According to the Bible, Jesus offered His life as a ransom for numerous people (see, for instance, Matthew 20:28). He delivers believers from the grip of sin and grants them eternal life in this way.
When you pay the ransom price—which consists of the loan balance plus interest—you can retrieve the expensive item you brought to the pawnbroker. The first thing that springs to mind when we consider that Jesus has ransomed us is: to whom did He pay the ransom price? The pawnbroker is who?
Several options
To that, the immediate response is: the devil. We are captives to sin, after all. The world’s ruler, the devil, is the one who initially persuaded humanity to sin. That could lead one to believe that the pawnbroker is the devil. However, this is untrue, as God owes nothing to anybody, including the devil. God is not under the devil’s control.
The second response to this is that there isn’t a pawnbroker. The term “ransom” is merely a comparison, and all comparisons have limits. Refrain from going too far. Compared to the first response, this one seems more reasonable, but I still don’t think it’s right.
God is the pawnbroker
The third response, which is the right one in my opinion, is that God is the pawnbroker. The Bible verses listed below back up this theory:
- 49:7 and 49:15 of Psalm. “Really, no man can offer another person a ransom or pay God the price of his life. However, because He will accept me, God will redeem my soul from the grip of Sheol. This passage asserts that God is the one who redeems and that He is entitled to the ransom.
- Romans 3:23–25. “Because everyone is sinners and falls short of God’s glory, they are all justified by God’s grace as a gift via the redemption found in Christ Jesus, whom God offered as a sacrifice through his blood, to be accepted by faith. This served to demonstrate God’s goodness because He had pardoned past transgressions out of divine forbearance. God was patient until He was made whole. This suggests that He was entitled to something that is now realized.
- 2 Timothy 5–6. “Christ Jesus, the man, is the only mediator between God and humans; He offered Himself as a ransom for everyone.” He is in the way of God and humanity. He offers a ransom. The most straightforward interpretation of this is that He gives God the ransom money.
The whole trinity is involved
So what happens on the cross is this: the Son gives Himself as a ransom to the Father. This is done by the Spirit (see Hebrews 9:14 which speaks about “Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God”). So at the cross we see the whole Trinity at work. We see the love of the Son, the love of the Spirit, but also the love of the Father who wanted to restore the bond with us. God’s robbed honor is restored by Himself, so that we can receive eternal salvation. As a result, we may look forward beyond death to an eternal life with Him. What a Gospel! Make sure you don’t refuse or ignore it. Accept the sacrifice of Jesus to redeem you in faith.
Do not fear, only believe
It is amazing news because Jesus covered the cost of the ransom. It provides that level of certainty. I once heard a fantastic interview with an elderly woman who had spent a long period serving in the church. But one response depressed me. She was asked, “Are you a Christian?” “I try my hardest,” was her response. No, no, no. Nobody works hard enough to become a Christian. That pawnshop never has a lone customer leave. Being a Christian and answering “yes” to this question does not imply a lack of modesty. It is merely a declaration of faith in Christ, who accomplished flawless salvation on the cross.
People who have trust in perfect redemption [are guaranteed to have faith]. Everything has been done by Christ. When someone claims to be “doing his best” to follow Christ, he may not feel like he has “done enough.” Someone questions whether they have “believed well enough” if they declare they “hope” to be a Christian. Doubting individuals frequently dwell on their flaws and weaknesses. Biblical religion, however, is focused on the everlasting salvation that Christ has provided. The Lord Jesus told Jairus, “Do not fear; just believe.” Take a look at the cross that held the Lord Jesus. He is telling you right now to “believe, not fear.” The eternal redemption He gained will then be granted to you.
