Mark 10:44,45 “Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.” (The Message Bible)
In a kidnapping case, a ransom is demanded by the bad guys. As some folks read these verses in the second and third century AD they considered to whom this ransom, this “life in exchange for many who are held hostage,” was paid. Some said it was to Satan who held humanity captive in sin. Some said it was to God who needed a payment to release those under his judgement. Paul wrote in Romans 3:25, 26; “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” The mechanics may be beyond us but the idea that Christ does for us what we cannot do for ourselves is clear. What do you think happened as a result of Jesus’ death?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 