LET GOD BE TRUE

CHAPTER VIII

"A RANSOM FOR MANY"

ONE of the vital doctrines clearly taught throughout the Bible is that of the ransom by Jehovah God through Christ Jesus and for men who love God and have faith in him. For instance, the words of Jesus Christ at Matthew, chapter twenty, verse twenty-eight, "Even as the Son of man [Christ Jesus] came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Jesus made many similar statements to the same effect, as did the apostles. The prophets before Jesus' time wrote concerning this very important and loving provision of God which results in blessing for men, the ransom. It is one of the basic truths of God's Word.

² Ransom has the meaning of that which loosens or releases, providing deliverance; and in the Bible the word often has reference to deliverance from trouble, distress or calamity. An instance of this is found in Isaiah 43:3 (A.S.V.), where it reads, "I am Jehovah thy God . . . I have given Egypt as thy ransom." God destroyed the warriors and power of Egypt, all of whom stood in the way of the freedom of His

people, and in this manner he delivered his people from that nation. "Ransom" used in this latter way is obviously not a ransom or deliverance from sin or from death because of sin.

³ The "ransom for many" as referred to by Jesus in his words above quoted from Matthew 20:28 denotes a deliverance or saving too. Psalm 49: 6, 7 states, "They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." This scripture agrees with others in pointing out that the "ransom" is a redemption that is accomplished, not by wealth or ability of man, but by a provision of God. The Scriptural doctrine of the is that in sending his Son Christ Jesus to earth Jehovah God through him and his death provided a redemptive price. Thereby those of men who have faith in His provision may come into harmony with God, and, serving him faithfully, they may receive the gift of life, being freed from inherited sin and from eternal death as a result of sin. To this effect it is written, at Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

⁴ In one sense, the ransom is the action performed by God accomplishing this redemption of man through Christ. In another sense, the ransom is also that which serves as the re-

demptive price, the valuable thing with which the purchase or redemption is made, namely, "the man Christ Jesus."

⁵ Man's need of a ransom is shown in the fact that all men are born imperfect and sinners, as admitted by even godly David, who stated, "I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5) If any of sinful men are to receive everlasting life, then deliverance from this condemnation of sin and death must come, and this from the Creator, as man was and is helpless in this respect. Also, it is part of Jehovah's expressed purpose that men should receive life, as Jesus Christ expressed it at John 17:3, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." To accomplish this purpose of giving life to men a purchase price or redemptive price, or ransom, is needed.

⁶ That which is bought with the ransom price is identified in the statement of Jehovah God to perfect Adam concerning what was to be lost by sin and disobedience: "Dying thou shalt die" (Genesis 2:17, margin). That which was lost was perfect human life, with its rights and earthly prospects. That which is redeemed is that which was lost, namely, perfect human life, with its rights and earthly prospects. Who could provide the necessary ransom?

HOW PROVIDED

⁷ The Provider of the ransom is Jehovah God, the Source of life, the Creator. Jesus himself said (John 3:16,17), "God so loved the world, that He gave . .. God sent [the ransom price]." Justice was satisfied in mankind's suffering the just penalty of sin, which penalty is death. Therefore, the ransom is an act of God's mercy and lovingkindness, his undeserved favor toward mankind. What good and valuable thing could there be which God was pleased to use to thus redeem those appreciating his lovingkindness?

⁸ This effective redemptive price is identified at 1 Timothy 2:5, 6: "Christ Jesus . . . gave himself a ransom." Concerning the human birth of Jesus the account at Matthew 1:22,23 states: "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet [Isaiah], saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." That this One is the ransom, or deliverer from sin and death, is shown by the preceding verse 21, "He shall save his people from their sins"; and concerning him the apostle Peter explained, at Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Of all his faithful creatures in heaven, it pleased

God to use this One most dear to himself, sending him to earth to become a perfect man, thereby accomplishing, among other things, the ransoming work. So Hebrews 2:9 states: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour [following his death and resurrection]; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." How true, therefore, the glad, exultant cry of John the Baptist upon seeing this One approaching, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." — John 1: 29.

⁹ The perfect human life which Jesus Christ laid down in death is that valuable thing which accomplishes the purchase of that which Adam's sin and disobedience lost for him and hence for all of his offspring. Jesus' blood spilled in death, his human life poured out in willing sacrifice, that is the ransom. It was provided here upon earth at the death of Jesus. It was presented as a redemptive offering for sin by the resurrected and glorified Christ in heaven, following his resurrection as a spirit creature, immortal, no longer a human son of God. That perfect human life, with all the rights and prospects therewith, was laid down in death, but not in sin and punishment. It was not taken back by Jesus at his resurrection; for he was raised a divine spirit creature. After the heavenly Father gave to his faithful Son

the reward of immortal spirit life, the sacrificed human life remained effective, a thing of value with purchasing power, and therefore with redemptive or ransoming power. The value of the perfect human life was now available for use on behalf of faithful men needing to be ransomed thereby. These wonderful truths are made clear by Hebrews 9: 24-26, as follows:

¹⁰ "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands [such places as in the tabernacle which Israel had, and in which the priests of Israel performed ceremonies which were pictorial], which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the [Jewish] high priest entereth into the holy place every year with [the] blood of [animals]; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

¹¹ We see that by sin Adam lost perfect human life and was justly sentenced to death and eventually died, and all of his descendants inherited sin and death from him. God made his beloved Son a perfect man, and Jesus was faithful, went into death, and was thereafter raised by the power of God and exalted to heaven, there presenting to God the merit or value of his perfect human life. But how does this

operate on behalf of faithful men? How does this ransom "many"? Good questions, these, and they deserve a Bible answer.

¹² Luke 3: 38 tells us, "Adam, which was the son of God." As the human son of God, Adam was perfect, for God created him, and "His [Jehovah's] work is perfect". (Deuteronomy 32:4) He was not made to be obedient to God automatically, as a robot, but he could choose to obey his Maker and enjoy the blessings of the life which he had been given, or could willingly disobey and lose his life and all right of life. So, even though perfect, his faithfulness was subject to test. When he sinned, Adam ceased to be a son of God, but was a deliberate sinner. "Adam was not deceived" (1 Timothy 2:14); and so the sentence of death for sin willfully chosen was passed upon Adam, and in due time he died, all of his children, we and our ancestors, being born following his sin.

¹³ Adam's descendants could choose to serve God to the best of their imperfect abilities, or could choose to harden their hearts against his goodness during their few years of life. To imperfect men God's servant said, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve ... as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD [Jehovah]." (Joshua 24:15) But even those who set their minds and hearts to the worship of the true God were powerless to gain eternal life for them-

selves without God's action in their behalf. As Romans 5:12, An American Translation, puts it, "Through one man [Adam] sin came into the world, and death followed sin, and so death spread to all men, because all men sinned."

¹⁴ As a perfect man, Jesus stood in a position similar to that once occupied by the perfect man Adam, a righteous, perfect, sinless human. At Hebrews 5: 8, 9 it is stated concerning Jesus: "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." By faultless obedience his perfection, not merely of his organism, but of his devotion to his Father, was proved by Jesus; and for this he was exalted and made the great High Priest to enter into "heaven itself" and offer the value of his perfect human sacrifice on behalf of "them that obey him". In contrast with Adam's bringing of death upon all of mankind through transgression of God's law, Jesus, by presenting in heaven this redemptive price as the glorified High Priest, is in position to relieve the believing ones of Adam's descendants from the inherited disability under which all are born. By his purchase he buys them, redeems them from sin and from death, applying the merit of his sacrifice on their behalf, that they might

have a righteous standing before the Father through the Son. — 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7: 23.

WHO IS RANSOMED

¹⁵ The man Adam is not included in those ransomed. Why not? Because he was a willful sinner, was justly sentenced to death, and died, and God would not reverse his just judgment and give Adam life. He had perfect life, and this he deliberately forfeited. There is no provision in the ransom for Adam. But in contrast with what Adam did to his big family born after him, Jesus Christ ransoms believing men with a corresponding price. With it he offsets the inherited condemnation on "many" of Adam's family by applying in their behalf the merit of this redemptive price, and such are the ransomed ones.

¹⁶ Would this include non-Jews, as well as Jews? Yes, because, as Romans 5:18 states, "The free gift [of life through Christ Jesus] came upon all men [not Jews only, not Gentiles only] unto justification of life." Galatians 3:13 shows the Jews that "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law", and Romans 4:11 speaks of the Gentiles exercising faith as "them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also"; and so the course of an individual determines his ultimately receiving or not re-

ceiving benefit from the ransom sacrifice of Christ. Those willfully wicked and hardhearted toward Jehovah's provisions do not have ransom merit and life forced upon them, but, as stated at John 3: 36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Thus is shown the impartiality of Jehovah, the Great Ransomer. The basis for the resurrection of the dead who are in God's memory and their eventual gaining of life is this same ransom provision. Jesus gave the "ransom for all", all who enter into the covenant with God through him as Mediator. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all." — 1 Timothy 2:5,6.

¹⁷ The ransom places upon those who would benefit therefrom an obligation and marvelous privilege. "The sting of death is sin" (1 Corinthians 15: 56); and in order for men to be saved from death due to being stung by sin they must inform themselves concerning the mercy of God through Christ Jesus, and then have faith in the provision He has made. This faith means to confidently rely on such provision, appreciating that it is an undeserved favor from God in behalf of men, to give him all credit therefor, and then to demonstrate this conviction by devoting oneself to God and by informing others

concerning the ransom. Such course of action by those of good-will identifies them as being of that great "many" for whom Christ died, including the "great multitude" described in Revelation 7:14 in beautiful symbol: "These are they which came out of [the present] great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

¹⁸ Faith is based on reliable evidence. The Word of the Most High God is the dependable basis for faith. It makes plain the ransom provision, and thereby makes possible faith in the redemptive price provided in Jesus. Those men of good-will today who avail themselves of the provision and who steadfastly abide in this confidence will find Christ Jesus to be their "everlasting Father". (Isaiah 9:6) Their eternal life on earth under God's kingdom will be to the praise of the only true God, Jehovah, whose purpose in Christ Jesus, as stated by the Son, is repeated at Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."