A plan to redeem us

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16)

So what is so “good” about this good news, you might be thinking. Hang in there. You see, God has had a plan to resolve this curse on his beloved creation for a long time. His plan involves providing a way for every single person to be restored back into a relationship with Him.

Centuries before the birth of Christ, God had begin to reveal truths about Himself through the people of Israel. One of the primary teachings He gave to His people was that He, God, was perfectly holy. Because of His holiness, He instituted a system of sacrifice to atone (or pay) for the sins of the people. (Leviticus chapters 1 through 7). These sacrificial rituals were performed first in the portable tabernacle (or tent) and then in the Jerusalem temple on behalf of all the Jewish people. A mysterious and somewhat fearful truth about the nature of God was that God’s holiness demanded a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. This requirement was the basis for the sacrifices performed daily, for centuries, in the Jerusalem temple. The blood of countless animals was poured out on the alter as an offering of atonement for sin.

God demonstrated the “love” aspect of His character through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Through Jesus He provided a blood sacrifice to end all blood sacrifices. He affirmed that, yes, there must be a blood payment for the sins of humanity. But by His love, God said that the blood would be His own and He would provide the required sacrifice Himself (Hebrews 10:10).

One of the Biblical words used to describe God’s motives and actions is “redemption.” The original meaning comes from the slave trade which was part of the ancient world. One person could pay to redeem another person out of slavery. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was to redeem and free all those who would believe in Him. When we are redeemed, we are freed from bondage to a world system of sin; a system that can only lead to destruction, punishment, and eternal separation from God.