(Granted Jesus spoke of Himself as the ransom in the third person, which was fitting for the ancient near east culture, yet after I wrote this piece I thought of even a more direct occasion from Matthew 26:28. For that proclamation by Jesus, see my next blog piece, "Poured out for you." Yet ransom is key!)
“Kidnappers” are people who have captured a person or people, and sometimes their motive is to ask for money from family of the person they abducted along with a threat to harm the hostage if money is not given, whereas stating they will free the hostage if money is given. The money demanded is the ransom. (Sometimes there is some other ransom demand, such as a political demand.) Thus the purpose of the kidnappers in this evil act of abduction is to steal money by such a sinister scheme.
A movie was released in 1973 entitled Benji about a smart and cute dog named Benji who does not have a family. The movie was made on a limited budget, yet it became one of the biggest hits of the year. I saw the movie as a young boy and then again one year ago on DVD. Benji is befriended by two children and their nanny, but their father who is a medical doctor refuses to allow a dog to be brought into the family. But then the two children are kidnapped, brought to a deserted house, and held for ransom. Imagine the damaging trauma a kidnapping would actually bring to a child, (or anyone), which was not expressed in the movie, and you can guess who the star of the movie is by the title of the movie. Yet I thought the movie was a quality film. And it is a fictional yet prime example of the demand for ransom.
The question involved in a ransom scheme: “Why is a ransom needed? What if the ransom is not paid?” Such a scheme always involves a threat by the kidnappers that they will harm or kill the person they have abducted, usually within a time limit so the police do not have time to track them down. Modern philosophy on the subject is to not pay a ransom, since criminals may harm the person or persons abducted anyway so that no clues are left as to their identity. Also, agreeing to pay a ransom only encourages others to try such evil. Yet others advocate you should pay a ransom to save lives.
Though Benji was a fictional movie, evil demands for ransom have taken place in real life throughout history. And ransom was the word which Jesus used of His mission. Rather than people being abducted by sinister kidnappers, people are on the tract of spiritual death because of their own wrong doings. It all started with Adam and Eve being disobedient to God, which caused humanity to be separated from God. Once there was separation, people began to sin, sin defined as that which is apart from the will of God. And now there is a need for all people to be saved from spiritual death, the results of sin as stated in Romans 6:23. The only one who can save people from sins is God. And God provided the Lamb as a ransom.
Jesus gives a number of metaphors regarding His atoning work, such as in John 10:14-18, yet where was the direct teaching? The direct teaching by Jesus on the subject of His atonement is this: “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28 NIV). Likewise, Mark quotes Jesus: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV). Jesus paid the ransom for sins for all people who accept His sacrifice by dying on the Cross as the substitute for sins.
So the ransom was Jesus dying on the cross. But who was the ransom paid to? Not Satan, as was a popular theological conviction in the west in the early medieval period. God is sovereign over Satan and owes him nothing. Rather the ransom was necessary payment to satisfy the justice before our Holy God. God is merciful, and God is just. The ransom of Jesus’ death on the cross carried out both mercy and justice by and before our Holy God.
Josh McDowell gives an illustration of how wrong doing results in consequences which must be dealt with in More Than A Carpenter. “For example, let’s say my daughter breaks a lamp in my home. I’m a loving and forgiving father, so I put her on my lap, and I hug her and I say, ‘Don’t cry, honey. Daddy loves you and forgives you.’ Now usually the person I tell that story to says, ‘Well, that’s what God ought to do.’ Then I ask the question, ‘Who pays for the lamp?’ The fact is, I do. There’s always a price in forgiveness.”(1)
When a person sins, God is grieved, and that person and often other people get hurt. God accounts for sin because He is just, wanting no one to get hurt. A child of God can always be grateful to Jesus that He paid the penalty which we could never pay, since the hurt we have inflicted upon ourselves and others has no less required payment than separation from our perfect God which results in spiritual death.
Why was Jesus’ death an acceptable ransom? Because Jesus is God. An angel from God told Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ --which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 2:22-23 NIV). Because Jesus was Immanuel, He could be the ransom required to save people. Jesus freed me from the bondage of sin so I have everlasting life. I could not have escaped sin on my own. I could not overpower sin. There was no hero animals or people who could save me. I was like a helpless child in the hands of a fatal need being unfulfilled which was going to bring my inevitable spiritual death in hell. Yet Jesus saved me. Jesus is one with the Father, and Jesus is God the Son. As I received Jesus into my heart by faith, I received the ransom He paid. Thus I have forgiveness, and thus I have been united with God. The same can be true for you, because though Jesus makes it clear that some are not saved by His ransom, all have the opportunity, as is expressed by the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:9.
And lastly, why did Jesus pay that ransom? Because Jesus loves everyone. If you believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be forgiven of your sins, because Jesus paid the price for sins. Jesus died in your place on the Cross. Believe in Jesus, and you will have everlasting life.
Hunter Irvine
[1] Josh McDowell, More Than A Carpenter (Wheaton: Living Books, 1977), 116.
