Christ Our Ransom
Notes
Transcript
“Christ is…”
“Christ Is Your Ransom”
1 Timothy 2:6
If we took the time this evening for each of us to share Who or What Christ is to us individually, I am sure we would come up with more than a few different answers.
First and foremost, I assume that most everyone would say, “He is my Savior.”
He saved me from myself. He saved me from my sin, my bad choices, my depression, my sickness, …the list could go on.
Ultimately, He saved me from an eternity without Him.
Some of you might say, “He is my Healer.”
Others, “He is my Hope.”
When we develop and engage in an individual relationship with Jesus, we begin to understand Jesus in a different way.
My intention in this series, “Christ is…” is to unpack some of the things Scripture says about Christ’s role, and identities in our lives.
So far I have covered 2 of these roles.
Christ is our example!
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
Just a few of the examples He gave us include, abstaining from the lusts of the flesh, being nice and honorable even when the world isn’t, enduring persecution with joy, submitting to authority, loving one another, and forgiving one another.
The second example I covered was Christ is our Power!
In Ephesians 1:15-23 Paul tells the church at Ephesus that He continues to pray that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory…” will open their eyes to reveal to them who and what they are in Christ.
Specifically, he said in v. 19 “and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.”
We have the power of His resurrection, the power of His Grace, the power of His Spirit, the power of His preservation, the power of His Love, the power of His ministry, the power of His strength, the power of His words, the power of His gospel, and the power of His promises.
In Christ we have both an example to follow, and the power to follow it.
But ultimately without this next part, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!
This evening I want to talk about “Christ Our Ransom”
The Cambridge dictionary defines a ransom as, “a large amount of money that is demanded in exchange for someone who has been taken prisoner.”
Unfortunately, every person ever born was born into the slavery of a sinful nature. Over the 4 years I have been here I have emphasized time and again that there is none righteous, no not one. We are all born into iniquity, AND THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO TO CHANGE THAT.
What can be changed is whether we stay in the captive state, or whether we are delivered from it.
This is THE GOOD NEWS! This is THE GOSPEL!!!
1 Timothy 2:1–6 (ESV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
WHAT IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH THAT PAUL WANTS PEOPLE TO KNOW? WHAT DID HE WANT US TO KNOW
Look at that next verse. Paul wants us to know…he wants all people to know...
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
CHRIST CAME AS A RANSOM! HE CAME TO PAY THE HIGH COST OF OUR FREEDOM AND OUR LIBERTY!
HE CAME AS A RANSOM GIVEN AS A GIFT OF LOVE,
HE CAME AS A PAYMENT FOR OUR SIN,
AND HIS DEATH WAS THE RANSOM GIVEN AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE DEATH WE DESERVED
I. A RANSOM GIVEN AS A GIFT OF LOVE
a. The Ransom John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
b. The Demonstration
i. Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
ii. Ephesians 2:4-8
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
c. The Ongoing Gift of Love
i. 1 Thessalonians 2:16
by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
ii. 1 John 3:1
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
iii. 1 John 4:9-10
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
II. A RANSOM GIVEN AS PAYMENT FOR SIN
a. An incomplete definition!
i. “a large amount of money that is demanded in exchange for someone who has been taken prisoner.”
ii. There is no amount of many that could ever “Buy us back” from the slavery of sin and death.
b. The only accepted price, the only thing valuable enough to “buy back life” is another life.
i. Hebrews 9:22
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
ii. Yom Kippur “The Day of Atonement”
1. Leviticus 23:27-28
“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord. And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.
iii. Leviticus 4 and sin offerings.
iv. Sin Offerings were temporary and merely “Covered” the sin, while Jesus’ Holy Perfect Blood completely cleanses the sin!
c. Galatians is a letter written to the church of Galatia. As with all of Paul’s letters, it isn’t just a “Hey, what’s up guys,” kind of letter. It is situational and it is written because the church at Galatia had some issues. Opening the letter Paul says this… Galatians 1:3-7
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
i. There is only ONE gospel. There is only THE GOOD NEWS, and that good news THAT GOSPEL is that Jesus PAYED THE PRICE. He is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. He is the only WAY to the Father. He is the ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN.
d. Titus 2:14 ESV, KJV, AND NLT
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
THE KING JAMES VERSION SAYS, HE REDEEMS US FROM ALL INIQUITY.
THE NLT SAYS HE FREES US FROM EVERY KIND OF SIN
e. According to 2 Corinthians 5:21 He did that by becoming what we could not overcome. He was the substitute for our misdeeds, our failures, our intentional deceits.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
f. Simply put Romans 6:22-23
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
III. A RANSOM GIVEN AS OUR SUBSTITUTE
a. HE BECAME OUR SUBSITUTE!!!
b. Matthew 20:28
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
c. John Ortberg tells the following story…
In May 2009, my family was in Azusa, California, because one of our kids was graduating from Azusa Pacific University. My wife, Nancy, was going to speak at the commencement ceremonies, so she and I were invited to a special gathering of about 50 people—people from the graduating class of 50 years ago and a few faculty members. During the gathering, John Wallace, the president of APU, brought out three students who were graduating that year and told us that for the next two years, they were going to serve the poorest of the poor in India.
These three students thought they were there just to be commissioned and sent out with a blessing—which they were. But then something happened that they did not know was coming. John turned to them and said, “I have a piece of news for you. There’s somebody you do not know—an anonymous donor—who is so moved by what you’re doing that he has given a gift to this university in your name, on your behalf.”
John turned to the first student and said, “You are forgiven your debt of $105,000.” The kid immediately starts to cry. John turns to the next student: “You’re forgiven your debt of $70,000.” He then turns to the third student: “You are forgiven your debt of $130,000.” All three students had no idea this was coming. They were just ambushed by grace—blown away that somebody they don’t even know would pay their debt. The whole room was in tears.[1]
Someone chose to be their substitute. Someone chose to do what they couldn’t do on their own. SOMEONE CHOSE GRACE!
d. Isaiah 53:4-12 NKJV
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.
i. He was a Caring Substitute
1. Isaiah 53:4
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
2. Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
ii. He was a Wounded and Bruised Substitute
1. Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
2. 1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
iii. He was a God-Punished and God-Pleasing Substitute
1. Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
2. Isaiah 53:10
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
iv. He was a Silent Substitute
1. Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
v. He was a God-Pleasing Substitute
1. Isaiah 53:10
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
vi. He was a Sin-Bearing Substitute
1. Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
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 makes intercession for the transgressors.
THE key to all of this is that He took the punishments that we deserve, so we can have what is rightfully HIS!
He Substituted His holiness for my unholiness
His righteousness for my unrighteousness
His Life for my Death
If nothing else tonight, we owe Him our thanks, our praise, our worship!
Romans 12:1 tells us that it is our reasonable or spiritual worship to do our best to live holy lives.
Because He paid the ransom that we could never afford, because He became our substitute, we bring what we have…OURSELVES, and we present our bodies as a living sacrifice.
Because He paid the ultimate price, we make a decision to not be conformed to this world, but we are daily transformed by the renewal of our minds.
[1]Barry L. Davis, 52 Sermons about Jesus, Pulpit Outlines Series (Barry Davis, 2012), 14.