Ransomed, Reconciled, Restored
Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
Psalm 130:7-8 NIV
The fallen state we’re living in isn’t what God made us for, and he’s never been willing to walk away and leave us to our fate. Instead, he has promised to put things right again by redeeming mankind, and that redemption is now in process. He’s already ransomed us and reconciled us to himself through Jesus. And soon he will restore us and all creation to everything he intended.
We can think of redemption in three parts: ransom, reconciliation, and restoration. First, mankind needed to be ransomed out of slavery to sin. Jesus has already done that. Next, we needed to be reconciled with our Creator – to change our frame of mind from rebellion to harmony. This was the original meaning of the word atonement. It meant to reunite, to mend, to be once again in harmony and “at one” with God. In Jesus Christ, God has now reconciled the world to himself. And finally, God will restore the world and mankind to everything it was in the Garden of Eden, and more. The world can’t be restored until people are free from slavery to sin and in harmony with our Creator. A theme for this study has been the pictures of redemption God placed in the Bible, and how Jesus has accomplished each one of them. All the pictures of redemption in the Old Testament have already been fulfilled in Jesus. God’s new covenant with mankind was sealed by Jesus on the cross, and it will be fully established when he returns. God is putting things right.
In the Garden of Eden
As God told Eve, Jesus is her descendant who engaged Satan in battle. Though Satan injured Jesus, it was Satan who received the fatal blow.
Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah
God provided himself in Jesus as the sacrificial offering that freed us from sin. This happened in the same Mount Moriah region where he sent Abraham.
Passover
Just as God freed his people from physical slavery in Egypt, Jesus has freed humanity from sin and spiritual death.
Kinsman Redeemer
Jesus has redeemed humanity from slavery to sin, death, and Satan by giving his life as “a ransom for many”.
The Deadly Serpents in the Desert
Jesus has healed our sin, a fatal spiritual disease, when we look on him with faith. In the process, he has drawn all mankind to himself as he said he would.
Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement
Jesus has reconciled humanity to God by inaugurating and sealing the new covenant. God and man will soon live together in harmony and be “at one”.
David and Goliath
Jesus took on the role of our champion and defeated Satan for us. Just as David became the representative head of the Israelites, acting in their place,
Jesus became our representative, acting in our place and on our behalf.
Hosea and Gomer
God’s love for humanity doesn’t depend on our faithfulness. Jesus redeemed us even though we hadn’t done anything to deserve it.