Friday we took the time to contemplate what Jesus lost.
• He lost the adoration and devotion of the crowds.
• He lost the support and loyalty of His closest friends.
• He lost His legal rights and freedoms.
• He lost His perfect innocence.
• He lost His intimate connection with His Father.
• He lost His health and dignity.
• He lost His life.
It was a dark time in human history. Yet the darkness gave way to victory. Death gave way to life.
By Sunday the light dawns…
• God raised Him to be worshipped and adored by all peoples and nations.
• God raise Him to be united with loyal followers for all eternity.
• God raised Him to be the King of kings and Lord of lords and the source of true freedom.
• God raised Him the truly Righteous One.
• God raise Him to restored fellowship and union.
• God raised and transformed His frail human body to a glorious resurrection body.
• God raised Him to life and He became the give of life to all who call upon Him.
Because He lives – we live. Christ the Lord is risen today – Hallelujah.
I. Our Wealth and Worth In Christ 1-4
Paul had time to reflect on God’s amazing blessing while incarcerated for preaching the gospel. He started his letter to the Ephesian followers of Jesus with exuberant praise to God for His overflowing blessing to us.
A. Paul blessed God for blessing us with every spiritual blessing 1:3-14
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
The focus of the first two blessings is on the work of the Father.
1. Specially Chosen 1:4
Even before we were born God knit His heart to us and decided to do whatever was necessary to fit us for perfect eternal relationship with Him.
2. Adopted 1:5-6
We will skip the second blessing for now in order to focus on a blessing that fits with our contemplation of the Easter message and the celebration of the work of Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection.
The next blessing comes by reason of the work of the Son on our behalf. “in whom”
3. Redeemed and Forgiven 1:7-8
The death and resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the good news; the Gospel.
Paul zeroed in on the core of the Gospel in his first letter to the Corinthians.
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:1-22
The Gospel, God’s good news, starts with some bad news. Man has a not only hopeless but horrifying future because of sin against God. The good news is that Christ died for those sins as planned from eternity. The good news is that He didn’t stay dead but rose again to extend new life to all who believe. That is the short version.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. Ephesians 1:7-8
Paul continues his list of blessings that we have by reason of our connection to Jesus. Besides being specially chosen to live in loving relationship with God and a glorious adoption into His family, we have been freely redeemed and forgiven.
Here we find three key terms; Redemption, Forgiveness, Grace
Before we expand on these three great biblical concepts let’s look at what Paul tells us here.
First, these come by reason of our connection to Jesus – “in Him or in whom”.
Second, it is a current reality -- “we have presently”
Third, these blessings flow out of God’s grand heart of grace.
Redemption secures our freedom, deliverance from slavery or captivity.
Forgiveness settles the debt our sin incurred against God.
Overflowing grace is the basis on which God chose to redeem and forgive us.
REDEMPTION
The cause (necessity) of redemption
The Bible is clear about our helpless condition before God because of our rebellion and sin.
Numerous terms communicate the gravity of our situation in relations to God.
Dead, slaves, blind, children of the devil, children of wrath, darkened, deceived, lost, corrupt, rebellious, stiff-necked, wicked, worthless, fall short of the mark, trespass, separated. Without outside help we are as doomed as a mosquito in a tornado. We do not have the capacity to repay the horrendous debt or escape imprisonment. Fortunately God provided that outside assistance through Jesus. Part of that assistance is called redemption. The core of the gospel is that Jesus died for our sins. That means our sin put Him through all the torment and eventual death.
The concept of redemption
The term translated into our English word “redeem” (verb) or “redemption” (noun) comes from two Greek word families. The Roman culture was largely a slave culture. The return of a victorious Roman general marching before his troops of gladiators bringing home the spoils of a conquered land along with a large number of captives to be sold off the blocks at the slave market to the highest bidder. The slave owners would gather at the slave market ready to examine and test those captives placed on the slave block. The captives would then be purchased and placed into a life of servitude. It was this kind of picture that would be uppermost in the mind of the Ephesians as they heard this term describing freedom from slavery.
One of the terms communicates the idea of purchasing something for personal possession.
The other, the idea of being set free by paying the ransom price.
A kidnap victim, war captive, prisoner of war.
Purchased for possession.
Set free by the payment of a price.
Paul told the Ephesians that in Christ they presently HAD redemption. It was an accomplished fact. There are several other noteworthy passages on the subject.
being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 3:24
Because Jesus paid the price, God could by grace declare us not guilty.
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11-12
Jesus was the once for all sacrifice that secured an eternal redemption.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5
Redemption paved the way to our adoption into God’s family.
There is also a future aspect of deliverance or redemption.
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:22-23
Even our physical bodies
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
"Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:27-28
We were hopelessly enslaved. In Christ Jesus, God offers deliverance and true freedom and meaningful connection. He was willing pay the cost to buy our freedom.
The Cost of redemption
• Cost to Him
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:17-21
According to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Heb 9:22
The Father sent His only Son to pay the price for our freedom. It was the shedding of His blood, His death that paid for our life. He became our substitute. For centuries the Jews understood this process through the sacrificial system. An animal was slaughtered and its blood offered as in the place of the sinner. But it was only a picture of what Jesus would do at a point in history.
Hebrews ties it all together.
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:4
By God’s will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:11-14
• Cost to Us
Both redemption and forgiveness flow out of God’s grace. Grace is a word that describes favor extended to another person apart from personal merit. Paul in our current passage speaks of that grace of God.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.
Paul has two things to say about the grace God extended to us in Christ Jesus. First, these blessings are “according to” the riches of His grace. Second, this grace (undeserved favor) was lavished on us. What is the difference between “according to” and “out of”? Let’s say I had an abundance of resources and am worth $500 million. I see you have a need and I give you $10.
I would be giving “out of” the riches of my wealth. But if I offered you $100,000; I would be giving “according to” the riches of my wealth.
God has unlimited favor to extend to His chosen ones. He lovingly extends His favor in proportion to that vast storehouse of grace. In case we missed the significance of “according to” Paul adds “which He lavished upon us” The term means to “superabound, be in excess, to excel, have more than enough, abundance, increase – you get the idea. The grace associated with redemption and forgiveness is a colossal demonstration of undeserved favor.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
Not only were we redeemed, set free, delivered, purchased for possession, we were also forgiven our debt that put us in slavery in the first place.
Redemption secures our freedom, deliverance from slavery or captivity.
Forgiveness settles the debt our sin incurred against God.
Overflowing grace is the basis on which God chose to redeem and forgive us.
FORGIVEN
The term translated by our English word forgiveness means to release from debt. The cost to God and His only Son Jesus was total sacrifice. It is like the pig and the chicken on their way to ham and egg breakfast. The pig says to the chicken, “For you it is a mere contribution, for me it is total sacrifice.” Jesus paid our debt in full. Jesus paid it all. Just before entrusting His life to the Father Jesus said, “It is finished”. That means paid in full and it will always be paid in full.
The full payment to satisfy the righteous demands of a Holy God was made on our behalf.
We sinned Jesus died.
God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
The payment for every sin of all people for all time was laid on Him in order that we might live eternally in meaningful relationship with God – holy and blameless. Forgiveness is never free to the one forgiving on the one forgiven. Someone must pay. If you own me $100 and I choose to forgive the debt, it will cost ME $100.
The Jews were familiar with this concept through the ceremony of the scapegoat. One animal was sacrificed and its blood sprinkled on the altar to symbolize redemption. Another animal was presented to the High Priest who laid hands on its head and the sins of the people were transferred to the goat which was then banished into the wilderness.
Jesus’ record of right living was reckoned to our account.
Our record of offenses and rebellion was put to His account.
All our sins were place on Him. Isaiah prophesied this most amazing blessing.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. Isaiah 53:4-6
Half of the gospel deals with the death of Jesus for our sins proven by a literal burial.
The other half deals with the resurrection of Jesus proven by a multitude of appearances.
The resurrection of Jesus proves His sacrifice was accepted and sufficient.
The resurrection of Jesus is the means by which we are granted new life.
The resurrection of Jesus enables Jesus to continually intercede for us.
So What?
Any time we interact with the truth of the Scriptures we must consider our response. There are many who live totally unaware of the sacrifice that was made on their behalf. They go through life ignorant of what it took to enable reconciliation to a Holy God. This is graphically illustrated in the story of the bridge tender and his son. At the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
NEVER FORGET
One response is to never forget the significance of what it took to secure our freedom and forgiveness.
Hebrews encourages three other responses to the truth of our redemption and forgiveness.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
DRAW NEAR WITH FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH
Draw near to God with assurance of faith.
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Stop carrying your guilt and shame. Embrace your fresh freedom. Embrace your full forgiveness. There is now NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Your sin has been nailed to the cross. Your certificate of debt (rap sheet) has been cancelled.
HANG ON TIGHT
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
Maintain your confidence in the work of Christ on your behalf and his promise to finish that work in the future.
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER
and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25
Spend the rest of your days encouraging others. Join with fellow followers of Jesus celebrating what Jesus has done for us.
