Today, we will continue looking to the cross of Jesus, fixing our eyes on Him, seeing Him so that we might be cleansed and be empowered by the Spirit of God to flee all forms of sin.
In the previous lesson, as we looked up at the cross, we saw that God’s wrath was exhausted at the cross, that there is not a drop of it left for you if you are a believer in Jesus. This truth liberates us. If we live with a slavish fear of God, like Adam in the garden after he sinned, we will hide from God and not walk with Him. But now, we understand that God’s anger was spent on Christ; His wrath exhausted at the cross, and so, we come freely and boldly to Him where He welcomes and embraces us.
We also saw that our sin was removed from us at the cross. This truth sets us free by showing us that we no longer have a burden of guilt to carry around. When Jesus took our sin from us, He took our guilt with it. Those who are free from the burden of guilt are also free from the power of sin.
In this lesson, we will continue looking at the cross and meditating on it to see the demonstration of God’s love and power, which can transform our hearts and minds.
Question 1. What more do you see as you look at the cross today?
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As we look at the cross, we see that we are:
Ransomed from Satan's kingdom.
Rescued from the power of darkness.
Redeemed from the curse of the Law.
Redeemed from an empty way of life.
Reconciled to God the Father.
Let's briefly discuss each of these and see how each one is designed to open our prison doors and set us free.
At the cross, Jesus ransomed us from sin and death.
A ransom is a price paid for the redemption or release of someone from captivity.
We were all born in sin and captivity to it, which leads to death. But it was foretold in the Old Testament that God would ransom His people which would result in their freedom and joy:
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isaiah 35:10 (NKJV)
As you look at the cross, what you see is Jesus paying your ransom price with His blood. He did this to release you from captivity to sin and death. Jesus' empty tomb is proof that God accepted His ransom payment. You are released from both sin's penalty and power. You never have to sin against your body, never have to follow the temptation to overeat, you are ransomed from that entire past life.
The ransom is an expression of the process of paying the penalty due for our sin. It is called redemption or salvation. What we could not pay or do, Jesus paid and did for us. Now let everlasting joy be on your head, and let sorrow and sighing flee away!
"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28 (NIV)
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time." 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV)