, God planned the redemption of sinners through Jesus Christ. And though those who sent Jesus to the cross may have thought they were executing Him, the death of Jesus was not an execution or an assassination, but rather it was a sacrifice, the offering of Himself for our sins. And His resurrection was guaranteed because He atoned for our sin, He paid the full price.
Today, in an overwhelming majority of churches, we do not hear much from the pulpit about the Blood of Jesus. Today’s Christian culture desires a sanitized version of salvation. They talk about the grace, forgiveness, and love of God, but rarely mention the Blood of Jesus. That disturbs people’s senses. They think it sounds ugly and brutal. The crucifixion and death of Jesus was ugly and brutal, but that was the cost, the only cost, that could redeem us! That is the only basis for our salvation. Because God is righteous and just, He cannot love sinners into heaven, or forgive them just because they ask. Sin has to receive a punishment, and the punishment is death. God provided a sinless substitute, His Son, Jesus Christ. His Blood bought our salvation.
Many people want to remove the Blood from Christianity and from any talk in the modern church. Few modern Christian songs mention the Blood of Jesus, and no one sings the hymns that speak of His Blood. When someone removes the blood from a body, you have only a lifeless corpse. Remove the Blood of Jesus from the Bible and all you will have is only historical literature. As the great old hymn says, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.” The Apostle Peter knew that the Blood of Jesus was precious! If we would hold the price of the ransom of a loved one dear, how much more should we hold dear what was paid to redeem our souls from an eternal hell, the precious Blood of Jesus!
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