Christ’s Ransom—God’s Way of Salvation
“God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”—JOHN 3:16.
1, 2. Describe the predicament that has developed concerning the human race.
IMAGINE that you suffer from a disease that will surely claim your life unless you have surgery. How would you feel if the price of the operation was far beyond what you could afford? What if even the combined resources of your family and friends could not pay for it? To be confronted with such a life-threatening dilemma would be frustrating!
2 This illustrates a situation that has developed with regard to the human race. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, were created perfect. (Deuteronomy 32:4) They had the prospect of living forever and of fulfilling God’s purpose: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28) However, Adam and Eve rebelled against their Creator. (Genesis 3:1-6) Their disobedience brought sin not only upon Adam and Eve themselves but also upon their unborn offspring. The faithful man Job later said: “Who can produce someone clean out of someone unclean? There is not one.”—Job 14:4.
3. How has death spread to all men?
3 Sin is thus like a disease that has infected each one of us, for the Bible states that “all have sinned.” This condition has life-threatening consequences. Indeed, “the wages sin pays is death.” (Romans 3:23; 6:23) None of us can get around it. All humans sin, hence, all humans die. As descendants of Adam, we were born into this predicament. (Psalm 51:5) “Through one man,” Paul wrote, “sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) But this does not mean that we are without hope for salvation.
Eliminating Sin and Death
4. Why can humans not on their own eliminate sickness and death?
4 What would it take to eliminate sin and its consequence, death? Clearly, something more than any human can provide. The psalmist lamented: “The payment for a human life is too great. What he could pay would never be enough to keep him from the grave, to let him live forever.” (Psalm 49:8, 9, Today’s English Version) Granted, we may be able to extend our life for a few years by means of a healthful diet and medical care, yet none of us can cure our inherited sinful condition. None of us can reverse the crippling effects of the aging process and restore our body to the perfection that God originally intended for it. Paul was certainly not exaggerating when he wrote that because of Adam’s sin, human creation “was subjected to futility”—or as The Jerusalem Bible renders it, “was made unable to attain its purpose.” (Romans 8:20) Happily, though, the Creator has not abandoned us. He has made provision to remove sin and death once and for all. How?
5. How did the Law given to Israel reflect a keen regard for justice?
5 Jehovah is “a lover of righteousness and justice.” (Psalm 33:5) The Law code that he gave to Israel reflects a keen regard for balance and impartial justice. For example, within this body of laws, we read that ‘life should be given for life.’ In other words, if an Israelite murdered someone, his own life would have to be forfeited in place of the one that he had taken. (Exodus 21:23; Numbers 35:21) Thus the scales of divine justice would be balanced.—Compare Exodus 21:30.
6. (a) In what sense could Adam be called a murderer? (b) What type of life did Adam lose, and what kind of sacrifice would be needed to balance the scales of justice?
6 When Adam sinned, he became a murderer. In what sense? In that he would pass on his sinful condition—and hence death—to all his descendants. It is because of Adam’s disobedience that at this very moment, our bodies are deteriorating, steadily moving toward the grave. (Psalm 90:10) Adam’s sin has an even more serious implication. Remember, what Adam lost for himself and his offspring was not an ordinary life of some 70 or 80 years. He lost perfect life—really, everlasting life. So if ‘life should go for life,’ what type of life would have to be given to satisfy justice in this case? Logically, it would have to be a perfect human life—a life that, like Adam’s, had the potential of producing perfect human offspring. If offered as a sacrifice, a perfect human life would not only balance the scales of justice but also make possible the complete elimination of sin and its consequence, death.
Covering the Cost of Sin
7. Describe the meaning of the word “ransom.”
7 The price required to redeem us from sin is referred to in the Bible as “a ransom.” (Psalm 49:7) In English that term can refer to the payment that a kidnapper demands in exchange for someone he has abducted. Of course, the ransom that Jehovah has provided does not involve any kidnapping. The thought of paying a price remains the same. In fact, the verb form of the Hebrew word translated “ransom” literally means “to cover.” To atone for sin, the ransom must precisely fit that which it is supposed to cover—Adam’s perfect human life.
8. (a) Describe the principle of repurchase. (b) How does the principle of repurchase relate to us as sinners?
8 This is in harmony with a principle found in the Mosaic Law—the principle of repurchase. If an Israelite fell into poverty and sold himself into slavery to a non-Israelite, a relative could repurchase (or, ransom) him by paying a price that was considered of equal value to the slave. (Leviticus 25:47-49) The Bible says that as imperfect humans we are “slaves to sin.” (Romans 6:6; 7:14, 25) What would it take to repurchase us? As we have seen, the loss of a perfect human life would require the payment of a perfect human life—nothing more, nothing less.
9. How has Jehovah made provision to cover sin?
9 Of course, we humans are born imperfect. Not one of us is equal to Adam; not one of us can pay the ransom price that justice demands. As mentioned at the outset, it is as if we have a life-threatening disease and cannot afford to pay for the surgery that can cure it. In such a situation, would we not be grateful if someone interceded for us and covered the cost? This is precisely what Jehovah has done! He has made provision to redeem us from sin, once and for all time. Yes, he is willing to give to us that which we could never afford on our own. How? “The gift God gives,” Paul wrote, “is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) John described Jesus as “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Let us see how Jehovah used his beloved Son to pay the ransom price.
“A Corresponding Ransom”
10. How did prophecies regarding a “seed” come to focus on Joseph and Mary?
10 Right after the rebellion in Eden, Jehovah announced his purpose to produce a “seed,” or offspring, who would ransom mankind from sin. (Genesis 3:15) Through a series of divine revelations, Jehovah identified the family line that would produce this seed. In time, these revelations focused on Joseph and Mary, an engaged couple living in Palestine. In a dream, Joseph was told that Mary was pregnant by holy spirit. The angel said: “She will give birth to a son, and you must call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”—Matthew 1:20, 21.
11. (a) How did Jehovah arrange for his Son to be born as a perfect human? (b) Why was Jesus able to provide “a corresponding ransom”?
11 This was by no means an ordinary pregnancy, for Jesus had had a prehuman existence in heaven. (Proverbs 8:22-31; Colossians 1:15) His life had been transferred by Jehovah’s miraculous power to the womb of Mary, making it possible for this beloved Son of God to be born as a human. (John 1:1-3, 14; Philippians 2:6, 7) Jehovah guided matters so that Jesus was not tainted by Adam’s sin. On the contrary, Jesus was born perfect. Thus, he possessed what Adam had lost—perfect human life. Finally, a human who could cover the cost of sin! And that is precisely what Jesus did on Nisan 14, 33 C.E. On that historic day, Jesus allowed himself to be put to death by his opposers, thereby providing “a corresponding ransom.”—1 Timothy 2:6.
The Value of Perfect Human Life
12. (a) Describe the crucial difference between the death of Jesus and that of Adam. (b) How has Jesus become the “Eternal Father” to obedient humans?
12 There is a difference between the death of Jesus and that of Adam—a difference that highlights the value of the ransom. Adam’s death was deserved, for he willfully disobeyed his Creator. (Genesis 2:16, 17) In contrast, Jesus’ death was wholly undeserved, for “he committed no sin.” (1 Peter 2:22) So when Jesus died, he had something of enormous value that the sinner Adam did not possess at his death—the right to perfect human life. Thus, Jesus’ death had sacrificial value. Upon ascending to heaven as a spirit person, he presented the value of his sacrifice to Jehovah. (Hebrews 9:24) By doing so, Jesus purchased sinful mankind and became their new Father, a replacement for Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45) With good reason, Jesus is called the “Eternal Father.” (Isaiah 9:6) Think of what this means! Adam, a sinful father, spread death to all his descendants. Jesus, a perfect Father, uses the value of his sacrifice to bestow eternal life upon obedient humans.
13. (a) Illustrate how Jesus canceled the debt incurred by Adam. (b) Why does Jesus’ sacrifice not cover the sin of our first parents?
13 How, though, could the death of just one man cover the sins of many? (Matthew 20:28) In an article some years ago, we illustrated the ransom this way: “Imagine a large factory with hundreds of employees. A dishonest factory manager bankrupts the business; the factory closes its doors. Hundreds are now out of work and unable to pay their bills. Their marriage mates, children, and, yes, creditors all suffer because of that one man’s corruption! Then along comes a wealthy benefactor who pays off the company’s debt and reopens the factory. The cancellation of that one debt, in turn, brings full relief to the many employees, their families, and the creditors. But does the original manager get to share in the new prosperity? No, he is in prison and thus permanently out of his job! Similarly, the cancellation of Adam’s one debt brings benefits to millions of his descendants—but not to Adam.”
14, 15. Why can Adam and Eve be called willful sinners, and how is our situation different from theirs?
14 This is fair. Remember, Adam and Eve were willful sinners. They chose to disobey God. In contrast, we are born in sin. We have no choice. No matter how hard we try, we cannot completely avoid sinning. (1 John 1:8) At times we may feel like Paul, who wrote: “When I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me. I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I behold in my members another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my members. Miserable man that I am!”—Romans 7:21-24.
15 Yet, because of the ransom, we have hope! Jesus is the seed by means of whom, as God promised, “all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves.” (Genesis 22:18; Romans 8:20) Jesus’ sacrifice opens the door to marvelous opportunities for those who exercise faith in him. Let us consider some of these.
Benefiting From Christ’s Ransom
16. Despite our sinful condition, what benefits can we now enjoy because of Jesus’ ransom?
16 The Bible writer James acknowledges that “we all stumble many times.” (James 3:2) Because of Christ’s ransom, however, our errors can be pardoned. John writes: “If anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one. And he is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 2:1, 2) Of course, we should not take a casual view of sin. (Jude 4; compare 1 Corinthians 9:27.) However, if we err, we can pour out our heart to Jehovah, confident that he is “ready to forgive.” (Psalm 86:5; 130:3, 4; Isaiah 1:18; 55:7; Acts 3:19) Thus the ransom enables us to serve God with a clean conscience and makes it possible for us to approach him in prayer through the name of Jesus Christ.—John 14:13, 14; Hebrews 9:14.
17. Because of the ransom, what future blessings are possible?
17 Christ’s ransom opens the way for the fulfillment of God’s purpose—that obedient humans live forever in Paradise on earth. (Psalm 37:29) Paul wrote: “No matter how many the promises of God are, they have become Yes by means of him [Jesus].” (2 Corinthians 1:20) True, death has “ruled as king.” (Romans 5:17) The ransom provides a basis for God to wipe out this “last enemy.” (1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 21:4) Jesus’ ransom can even benefit those who have died. “The hour is coming,” Jesus said, “in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his [Jesus’] voice and come out.”—John 5:28, 29; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.
18. What tragic effect has sin had upon humans, and how will this be reversed in God’s new world?
18 Think of how delightful it will be to experience life as it was meant to be—free of the anxieties that weigh us down today! Sin has put us out of harmony not only with God but also with our own mind, heart, and body. However, the Bible promises that in God’s new world, “no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” Yes, physical and emotional illnesses will no longer plague mankind. Why? Isaiah answers: “The people that are dwelling in the land will be those pardoned for their error.”—Isaiah 33:24.
The Ransom—An Expression of Love
19. How should we individually respond to Christ’s ransom?
19 Love moved Jehovah to send forth his beloved Son. (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9) In turn, love moved Jesus to “taste death for every man.” (Hebrews 2:9; John 15:13) With good reason, Paul wrote: “The love the Christ has compels us . . . He died for all that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised up.” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15) If we appreciate what Jesus did for us, we will respond. After all, the ransom makes it possible for us to be rescued from death! Surely we would not want to imply by our actions that we esteem the sacrifice of Jesus as of ordinary value.—Hebrews 10:29.
20. What are some ways in which we observe Jesus’ “word”?
20 How can we demonstrate heartfelt appreciation for the ransom? Shortly before his arrest, Jesus stated: “If anyone loves me, he will observe my word.” (John 14:23) Jesus’ “word” includes his command that we have a zealous share in fulfilling the commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them.” (Matthew 28:19) Obedience to Jesus also requires that we show love for our spiritual brothers.—John 13:34, 35.
21. Why should we be in attendance at the Memorial celebration on April 1?
21 One of the finest ways we can show appreciation for the ransom is by attending the Memorial of Christ’s death, which this year will be held on April 1.a This too is part of Jesus’ “word,” for when instituting this celebration, Jesus commanded his followers: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) By our attendance at this most important event and by our keen attention to all that Christ commanded, we will demonstrate our firm conviction that the ransom of Jesus is God’s way of salvation. Truly, “there is no salvation in anyone else.”—Acts 4:12.
[Footnote]
a This year, April 1 corresponds to Nisan 14, 33 C.E., the date that Jesus died. Check with Jehovah’s Witnesses locally for the time and location of the Memorial celebration.
Can You Recall?
◻ Why can humans not atone for their sinful condition?
◻ In what way is Jesus “a corresponding ransom”?
◻ How did Jesus use his right to perfect human life to our advantage?
◻ What blessings come to mankind because of Christ’s ransom?
[Picture on page 15]
Only a perfect human—the equivalent of Adam—could balance the scales of justice
[Picture on page 16]
Since Jesus had the right to perfect human life, his death had sacrificial value