Christ The Redeemer
Christian Faith
This You Can Believe
Faith Seeking Understanding
Object:
Some years ago a Japanese business executive living in South America was kidnapped. His captors demanded a ransom of a million dollars. If it was not paid, the executive would be killed. The ransom was paid and the man was freed and restored to his family. In a similar way humanity is a captive of Satan and threatened with death. Christ gives his life on the cross as a ransom that sinners might be redeemed from sin, death, and hell. As God the Father's work was the creation of the universe, God the Son's work was the redemption of humanity. The Apostles' Creed sums it up: "He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried."
Christ came to redeem us, to save us. Paul wrote: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). What does it mean to be saved? What does redemption mean to you? The following diagram may help us understand Christ's work of redemption. It calls for an understanding of the condition of humanity before and after humankind's fall from God and Christ's work of redemption to restore us to our original status.
(The diagram is only available in the printed version of this book.)
Paradise
When God created Adam and Eve, they were in a perfect relationship with their Creator. The Garden of Eden was a paradise. God and his creation were in perfect harmony and peace. God and his original people were one. Communication between them was ideal. There was no sin to disturb the divine-human relationship. Our first parents were what we would call today "saved." They were right with God. This is the way God intended it to be for all time. In this relationship, the human pair enjoyed life, peace, and joy. For a description of this condition, please read the first two chapters of Genesis.
Paradise Lost
Then something dreadful happened. Humanity fell from this perfect relationship with God. Sin entered the relationship and all was lost. Satan tempted Eve to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. After she yielded to the temptation, she persuaded Adam to do the same. The result? At once they became afraid of God. They had a sense of guilt and lost their innocence, symbolized by their making clothes for themselves out of fig leaves. The consequence of their sin was expulsion from the garden and separation from God. They lost their paradise (Genesis 3).
As a result of disobedience, humanity represented in Adam and Eve was separated from God. Sin always separates God from a person and separates people from people. Daily experience testifies to this. When someone sins against us, hurts us, talks about us, plays a dirty trick on us, or does us an injustice, we become estranged. We have a falling out, just as humanity had a falling down from paradise. We are no longer on speaking terms. We are angry and may seek revenge. We are no longer friends but enemies. This condition exists until one or both parties apologize and ask for forgiveness.
It is the same in our relationship with God. Sin broke it. We have fallen away from God. A great chasm divides us. What is our condition in this fallen state? We are helpless to stop sinning. We are hopeless in that we can never make things right with God. Sin always brings suffering, and the wages of sin is death. We as sinners are in a state of total despair. This is what is meant by "lost." We are in the grip of sin, Satan, and death. We are the slaves of sin.
Is this the case in today's world? Do we sin? Our society is saturated with sin. It is so common that we take sin for granted. It is the normal way of life. For proof take a look at your daily newspaper, a tabloid of sin, crime, drugs, murder, theft, sexual abuse, and infidelity. Yet not all people admit they are sinners. In a poll of 1,472 church members, 57 percent said all are sinners; 43 percent deny it. In contrast, Saint Paul held that all are born under the power of sin (Romans 3:9). The Psalmist declares, "In sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). In his first letter John says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1:8). As a result all humanity is diseased with sin. All of us are sinful because humanity is one body. Sin entered the body through Adam and Eve. We are by nature sinful and unclean. We are by nature rebels against God and we cannot help but sin.
Sin is of two kinds: original and actual. We commit actual sins by thought, word, and deed. Most of us readily admit this and our daily newscasts confirm it. There is a difference between sins and SIN. Sin is original sin, the cause of our sins. Original sin goes back to our first parents and their sin of disobedience. It is like a bucket of water in which a drop of blueing scatters and the whole bucket is contaminated. Ralph Waldo Emerson agreed, "Everything in nature is cracked." George Bernard Shaw recognized original sin as the only empirically verifiable Christian doctrine. After 25 years as a jeweler, a man decided to retire and move to Florida. A tourist noticed he had a beautiful diamond ring and remarked, "That is a perfectly beautiful diamond ring." The former jeweler explained, "It is the only thing I kept from the jewelry business. It is beautiful, but it is not perfect. Only human-made, industrial diamonds are perfect. The ones God made, like this one, all have a flaw in them." Each of us is born with a flaw which we call original sin.
This brings up the question whether children are born good or bad. Some people look at a baby and say it is good. Indeed, a newborn baby has not committed actual sin in terms of thought, word, or deed. But a child has original sin in terms of a disposition to sin. Sinful parents produce sinful children. Parents can see it in their children. Do parents ever have to say to their children, "Be bad"? The first word of a child is "NO." The first sentence is "That's not fair." Later comes, "Don't blame me. I didn't do it." When I was a seminary student, some of us did not accept the doctrine of original sin. Our professor of theology said, "I know some of you do not believe in original sin. Just wait until you are parents and you will believe it!" Because children are born in sin, it is necessary for them to be disciplined. Because babies need to become by adoption children of God and forgiven of original sin, the church for ages has practiced infant baptism.
Sin expresses itself in two ways: omission and commission. Many of us think of sin in terms of commission: what we say and what we do is wrong. Often we fail to see our sins of omission. It is not what we say or do but what we do not say or do when we have the opportunity. There is a tendency to blame Eve for the original sin. But Adam was equally guilty. She committed the sin of commission and Adam committed the sin of omission. Why did he not convince Eve that it was wrong to disobey God? Why did he not exercise his headship by forbidding her to eat the fruit? In the biblical record, there is absolute silence from Adam. By his silence, he agreed with Eve. Consider also the disciples' sin of omission. When Jesus was arrested and on trial for his life, the disciples forsook him and fled. Why did they not defend him and witness in his behalf? In the light of this, we need to cry out with Luther, "My sins! My sins!" Mea culpa!
What To Do About Sin
In the light of the fact that we all are sinners, what can we do about it? The answer is in one word given by Jesus: "Repent." The word comes from the Greek metanoia, meaning a change of mind, a change of allegiance from Satan to God, a change of life from wickedness to godliness, a change of heart from hatred to love.
This repentance is expressed in the confession of sins. We will confess to others whom we offended and mistreated. We will say, "I am sorry. I apologize. It was my fault." The Prodigal Son repented by returning home to his father. The first thing the son said was "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you" (Luke 15:21). Sins against people are at the same time sins against God. David sinned against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, but when the prophet Nathan confronted him with the crime, David confessed to God: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13). The liturgy of the church provides us with a prayer of confession to God:
O God, our heavenly Father, I confess to you that I have grievously sinned against you in many ways; not only by outward transgressions but also by secret thoughts and desires which I cannot fully understand, but which are all known to you. I do earnestly repent, and am heartily sorry for these my offenses and I beseech you of your great goodness to have mercy upon me, and for the sake of your dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to forgive my sins, and graciously to help my infirmities.
After confession of sins, we petition God for forgiveness. Our prayer is "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." His mercy is offered when the ordained minister says:
Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Having received pardon, we now make restitution when possible. The repentant thief on the cross could not make restitution, for he was dying. When Zacchaeus committed himself to Christ, he said, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much" (Luke 19:8).
Paradise Regained
Sin caused us to lose paradise. By faith we can regain it through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. The word "redemption" occurs 152 times in the Bible. It means to buy back, as a slave can be bought for freedom. In like manner, Paul claims Christ bought us out of the slavery of sin, for he wrote: "You were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20).
What is the most important and essential question a human can ask? In the light of the diagram on page 119, it is: "How can we get back with God? How can we get right with God? Who will deliver us from this body of sin, from the power of Satan, and from the threat of hell?" It is the question of the Philippian jailor who asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). The rich young ruler brought the question to Jesus, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16). How to get right with God has been humankind's search from the beginning of history. Fallen humanity has tried one of at least three ways. Please consult the diagram on page 119 (only in printed version).
1. The Ladder
People are trying to get back to God and getting accepted by their works of righteousness. This attempt may be considered as a ladder stretching from earth to heaven. Each rung on the ladder is a law of God. A person reasons: if I obey the laws of God, he will be pleased and I will be accepted as an obedient child. So I start with the first rung, and when I obey it perfectly, I go to the next higher rung. Each higher rung brings me closer to God. If I keep it up and obey perfectly all of the laws, I will be on the top of the ladder and back with God.
No doubt this is a possible way to get right with God, but it is most improbable. To succeed in this method would mean that I would be morally perfect. But who, except Jesus, was ever or will ever be perfect? A pastor once asked a group, "Did you ever know of a perfect person?" A man in the back raised his hand. The pastor continued, "You say you know of a perfect person? Who was it?" The man answered, "My wife's first husband!"
This way to God is an impossible way, for no one can keep all the laws of God. Therefore, Paul calls this "works righteousness," the curse of the law. He calls it a curse because the law requires you to do what you cannot do. Your very best is not good enough. The Greek mythological character, Sisyphus, was condemned by the gods to roll a huge stone up a mountain. Just when he had it at the top, it rolled down again. For eternity his punishment was to roll the stone to the top, but every time it rolled back. He had to do what he could not do. Likewise, to obey every law of God perfectly is a curse because we cannot do it. The ladder is no way to get back to God.
Yet in a poll of 1,472 church members 71 percent indicated that they were saved by doing good works. This view is often expressed by the remark concerning a deceased person: "I know he is in heaven because he was such a good man." We do not get to heaven because we were good or did good. In God's sight our good works are no more than filthy rags. Where then does the law fit into the Christian's life? Are Christians antinomian, that is, against the law? Are we a lawless people? If we are saved by grace, what is the purpose of the law? It has a threefold purpose. First, the law is used as a standard. It shows us that we are sinners in need of redemption. Paul asks, "Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions ..." (Galatians 3:19). We compare our lives with the commandments and realize we disobey all ten of them. The law thus drives us to Christ for forgiveness.
Second, the law is used as a guide for how to live righteously. The law tells us what God requires of us. The law is positive in telling us what God wants us to do and how we are to live with God's approval. For instance, the first commandment of the decalogue tells us, "Put God first in your life."
Third, the law serves as a deterrent against wrongdoing. We need laws to discourage crime. Disobedience to civil laws brings punishment. Keeping the laws promotes a safe and civilized society. It is like a traffic light at a busy intersection. Without the light, there would be accidents with the loss of life.
But we do not obey God's laws to be saved; we obey them because we are already saved. We keep the laws of God out of gratitude for all God has done for us in Christ by redeeming us. We do good works not to win God's favor but to serve the world in his name. The grace of God prompts us to serve and live righteously.
2. The Escalator
A second way people try to get right with God is by using an escalator of synergism or semi-Pelagianism. Pelagianism is the view that you can save yourself by your good deeds; semi-Pelagianism says you can save yourself with God's help. Have you ever seen a person who was in a hurry on an escalator? He/she walked up the escalator while it was in motion. The person was getting up by his/her own effort plus the power of the escalator.
The reason for this method to get back to God is that it is evident one cannot keep all the laws. To get to the top we need God's help. We will be saved not only by works but by faith. With God's help we can make it, so we say. This view is based on the false idea that humanity is basically good and needs only a little assistance. The great pianist Paderewski was once scheduled to give a concert. Before he came to the stage, a young boy slipped away from his parents and went to the piano. While the boy was trying to play, Paderewski appeared to begin his concert. He put his arms around the boy and urged him to continue. He said, "Keep on playing and I'll make up the rest."
Do people try to use this way to God? Eighty-two percent of Americans believe "God helps those who help themselves." In a poll of 1,472 church members 76 percent agreed with the statement: "As long as I do the best I can, I feel God cares for me and watches over me." The medieval church taught synergism of faith and works. People were taught that good works were essential to salvation and the church provided the strength to do them through the seven sacraments.
The escalator way of salvation is another impossible way. The fault with this plan is that it is basically the ladder method. In no way can one be pleasing to God, even with a little help from God. Either God must do it all or a person must do it all. Our part would be so minimal that, even with God's help, we could never make ourselves acceptable to God.
3. The Elevator
The other two ways to God we found to be impossible. Now we will try the elevator of grace. It is the good news of the gospel. The good news is that what we could not do for ourselves, God has done for us in Christ. Christ came from heaven to identify totally with sinful humanity by becoming sin for us. He fulfilled the law on our behalf so that we need not obey the law to get right with God. He made the sacrifice by dying for our sins. Now Christ comes to us and says, "Come to me and I will take you to my Father and make all things right with him." He puts on us his precious robe of righteousness to cover up the filthy rags of our sin. Because of Christ's merits and sacrifice, God accepts us, forgives us, and reckons us to be righteous or justified. The goodness of Christ is imputed to us. God declares we are forgiven and that we are his children. This is known as justification by grace through faith, the one indispensable doctrine of the Christian faith. Now we are back with God in peace and joy. We are now "saved" because we have been redeemed, reconciled, and put in right relationship with God. It is not that we are accepted for who we are, what we have, or what we have done. We are saved by grace alone. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
All of this is like an elevator. By its own power, it lifts us to a higher story. Christ comes down the elevator of grace through the Incarnation and bids us get on the elevator to go up to God for acceptance. What does it take to get on the elevator? First, you must push the button signaling the desire to use the elevator. It means we must want to be saved, want to go to God to be reconciled. Christ will not force anyone to get on the elevator. It must be your own personal choice. Jesus said, "Come to me." Second, to get on the elevator of grace we must have faith. If you do not have faith that the elevator is safe and will take you up, you will not get on the elevator. Right? It takes faith to get on the elevator of grace, faith that Christ is the Son of God who will make things right with God for you. Third, to get on the elevator, you have to go all the way into the elevator. You cannot have one foot on the elevator and one foot on the floor where you stand. You cannot go halfway with Christ. You go all the way in total commitment and allegiance. We say with the hymn: "Take myself, and I will be/Ever, only, all for Thee."
Now that we have taken the elevator of grace, we are one with God. Having been justified by grace through faith we have peace with God. All is now well with our souls. We are saved, forgiven, redeemed as God's people. This is the wonderful good news of the gospel. Thanks be to God for Christ, our Redeemer!
Pictures Of The Passion
We have just learned of the wonderful good news of Christ the Redeemer who died to free us from sin and death in order that we might be the children of God. How did it happen? What happened on the cross was not a mere subjective experience. Some see in the cross a display of God's love, and this melts our hard hearts to love him in return. According to this view, God is one of justice and wrath, a God who needs to be placated and appeased. In the light of the cross, we change our minds about God. Now we see him as a God of mercy.
The atonement (at-one-ment with God) was a far more radical event than a change in attitude. A very radical change takes place in the relationship between God and humanity. The human race must change from being enemies to friends of God. The cross did not change God's mind to forgive and love humanity. God has always, even before the cross, assured people of God's steadfast love and forgiveness. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (Psalm 103:8). It was not God who needed to be reconciled, but humankind which needed to repent and return to God for forgiveness, just as the Prodigal returned to his waiting father.
What caused this change that sinners are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God? There is no one perfect explanation, but various pictures have been suggested as possible explanations.
1. A Courtroom
A cosmic courtroom is the place for human salvation. God the Father is the judge. The human is the convict. Jesus is the advocate for the sinner. The sinner is found guilty and sentenced to death. The justice of God must be satisfied. God in Christ paid the penalty. Humankind therefore is pronounced acquitted and forgiven. People are now freed from the penalty and power of sin. Therefore, God has declared the believer in Christ righteous or justified.
2. An Altar
In the Old Testament a spotless lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the people. The blood of the lamb removed the stains of sin: "There is power in the blood." The lamb was the substitute for the people who deserved to die. The cross was the altar on which Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, was sacrificed. He was our substitute. As Jesus took the place of Barabbas on the cross, so he takes our place. He died in our behalf. Thus, Jesus was both the victim and the high priest who offered himself as the sacrifice.
3. A Battlefield
From the time of the war in heaven when God cast Satan on earth (Revelation 12:7-12), the battle between God and Satan has continued on earth. God's people are constantly struggling with Satan's temptations and resisting the devil. When Jesus came on earth, Satan saw his chance finally to win the war with God. No one was more sorely tempted than Jesus was. Luther claimed that God used Jesus to catch the devil. The war finally focused on the cross. What seemed like a victory for Satan turned out to be a victory for God, because Jesus finished his work of salvation with a shout of triumph, "It is finished." This victory was confirmed by the glorious resurrection. The victory is celebrated in an Easter hymn:
The strife is o'er, the battle's done.
Now is the victor's triumph won!
Now be the song of praise begun.
Alleluia!
If the battle with Satan was won on the cross, why then does the struggle continue today? The battle was won but the war with Satan continues. In the Civil War the battle of Gettysburg was the battle that won the war, but fighting continued until Appomattox. In like manner, Satan has been defeated. The decisive battle was fought on Calvary. Now we know how the war will end. It is only a matter of time until the end of the conflict. The Christian fights Satan with the assurance of ultimate victory.
Choose the analogy that best suits you, knowing that each analogy is one way of trying to explain the inexplicable. The method does not really matter, does it? We have the most wonderful results of what God did in and through his Son, our blessed Redeemer. Our sins have been covered by the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness. Satisfaction has been made to the God of justice; Christ died in our place and now we live eternally. We have been redeemed from the slavery of sin. God and sinners are reconciled. All this was the work of God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
The Redeemer And You
What does Jesus Christ mean to you? In our study of the creed thus far, we have learned the nature of Jesus as one who is fully God and fully man. We have been amazed at his work of redemption. So what? What does that mean to you personally? It always comes down to an existential experience, to the very nitty-gritty of life. It is a question none of us can avoid. Jesus did this to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi. It was not so much a matter for the world but for the twelve followers to face and answer. Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). Consider the following possible answers:
1. Lord
What Christ should mean to every Christian is stated in the Apostles' Creed: "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord." It all comes down to one word, "Lord." What does this word mean? In the New Testament, Jesus is called "Lord" 600 times. It is a word packed with meaning. "Lord" implies ownership. He owns us as though we were his property. He owns us because he bought us at the price of his precious blood. He bought us out of slavery to self and sin. "You are not your own; you were bought with a price." Therefore, I am not free to waste, harm, or put an end to my life. I am not free to do with my life as I jolly well please. I am free to belong to Christ and free to serve him, to love and obey him in all things.
2. Master
"Lord," moreover, means "Master." This implies that a Christian is a slave of Christ. We are slaves because he bought us out of slavery of sin to be slaves of righteousness. Paul usually identified himself in his letter as a "servant" of Christ. The Greek word for "servant" is doulos, meaning "slave" (Romans 1:1). As a slave a Christian is in his service and obligated to obey his commandments. I will do what he tells me to do, say what he tells me to say, and go where he wants me to go. I have no choice in the matter. And yet I am the freest of all people. In a hymn George Matheson says, "Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free." When we become Christians, we transfer our slavery from Satan to Christ.
3. King
"Lord," in the third place, means "king." Our Lord is the King of kings. A king, as you know, is a sovereign person with full authority and power. If the Lord is our king, we are his subjects. In more common language we could say he is our boss or manager. When we make him Lord of our lives, we voluntarily put our lives under new management. A king has power to enforce his decrees. Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:18). Therefore, our King is able to answer our prayers, to help us out of difficulty, and to overcome our enemies of sin and death. If Jesus is our Lord, he is the most important person in all of history. He is really not our Lord until he comes first in our lives.
4. God
Finally, "Lord" means "God." To say Jesus is our Lord is to say he is our God. "Lord" is used in the Old Testament for "Yahweh." Because of the holiness of God's name, Hebrews refused to say his name for fear of blaspheming it by wrong use. Consequently, they removed the vowels so that the name could not be spoken -- YHWH. Scholars added vowels so that we say "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." Since they could not speak God's name, they used as a substitute, adonai, meaning "Lord." To call Jesus "Lord," therefore, means that we acknowledge him as the divine Son of God. We can say with Thomas after he was convinced Jesus had risen from the dead, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).
Lord To What Extent?
Is Jesus the Lord of our lives, all our lives, or in just a few areas of our lives? In the hymn, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord," we sing, "Hold over my being absolute sway." "Absolute sway" -- does Jesus really have complete control and domination of our lives?
We may allow Jesus to be Lord over some areas of our lives, but other areas we hold for ourselves. We may let Jesus be the Lord of our personal lives because we are honest and kind, or Lord of our family life because we are faithful spouses and good parents. Jesus may be Lord of our civic life because we obey the laws and pay our taxes. But what of other areas of our lives? In the area of race, does Christ rule? In the area of finance? Do we tithe our income? In the area of the church, are we faithful in worship, in witnessing for Jesus, in participating in church activities?
To say Jesus is our Lord in the Apostles' Creed means we are in the process of allowing him to be eventually the Lord of all areas of our lives. We are in the process of growth to let Christ have full sway in all areas of life. Each sermon calls for a decision to let Christ enter a new area of life. Each church service is an opportunity to enter into a deeper commitment to Christ.
Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all,
He is my strength from day to day, without him I would fall.
When I am sad, to him I go, no other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, he makes me glad, he's my friend.
-- Will Thompson
A Summary Of The Second Article of The Apostles' Creed
This You Can Believe
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord; who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, secured and delivered me from all sins, from death and the power of the devil, not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood, and with his innocent sufferings and death, in order that I might be his, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
-- Martin Luther, The Small Catechism
Study Guide
Christ The Redeemer
The Redeemer's Work
In the first article of the Apostles' Creed we learned that the work of God the Father was creation of the universe. What was the work of God the Son? Was there anything left for the Son to do? Why did the Father send his Son to the world? Let Jesus tell us why he came:
1. Read John 10:10 -- "I came that they might have ___________."
2. Read Luke 19:10 -- "The Son of man came to seek and to ____________ the lost."
3. Read Matthew 20:28 -- "The Son of man came ... to give his life as a ____________."
Time To Think
Since the fall of Adam, humanity is in a predicament. The plight of humankind apart from God is pathetic: helpless, hopeless, lost, threatened with suffering, death, and hell. What are your answers to these questions:
1. Is humanity by nature sinful and unclean?
2. Are babies born bad?
3. What is original sin?
4. What constitutes sin?
5. Is there a difference between Sin and sins?
6. What does sin do to divine and human relationships?
7. In light of humanity's plight, what is our most basic and desperate need?
Analogies Of Redemption
By the cross of Christ, we have been redeemed. Now we are reconciled to God. Once we were enemies, but now we are friends of God. Our sins have been forgiven and forgotten. We were made children of God by pure grace. How did this happen? How did the cross and the empty tomb bring us redemption and release? Though we cannot fully explain the "how" of redemption, the New Testament gives us several analogies to help us understand. Which of these analogies speaks best to you? Check your answer:
1. ___ Courtroom. You are a criminal. God the Father is the judge. You plead guilty. The sentence is death. But Christ is your advocate and he takes the punishment in your behalf so that you go free.
2. ___ Altar. Christ is the lamb that is sacrificed for your sins. He is both priest and the victim to be offered. He offers himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Our sins are put upon him and he carries them to his death. Jesus' death was vicarious and substitutionary.
3. ___ Slave market. All of us are slaves of sin and Satan. Christ comes to the slave market and buys us out of slavery. The price is his own precious blood. We were bought with a price. Now we belong to him and we are his slaves. To be his slave is perfect freedom.
4. ___ Victory in war. There is a war going on between God and Satan. The battlefield is the cross. God uses Jesus as bait to catch the devil. By the cross he is caught and defeated. The strife is over; the battle is won. Satan's doom is sealed and Christ and his people are victors over sin, death, and hell.
Lord Of All?
To what extent is Jesus "Lord" of our lives? Does he hold absolute sway over every area of our lives? Suppose we look at our lives as a wheel with Jesus as the hub. In how many areas of your life does Jesus dominate?
(The illustration is only available in the printed version of this book.)
A Summary
Martin Luther in his Small Catechism summed up all we have been studying in this chapter. It is worthy of memorization. Please turn to his summary on page 132. He answers the following questions. Can you find the answers? If not, ask help from your fellow students.
1. Who is Jesus?
2. What did Jesus do for me?
3. Who am I?
4. How did Jesus redeem me?
5. Why did Jesus redeem me?
Christ came to redeem us, to save us. Paul wrote: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). What does it mean to be saved? What does redemption mean to you? The following diagram may help us understand Christ's work of redemption. It calls for an understanding of the condition of humanity before and after humankind's fall from God and Christ's work of redemption to restore us to our original status.
(The diagram is only available in the printed version of this book.)
Paradise
When God created Adam and Eve, they were in a perfect relationship with their Creator. The Garden of Eden was a paradise. God and his creation were in perfect harmony and peace. God and his original people were one. Communication between them was ideal. There was no sin to disturb the divine-human relationship. Our first parents were what we would call today "saved." They were right with God. This is the way God intended it to be for all time. In this relationship, the human pair enjoyed life, peace, and joy. For a description of this condition, please read the first two chapters of Genesis.
Paradise Lost
Then something dreadful happened. Humanity fell from this perfect relationship with God. Sin entered the relationship and all was lost. Satan tempted Eve to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. After she yielded to the temptation, she persuaded Adam to do the same. The result? At once they became afraid of God. They had a sense of guilt and lost their innocence, symbolized by their making clothes for themselves out of fig leaves. The consequence of their sin was expulsion from the garden and separation from God. They lost their paradise (Genesis 3).
As a result of disobedience, humanity represented in Adam and Eve was separated from God. Sin always separates God from a person and separates people from people. Daily experience testifies to this. When someone sins against us, hurts us, talks about us, plays a dirty trick on us, or does us an injustice, we become estranged. We have a falling out, just as humanity had a falling down from paradise. We are no longer on speaking terms. We are angry and may seek revenge. We are no longer friends but enemies. This condition exists until one or both parties apologize and ask for forgiveness.
It is the same in our relationship with God. Sin broke it. We have fallen away from God. A great chasm divides us. What is our condition in this fallen state? We are helpless to stop sinning. We are hopeless in that we can never make things right with God. Sin always brings suffering, and the wages of sin is death. We as sinners are in a state of total despair. This is what is meant by "lost." We are in the grip of sin, Satan, and death. We are the slaves of sin.
Is this the case in today's world? Do we sin? Our society is saturated with sin. It is so common that we take sin for granted. It is the normal way of life. For proof take a look at your daily newspaper, a tabloid of sin, crime, drugs, murder, theft, sexual abuse, and infidelity. Yet not all people admit they are sinners. In a poll of 1,472 church members, 57 percent said all are sinners; 43 percent deny it. In contrast, Saint Paul held that all are born under the power of sin (Romans 3:9). The Psalmist declares, "In sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). In his first letter John says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1:8). As a result all humanity is diseased with sin. All of us are sinful because humanity is one body. Sin entered the body through Adam and Eve. We are by nature sinful and unclean. We are by nature rebels against God and we cannot help but sin.
Sin is of two kinds: original and actual. We commit actual sins by thought, word, and deed. Most of us readily admit this and our daily newscasts confirm it. There is a difference between sins and SIN. Sin is original sin, the cause of our sins. Original sin goes back to our first parents and their sin of disobedience. It is like a bucket of water in which a drop of blueing scatters and the whole bucket is contaminated. Ralph Waldo Emerson agreed, "Everything in nature is cracked." George Bernard Shaw recognized original sin as the only empirically verifiable Christian doctrine. After 25 years as a jeweler, a man decided to retire and move to Florida. A tourist noticed he had a beautiful diamond ring and remarked, "That is a perfectly beautiful diamond ring." The former jeweler explained, "It is the only thing I kept from the jewelry business. It is beautiful, but it is not perfect. Only human-made, industrial diamonds are perfect. The ones God made, like this one, all have a flaw in them." Each of us is born with a flaw which we call original sin.
This brings up the question whether children are born good or bad. Some people look at a baby and say it is good. Indeed, a newborn baby has not committed actual sin in terms of thought, word, or deed. But a child has original sin in terms of a disposition to sin. Sinful parents produce sinful children. Parents can see it in their children. Do parents ever have to say to their children, "Be bad"? The first word of a child is "NO." The first sentence is "That's not fair." Later comes, "Don't blame me. I didn't do it." When I was a seminary student, some of us did not accept the doctrine of original sin. Our professor of theology said, "I know some of you do not believe in original sin. Just wait until you are parents and you will believe it!" Because children are born in sin, it is necessary for them to be disciplined. Because babies need to become by adoption children of God and forgiven of original sin, the church for ages has practiced infant baptism.
Sin expresses itself in two ways: omission and commission. Many of us think of sin in terms of commission: what we say and what we do is wrong. Often we fail to see our sins of omission. It is not what we say or do but what we do not say or do when we have the opportunity. There is a tendency to blame Eve for the original sin. But Adam was equally guilty. She committed the sin of commission and Adam committed the sin of omission. Why did he not convince Eve that it was wrong to disobey God? Why did he not exercise his headship by forbidding her to eat the fruit? In the biblical record, there is absolute silence from Adam. By his silence, he agreed with Eve. Consider also the disciples' sin of omission. When Jesus was arrested and on trial for his life, the disciples forsook him and fled. Why did they not defend him and witness in his behalf? In the light of this, we need to cry out with Luther, "My sins! My sins!" Mea culpa!
What To Do About Sin
In the light of the fact that we all are sinners, what can we do about it? The answer is in one word given by Jesus: "Repent." The word comes from the Greek metanoia, meaning a change of mind, a change of allegiance from Satan to God, a change of life from wickedness to godliness, a change of heart from hatred to love.
This repentance is expressed in the confession of sins. We will confess to others whom we offended and mistreated. We will say, "I am sorry. I apologize. It was my fault." The Prodigal Son repented by returning home to his father. The first thing the son said was "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you" (Luke 15:21). Sins against people are at the same time sins against God. David sinned against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, but when the prophet Nathan confronted him with the crime, David confessed to God: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13). The liturgy of the church provides us with a prayer of confession to God:
O God, our heavenly Father, I confess to you that I have grievously sinned against you in many ways; not only by outward transgressions but also by secret thoughts and desires which I cannot fully understand, but which are all known to you. I do earnestly repent, and am heartily sorry for these my offenses and I beseech you of your great goodness to have mercy upon me, and for the sake of your dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to forgive my sins, and graciously to help my infirmities.
After confession of sins, we petition God for forgiveness. Our prayer is "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." His mercy is offered when the ordained minister says:
Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Having received pardon, we now make restitution when possible. The repentant thief on the cross could not make restitution, for he was dying. When Zacchaeus committed himself to Christ, he said, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much" (Luke 19:8).
Paradise Regained
Sin caused us to lose paradise. By faith we can regain it through the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. The word "redemption" occurs 152 times in the Bible. It means to buy back, as a slave can be bought for freedom. In like manner, Paul claims Christ bought us out of the slavery of sin, for he wrote: "You were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20).
What is the most important and essential question a human can ask? In the light of the diagram on page 119, it is: "How can we get back with God? How can we get right with God? Who will deliver us from this body of sin, from the power of Satan, and from the threat of hell?" It is the question of the Philippian jailor who asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). The rich young ruler brought the question to Jesus, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16). How to get right with God has been humankind's search from the beginning of history. Fallen humanity has tried one of at least three ways. Please consult the diagram on page 119 (only in printed version).
1. The Ladder
People are trying to get back to God and getting accepted by their works of righteousness. This attempt may be considered as a ladder stretching from earth to heaven. Each rung on the ladder is a law of God. A person reasons: if I obey the laws of God, he will be pleased and I will be accepted as an obedient child. So I start with the first rung, and when I obey it perfectly, I go to the next higher rung. Each higher rung brings me closer to God. If I keep it up and obey perfectly all of the laws, I will be on the top of the ladder and back with God.
No doubt this is a possible way to get right with God, but it is most improbable. To succeed in this method would mean that I would be morally perfect. But who, except Jesus, was ever or will ever be perfect? A pastor once asked a group, "Did you ever know of a perfect person?" A man in the back raised his hand. The pastor continued, "You say you know of a perfect person? Who was it?" The man answered, "My wife's first husband!"
This way to God is an impossible way, for no one can keep all the laws of God. Therefore, Paul calls this "works righteousness," the curse of the law. He calls it a curse because the law requires you to do what you cannot do. Your very best is not good enough. The Greek mythological character, Sisyphus, was condemned by the gods to roll a huge stone up a mountain. Just when he had it at the top, it rolled down again. For eternity his punishment was to roll the stone to the top, but every time it rolled back. He had to do what he could not do. Likewise, to obey every law of God perfectly is a curse because we cannot do it. The ladder is no way to get back to God.
Yet in a poll of 1,472 church members 71 percent indicated that they were saved by doing good works. This view is often expressed by the remark concerning a deceased person: "I know he is in heaven because he was such a good man." We do not get to heaven because we were good or did good. In God's sight our good works are no more than filthy rags. Where then does the law fit into the Christian's life? Are Christians antinomian, that is, against the law? Are we a lawless people? If we are saved by grace, what is the purpose of the law? It has a threefold purpose. First, the law is used as a standard. It shows us that we are sinners in need of redemption. Paul asks, "Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions ..." (Galatians 3:19). We compare our lives with the commandments and realize we disobey all ten of them. The law thus drives us to Christ for forgiveness.
Second, the law is used as a guide for how to live righteously. The law tells us what God requires of us. The law is positive in telling us what God wants us to do and how we are to live with God's approval. For instance, the first commandment of the decalogue tells us, "Put God first in your life."
Third, the law serves as a deterrent against wrongdoing. We need laws to discourage crime. Disobedience to civil laws brings punishment. Keeping the laws promotes a safe and civilized society. It is like a traffic light at a busy intersection. Without the light, there would be accidents with the loss of life.
But we do not obey God's laws to be saved; we obey them because we are already saved. We keep the laws of God out of gratitude for all God has done for us in Christ by redeeming us. We do good works not to win God's favor but to serve the world in his name. The grace of God prompts us to serve and live righteously.
2. The Escalator
A second way people try to get right with God is by using an escalator of synergism or semi-Pelagianism. Pelagianism is the view that you can save yourself by your good deeds; semi-Pelagianism says you can save yourself with God's help. Have you ever seen a person who was in a hurry on an escalator? He/she walked up the escalator while it was in motion. The person was getting up by his/her own effort plus the power of the escalator.
The reason for this method to get back to God is that it is evident one cannot keep all the laws. To get to the top we need God's help. We will be saved not only by works but by faith. With God's help we can make it, so we say. This view is based on the false idea that humanity is basically good and needs only a little assistance. The great pianist Paderewski was once scheduled to give a concert. Before he came to the stage, a young boy slipped away from his parents and went to the piano. While the boy was trying to play, Paderewski appeared to begin his concert. He put his arms around the boy and urged him to continue. He said, "Keep on playing and I'll make up the rest."
Do people try to use this way to God? Eighty-two percent of Americans believe "God helps those who help themselves." In a poll of 1,472 church members 76 percent agreed with the statement: "As long as I do the best I can, I feel God cares for me and watches over me." The medieval church taught synergism of faith and works. People were taught that good works were essential to salvation and the church provided the strength to do them through the seven sacraments.
The escalator way of salvation is another impossible way. The fault with this plan is that it is basically the ladder method. In no way can one be pleasing to God, even with a little help from God. Either God must do it all or a person must do it all. Our part would be so minimal that, even with God's help, we could never make ourselves acceptable to God.
3. The Elevator
The other two ways to God we found to be impossible. Now we will try the elevator of grace. It is the good news of the gospel. The good news is that what we could not do for ourselves, God has done for us in Christ. Christ came from heaven to identify totally with sinful humanity by becoming sin for us. He fulfilled the law on our behalf so that we need not obey the law to get right with God. He made the sacrifice by dying for our sins. Now Christ comes to us and says, "Come to me and I will take you to my Father and make all things right with him." He puts on us his precious robe of righteousness to cover up the filthy rags of our sin. Because of Christ's merits and sacrifice, God accepts us, forgives us, and reckons us to be righteous or justified. The goodness of Christ is imputed to us. God declares we are forgiven and that we are his children. This is known as justification by grace through faith, the one indispensable doctrine of the Christian faith. Now we are back with God in peace and joy. We are now "saved" because we have been redeemed, reconciled, and put in right relationship with God. It is not that we are accepted for who we are, what we have, or what we have done. We are saved by grace alone. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
All of this is like an elevator. By its own power, it lifts us to a higher story. Christ comes down the elevator of grace through the Incarnation and bids us get on the elevator to go up to God for acceptance. What does it take to get on the elevator? First, you must push the button signaling the desire to use the elevator. It means we must want to be saved, want to go to God to be reconciled. Christ will not force anyone to get on the elevator. It must be your own personal choice. Jesus said, "Come to me." Second, to get on the elevator of grace we must have faith. If you do not have faith that the elevator is safe and will take you up, you will not get on the elevator. Right? It takes faith to get on the elevator of grace, faith that Christ is the Son of God who will make things right with God for you. Third, to get on the elevator, you have to go all the way into the elevator. You cannot have one foot on the elevator and one foot on the floor where you stand. You cannot go halfway with Christ. You go all the way in total commitment and allegiance. We say with the hymn: "Take myself, and I will be/Ever, only, all for Thee."
Now that we have taken the elevator of grace, we are one with God. Having been justified by grace through faith we have peace with God. All is now well with our souls. We are saved, forgiven, redeemed as God's people. This is the wonderful good news of the gospel. Thanks be to God for Christ, our Redeemer!
Pictures Of The Passion
We have just learned of the wonderful good news of Christ the Redeemer who died to free us from sin and death in order that we might be the children of God. How did it happen? What happened on the cross was not a mere subjective experience. Some see in the cross a display of God's love, and this melts our hard hearts to love him in return. According to this view, God is one of justice and wrath, a God who needs to be placated and appeased. In the light of the cross, we change our minds about God. Now we see him as a God of mercy.
The atonement (at-one-ment with God) was a far more radical event than a change in attitude. A very radical change takes place in the relationship between God and humanity. The human race must change from being enemies to friends of God. The cross did not change God's mind to forgive and love humanity. God has always, even before the cross, assured people of God's steadfast love and forgiveness. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (Psalm 103:8). It was not God who needed to be reconciled, but humankind which needed to repent and return to God for forgiveness, just as the Prodigal returned to his waiting father.
What caused this change that sinners are forgiven and restored to fellowship with God? There is no one perfect explanation, but various pictures have been suggested as possible explanations.
1. A Courtroom
A cosmic courtroom is the place for human salvation. God the Father is the judge. The human is the convict. Jesus is the advocate for the sinner. The sinner is found guilty and sentenced to death. The justice of God must be satisfied. God in Christ paid the penalty. Humankind therefore is pronounced acquitted and forgiven. People are now freed from the penalty and power of sin. Therefore, God has declared the believer in Christ righteous or justified.
2. An Altar
In the Old Testament a spotless lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the people. The blood of the lamb removed the stains of sin: "There is power in the blood." The lamb was the substitute for the people who deserved to die. The cross was the altar on which Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, was sacrificed. He was our substitute. As Jesus took the place of Barabbas on the cross, so he takes our place. He died in our behalf. Thus, Jesus was both the victim and the high priest who offered himself as the sacrifice.
3. A Battlefield
From the time of the war in heaven when God cast Satan on earth (Revelation 12:7-12), the battle between God and Satan has continued on earth. God's people are constantly struggling with Satan's temptations and resisting the devil. When Jesus came on earth, Satan saw his chance finally to win the war with God. No one was more sorely tempted than Jesus was. Luther claimed that God used Jesus to catch the devil. The war finally focused on the cross. What seemed like a victory for Satan turned out to be a victory for God, because Jesus finished his work of salvation with a shout of triumph, "It is finished." This victory was confirmed by the glorious resurrection. The victory is celebrated in an Easter hymn:
The strife is o'er, the battle's done.
Now is the victor's triumph won!
Now be the song of praise begun.
Alleluia!
If the battle with Satan was won on the cross, why then does the struggle continue today? The battle was won but the war with Satan continues. In the Civil War the battle of Gettysburg was the battle that won the war, but fighting continued until Appomattox. In like manner, Satan has been defeated. The decisive battle was fought on Calvary. Now we know how the war will end. It is only a matter of time until the end of the conflict. The Christian fights Satan with the assurance of ultimate victory.
Choose the analogy that best suits you, knowing that each analogy is one way of trying to explain the inexplicable. The method does not really matter, does it? We have the most wonderful results of what God did in and through his Son, our blessed Redeemer. Our sins have been covered by the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness. Satisfaction has been made to the God of justice; Christ died in our place and now we live eternally. We have been redeemed from the slavery of sin. God and sinners are reconciled. All this was the work of God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
The Redeemer And You
What does Jesus Christ mean to you? In our study of the creed thus far, we have learned the nature of Jesus as one who is fully God and fully man. We have been amazed at his work of redemption. So what? What does that mean to you personally? It always comes down to an existential experience, to the very nitty-gritty of life. It is a question none of us can avoid. Jesus did this to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi. It was not so much a matter for the world but for the twelve followers to face and answer. Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). Consider the following possible answers:
1. Lord
What Christ should mean to every Christian is stated in the Apostles' Creed: "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord." It all comes down to one word, "Lord." What does this word mean? In the New Testament, Jesus is called "Lord" 600 times. It is a word packed with meaning. "Lord" implies ownership. He owns us as though we were his property. He owns us because he bought us at the price of his precious blood. He bought us out of slavery to self and sin. "You are not your own; you were bought with a price." Therefore, I am not free to waste, harm, or put an end to my life. I am not free to do with my life as I jolly well please. I am free to belong to Christ and free to serve him, to love and obey him in all things.
2. Master
"Lord," moreover, means "Master." This implies that a Christian is a slave of Christ. We are slaves because he bought us out of slavery of sin to be slaves of righteousness. Paul usually identified himself in his letter as a "servant" of Christ. The Greek word for "servant" is doulos, meaning "slave" (Romans 1:1). As a slave a Christian is in his service and obligated to obey his commandments. I will do what he tells me to do, say what he tells me to say, and go where he wants me to go. I have no choice in the matter. And yet I am the freest of all people. In a hymn George Matheson says, "Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free." When we become Christians, we transfer our slavery from Satan to Christ.
3. King
"Lord," in the third place, means "king." Our Lord is the King of kings. A king, as you know, is a sovereign person with full authority and power. If the Lord is our king, we are his subjects. In more common language we could say he is our boss or manager. When we make him Lord of our lives, we voluntarily put our lives under new management. A king has power to enforce his decrees. Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:18). Therefore, our King is able to answer our prayers, to help us out of difficulty, and to overcome our enemies of sin and death. If Jesus is our Lord, he is the most important person in all of history. He is really not our Lord until he comes first in our lives.
4. God
Finally, "Lord" means "God." To say Jesus is our Lord is to say he is our God. "Lord" is used in the Old Testament for "Yahweh." Because of the holiness of God's name, Hebrews refused to say his name for fear of blaspheming it by wrong use. Consequently, they removed the vowels so that the name could not be spoken -- YHWH. Scholars added vowels so that we say "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." Since they could not speak God's name, they used as a substitute, adonai, meaning "Lord." To call Jesus "Lord," therefore, means that we acknowledge him as the divine Son of God. We can say with Thomas after he was convinced Jesus had risen from the dead, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28).
Lord To What Extent?
Is Jesus the Lord of our lives, all our lives, or in just a few areas of our lives? In the hymn, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord," we sing, "Hold over my being absolute sway." "Absolute sway" -- does Jesus really have complete control and domination of our lives?
We may allow Jesus to be Lord over some areas of our lives, but other areas we hold for ourselves. We may let Jesus be the Lord of our personal lives because we are honest and kind, or Lord of our family life because we are faithful spouses and good parents. Jesus may be Lord of our civic life because we obey the laws and pay our taxes. But what of other areas of our lives? In the area of race, does Christ rule? In the area of finance? Do we tithe our income? In the area of the church, are we faithful in worship, in witnessing for Jesus, in participating in church activities?
To say Jesus is our Lord in the Apostles' Creed means we are in the process of allowing him to be eventually the Lord of all areas of our lives. We are in the process of growth to let Christ have full sway in all areas of life. Each sermon calls for a decision to let Christ enter a new area of life. Each church service is an opportunity to enter into a deeper commitment to Christ.
Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all,
He is my strength from day to day, without him I would fall.
When I am sad, to him I go, no other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, he makes me glad, he's my friend.
-- Will Thompson
A Summary Of The Second Article of The Apostles' Creed
This You Can Believe
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord; who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, secured and delivered me from all sins, from death and the power of the devil, not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood, and with his innocent sufferings and death, in order that I might be his, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
-- Martin Luther, The Small Catechism
Study Guide
Christ The Redeemer
The Redeemer's Work
In the first article of the Apostles' Creed we learned that the work of God the Father was creation of the universe. What was the work of God the Son? Was there anything left for the Son to do? Why did the Father send his Son to the world? Let Jesus tell us why he came:
1. Read John 10:10 -- "I came that they might have ___________."
2. Read Luke 19:10 -- "The Son of man came to seek and to ____________ the lost."
3. Read Matthew 20:28 -- "The Son of man came ... to give his life as a ____________."
Time To Think
Since the fall of Adam, humanity is in a predicament. The plight of humankind apart from God is pathetic: helpless, hopeless, lost, threatened with suffering, death, and hell. What are your answers to these questions:
1. Is humanity by nature sinful and unclean?
2. Are babies born bad?
3. What is original sin?
4. What constitutes sin?
5. Is there a difference between Sin and sins?
6. What does sin do to divine and human relationships?
7. In light of humanity's plight, what is our most basic and desperate need?
Analogies Of Redemption
By the cross of Christ, we have been redeemed. Now we are reconciled to God. Once we were enemies, but now we are friends of God. Our sins have been forgiven and forgotten. We were made children of God by pure grace. How did this happen? How did the cross and the empty tomb bring us redemption and release? Though we cannot fully explain the "how" of redemption, the New Testament gives us several analogies to help us understand. Which of these analogies speaks best to you? Check your answer:
1. ___ Courtroom. You are a criminal. God the Father is the judge. You plead guilty. The sentence is death. But Christ is your advocate and he takes the punishment in your behalf so that you go free.
2. ___ Altar. Christ is the lamb that is sacrificed for your sins. He is both priest and the victim to be offered. He offers himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Our sins are put upon him and he carries them to his death. Jesus' death was vicarious and substitutionary.
3. ___ Slave market. All of us are slaves of sin and Satan. Christ comes to the slave market and buys us out of slavery. The price is his own precious blood. We were bought with a price. Now we belong to him and we are his slaves. To be his slave is perfect freedom.
4. ___ Victory in war. There is a war going on between God and Satan. The battlefield is the cross. God uses Jesus as bait to catch the devil. By the cross he is caught and defeated. The strife is over; the battle is won. Satan's doom is sealed and Christ and his people are victors over sin, death, and hell.
Lord Of All?
To what extent is Jesus "Lord" of our lives? Does he hold absolute sway over every area of our lives? Suppose we look at our lives as a wheel with Jesus as the hub. In how many areas of your life does Jesus dominate?
(The illustration is only available in the printed version of this book.)
A Summary
Martin Luther in his Small Catechism summed up all we have been studying in this chapter. It is worthy of memorization. Please turn to his summary on page 132. He answers the following questions. Can you find the answers? If not, ask help from your fellow students.
1. Who is Jesus?
2. What did Jesus do for me?
3. Who am I?
4. How did Jesus redeem me?
5. Why did Jesus redeem me?
