Let's open with a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank you for, again, the ability to come here, all the blessings you've given to this church and to our community, to our nation. We thank you especially for your word and that we would be bold in proclaiming it, that we would be bold in using it in our lives, and that this truth might permeate who we are. We ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. All right, Ephesians, Ephesians 1, starting in verse four is where I'll read, and we are currently mostly in Ephesians 1-7. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved. 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. I'll stop there. So last week we looked at this parallel of the Passover that happened in Egypt as they were leaving on the exodus. We saw that the redemption of the firstborn for all who put the blood of the unblemished lamb on the lentils and the doorposts of the house, as God commanded, in order that the Lord would pass over. And in that way, he redeemed the firstborn, thereby purchasing the firstborn by the blood of the Lamb. And when you write it that way, it's amazing, the connection, right? To behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world in the New Testament that John identifies as Christ. back to the Passover, a purchase that God took very seriously and later traded for the tribe of Levi and accounted for a discrepancy in the number of people by having the people pay five shekels per head to the Levites since their count was less than the count of the firstborn. And this shows that he takes this purchase very seriously, that this redemption of the firstborn As we look at our Old Testament, we see that it wasn't a purchase and then forgotten about, okay? It was a purchase that he said, that's my property. I'm keeping it, okay? So that's a powerful lesson for us, for the redeemed in Christ, that we've been purchased. I did a little bit more research on I wondered if the Jews are still doing this practice of purchasing their firstborn. And they are, but evidently it's falling less and less. It's a rare ceremony, it's said. But it's called Pidyon Haben, okay? And this is really interesting. You can go on eBay and buy a set of Pidyon Haben redemption coins. which are shekels, silver shekels, okay, that you would, Israel has minted these five coins. that you would buy and then give to the priest as this redemption of your firstborn in modern times. They're being sold in sets that haven't been used or given, and it's kind of an interesting thing. Because five coins, and it's interesting, they've calculated out the proper ratio of of silver. So the coins can be bigger if they're a lower percentage, but it has to have a certain amount of silver in it to meet. Now this is the Jewish current requirement to do this ceremony, but it's very interesting. Redemption. Okay. Last week I read some definitions from the 1828 Webster's Dictionary. I want to go over the last one again, which was number six. In theology, the purchase of God's favor by the death and sufferings of Christ, the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ. So this idea of redemption that's all throughout scripture is a purchase in a very much a similar way that the blood of the lamb was a purchase of the firstborn, protecting them from God's wrath in the Passover. Now, another hint, so that was an incredible hint or foreshadowing of Christ, is in Abraham, okay? And we're going to go look at that story in Genesis 22. Okay, Genesis 22, 1 through 14. Now, it came about after these things that God tested Abraham. And he said to him, And he said, here I am. He said, take now your son, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and he split wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. I just want to say I've heard so much criticism about, you know, from ungodly people, God valued, called for a human sacrifice here. Okay, and the answer is, well, on first glance, it looks like that, but the metaphor and the parallel to God offering his own son, right, is the connection there, right, that's way more powerful, okay, when it's taken as that God sent his own son, and that's what he's asking Abraham to do, and Abraham was faithful, And no, God is not in the end calling for a human sacrifice other than the God-man, Jesus Christ, who was a sacrifice for us. On the third day, Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey and I and the lad will go over there and we will worship and return to you. Now this is a wonderful statement because he says we will return. So did he think he was gonna, well he didn't know probably what, but he knew that he was coming back with a live son, okay, and stated it so in faith. He knew that the promise was gonna come through Isaac, he knew that Isaac was his only son, and so he was about to see a miraculous event. Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife, so the two of them walked together. What another amazing picture. Where's the wood? On Isaac. Where was the wood, so to speak? A foreshadowing of Christ carrying His cross. Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, and said, my father. And he said, here I am, my son. And he said, behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? And Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. So the two of them walked on together. So here we know that Abraham is completely confident and comfortable that the Lord will provide. Then they came to the place of which God had told him, and Abraham built the altar there, and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, here I am. He said, do not stretch out your hand against the lad and do nothing to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. So there's that same connection between your son, your only son, that is the connection to Christ. Also think about Verse one, now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham. So this was a test, and he states that, in verse 12, that he has succeeded in this test, right? Now I know, it's for sure, it's concrete, right? And that he did a wonderful job in making for us this wonderful parallel of the willingness of Isaac to go to the cross, or sorry, he trusted his father. I'm sure he was old enough, strong enough to worm away and scramble down the hill, right? And he did. Said, okay, if that's what we're doing. To be there and film it, wow, that would've been quite a suspense, right? A suspense, oh boy. Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of this place, The Lord Will Provide. as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord, it will be provided." Now, this is translated Jehovah-Jireh is the name, which is the Lord will provide in Hebrew. So, where does this redemption come? Well, we only learn about it, right? It comes from the Lord. This is what we have by faith. Where did the sacrifice come from, aside from the test, right? It came from the Lord. Now, this is Mount Moriah, which almost everyone believes is the place of the current where the temple was eventually built, which is amazing, on this mountain, this sacrifice. I would say the most important piece of real estate on the earth. And certainly, here's this place that he says, Go there, right? He's telling Abraham to trek there, and because of this event and then subsequent others, you know, I've said many times, Satan is against everything the Lord loves that's his, right? He's opposing it. And I was listening to a a lady doing a talk about her book, I'm thinking I'm going to get it, but she's talking about the origins of the current, the Palestinian conflict, and a lot of it has to do with a Have you heard of Al-Aqsa? Al-Aqsa is the mosque, but Al-Aqsa flood, a lot of unrest is generated in the Palestinian world when there's a rumor going around that Israel is gonna move against Al-Aqsa mosque, okay, to build the third temple or whatever, and that's caused a lot of unrest. when those rumors go, start to rip through the communities is when there can be a lot of terrorism and attacks on Jews and things. And if you, I don't know if you remember, but the very beginning of October 7th, there was talk of Al-Aqsa. There's also the Al-Aqsa, what, Martyrs Brigade that to protect the, which is built exactly there on Mount Moriah. So, important piece of real estate that is right in our news almost every day. Just amazing that we're this many 3,500 years later. And because God put his finger on it, man is, it's not just You know, man doesn't look at Mount Moriah and say, oh, that's a really nice place, like equivalent to a beautiful desert island or, you know, it's something God chose. And of course, because God chose it, that place, the focus is on it, and the opposition against it, and the vying for power and control. You can just imagine the things going on in the spiritual realm around that since God has staked it as important. All right, so that's a wonderful story that is another redemption idea. Buying, in several ways, Isaac being a type of Christ, a lamb being substituted, okay, for this, just all connected, being there at the place where the Temple Mount will be, Mount Moriah, it's amazing. All right, so I don't know if this is gonna work, but most of the time I bring you along with all of the, we look up together all of the verses, And this time I want to just read the verses that I've brought over without having us turn there so we can move quicker, okay? And what this is is just a summary, I mean it's basically a summary of Christianity, what's revealed all through Scripture, but with simple little titles. And the first one is, what's the problem? What is redemption for? What's the problem? Well, the problem, the first part of the problem is sin. John 8, 34, and Jesus answered them, truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. So sin enslaves. Proverbs 5, 22, his own iniquities will capture the wicked and he will be held with the cords of his sin. So this binding that happens from sin, okay? You think of the connection between the word redeemed and redeeming it from out of the slave market. Well, what is the slave known for? Well, he's probably bound at the slave market, right? So sin is that binding. We also have false prophets and teachers. Involved in this this sin promising them freedom. These are false prophets and teachers promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption For by what a man is overcome by this he is enslaved. That's 2nd Peter 2 19 So what overcomes us well sin overcomes us and then we are enslaved by it then Romans 6 16 Do you know that? Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" So this idea of being enslaved to sin. What else are we enslaved to? Well, we're under the curse of the law. and the curse of death. So Romans 5.12, therefore just as the one man's sin entered into the world and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sin. So the connection of imputed old sin nature through Adam, okay, is a problem that has to be dealt with with redemption. And then Galatians 4, 4 through 7. But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem those who are under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. So what is this law problem? Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God. So being redeemed from under the law that we can't keep. the curse of the law. Then Hebrews 2.14, therefore since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil. So now we have another problem, right? This deceiver named Satan, who we are under his power when we're bound in sin. It might free those who fear death. Okay, this is an interesting one. This is the next verse, Hebrews 2.15. And might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. I've heard a couple people talk about being a child growing up and not realizing that there was death. And the first time they had to face death as a child, learn about death, whether it was a loved one or a pet or something, and this guy that I was listening to, it was the absolute most terrifying thing for the rest of his life. Now, I think of I can't remember a time when I didn't know the truth of Christ, and so I think that fear of death has been mitigated for, those two things came at the same time for me, but to not have that, to not have a trust in Christ, And just. be completely fearful and bound by death. And I was thinking of the, many of the taboos and things that you run into in Yanomami land or indigenous cultures are things and rituals they're doing to preserve their lives, to keep death from overtaking them, they believe, through appeasing these spirits. Just a terrifying way to live, and they're truly under a bondage. And then Ephesians 2.1. Speaking of this death and you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formally walked according to the course of this world According to the prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience if I didn't say it that's Ephesians 2 1 & 2 so dead in your trespasses and sins and Working for the prince of the power of the air. So connecting your sin your death and your you're father of the devil. And then 1 John 3, 8, the one who practices sin is of the devil. So there it is, the connection between sin and Satan. For the devil has sinned from the beginning and the Son of God appeared for this purpose, destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3, 8. Now the next question is, so we see our problem, okay? Well, what's the price? What's required to solve this problem? Blood is required, okay? Hebrews 9.22, and according to the law, one may almost say all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. I like to read that without the italicized. And according to the law, almost all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood, forgiveness of sin. I think what he's saying there is that this is to show us what the price is. That the price is death. Leviticus 17, 11, for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. So not to be confused with blood cells having the value to redeem you. Leviticus is clearly saying that when we talk about the blood we're talking about The life is in the blood and when you separate the body from the blood you're dead. Okay So when we talk about the blood of Christ, we're talking about the death of Christ on the cross. It says, for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. So there we get this connection way back in Leviticus of what is the cost of this sin and rebellion, or the price. And then we come to Hebrews 9, 11 through 14, and find out that not the blood of animals, okay? 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. So there is that purchase price. For if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of heifers sprinkled those who had been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ through whom the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleansing your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. And then moving on to Hebrews 10, for the law, since it is only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. So that all that, All that Old Testament sacrifice was just a looking to Christ. Hebrews, the job of Hebrews as a book is to argue to the Jews, don't go back to sacrificing in the temple. Christ is all-sufficient. infinitely better, one-time sacrifice, fully atoned for sin for all eternity. And that's the argument. That's why I say Hebrews is to the Hebrews, to tell the Hebrews to stop being Hebrews. And what you're saying there is stop doing that old stuff that was only a foreshadowing of Christ. For it is impossible, this is verse four of 10 Hebrews, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. What is necessary? Christ's blood, Ephesians 1, 7, we have in him, this is our verse, redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace. So redemption comes through his death. His sacrifice, His willing sacrifice. Matthew 26, 28, For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sin. So that communion, we're entering into that communion of remembrance to Christ's blood and sacrifice in the cup and the bread. Acts 20, 28, be on guard for yourselves for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. There it is again, right? The blood of Christ, not the blood of bulls and goats. then we get justification as a gift of grace through this purchase, this redemption, being justified, this is Romans 3, 24, being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption, which is in Christ Jesus, and 25, whom God displayed publicly, so he is publicly there on the cross, as a propitiation in his blood through faith, This was to demonstrate his righteousness because in the forbearance of God, he passed over the sins previously committed. That's the verse that we use to go back to the Passover. And then, of course, these wonderful words, the sufficiency of it, paid in full. John 19, 30. Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. I would love if the, I'm sure there are translations that would say paid in full. I think that would be a much more, it is a completion and a finishing, but it's also this paying of a debt notion from accounting that is so important to understand what transpired between the son and the father. Paid in full and we think of it as that redemption, right? This is paying of the ransom Colossians 2 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt There was this great debt and burden of sin and guilt and rebellion, right and his blood Canceled out bought it back paid it in full Ted. Alas die and Consisting of, what is this, what is the certificate of debt? Consisting of, consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and he had taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. So where's your certificate of debt? Paid, nailed to the cross, done, okay. Romans 6.23, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The reason why I'm doing these is to see them all together, just gives this marvelous picture of what is transpiring in all these points of data. So this wages of sin is death, if you just, the verse before it, have canceled out a certificate of debt, you have all these parallels of, what we deserved was a debt we couldn't pay that was death, right? All right. Out of what motive of his? John 15, 13, greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends. So Christ is saying there's no greater love of a person than to lay down your life in place of another's, which is what He did on the cross. 1 John 3, 16, we know, loved by this, that He, Christ, laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. So this continuation of sacrifice for the brethren as Christ did. Now we're onto Romans 5, 8. But God demonstrated his own love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. I was thinking of Jesus fulfilling the requirements necessary. What are the requirements? Well, he has to be like us, a kinsman, okay? He couldn't just be So Hebrews 2, 14, What? Flesh and blood. that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. So he conquered Satan in this transaction in offering himself, but he had to come and take on human flesh to be that sacrifice. Hebrews 2.14. Philippians 2.6-8. who, although he existed in the form of God in heaven, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or just held on to permanently, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of man. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, which was a humiliating, cursed, difficult death. Then John 1.1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and then connect that to John 1.14, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten, from the Father, full of grace and truth. And then further understanding this being born of a human being fully man and fully God is Luke 1 31 through 33. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus and he will be great and will be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end." I think it's obvious that if God comes down to save man that he is a sufficient sacrifice, but that's shown out in Scripture, to make it clear, 1 Peter 1, 18 and 19, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers." What a great commentary on economics, right? That futile stuff you... you humans engage in. But with precious blood as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ. So the sufficiency of Christ and Christ's death as that payment. And then another thing necessary. He could have all those things but be unwilling. He was willing. 2 Corinthians 8-9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you, through his poverty, might become rich. So he was willing to come and do this by the will of the Father. Luke 22, 42, saying, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will, but your will be done. So he was willing to go forward with this. John 10, 18, let me preface this verse. I've said, who is responsible for the death of Christ? Some people say, oh, the Jews crucified Christ. Oh, the Gentiles crucified Christ. And I've said from this pulpit, no, we crucified Christ, right, through our sin. But here's another aspect to it, which is probably the more important aspect. It was our guilt that he came to pay for. But listen to this in terms of being willing. John 10, 18. No one has taken it from me, meaning his life. But I lay it down on my own initiative. I choose to do this. I have the authority to lay it down and I have the authority to take it up again. He was willing. He could have said no. This commandment I received from my Father. It was His purpose. " Mark 10, 45, "'For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.'" 1 Timothy 2, 5, "'For there is one God and one mediator also between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.'" He's the only one. First Timothy 2.6, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the prophesy. He gave himself as a ransom for all. Next category, the way, like where does this come from? How are we, what's our side of it? Well, we can't leave out God's God's choice and choosing, so God draws, and in John 6, verse 44, But what's our responsibility? Romans 10, verse 13, We've got to come, right? We've got to hear the news, we have to come. And 10, 14, how then will they call on him who they have not believed? How will they believe in him who they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? So the idea of this message of salvation needs to be spread. That's our job as we go out into the world. And of course, what are the results of this? Well, we talked about And some of these verses overlap, but of course, because they're dealing with the whole complete thought, we're picking out little bits and pieces. But how are we saved from this slavery to sin? Well, Romans 6, 5, for if we become united with him in the likeness of his death, so we're connected in that death when we, by faith, accept this, the sacrifice of Christ and believe on Christ I'll start over. Romans 6, 5, for if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. And now we're enslaved to God, going down in Romans 6, 22. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, why? He bought us. He purchased us. Enslaved to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, for the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ our Lord. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. " I'm sorry, that's John 8, 36. We're released from our sins, Revelation 1, 5. Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth, to him who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood, bought us. From every lawless deed we're delivered from, who gave himself for, so Titus 2, 14, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds. Delivered from his wrath, 1 Thessalonians 5, 9. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. We're freed from the curse of the law. Galatians 3, 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." So I hope that what you can see here is, to see all of this beautiful grand plan elaborated through Scripture, pulling out these wonderful bits of God's Word that just hone in on exactly the same thing. To do that with all the authors through thousands of years of God's Word and truth, have it all sync up with sin and the penalty and the need for a sacrifice and the need for the blood and Christ fulfilling that, fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies, just a marvelous thing to see laid out that way. And we've got more to do next week, but hopefully that's a benefit to just hear all those things just packed together tightly. It was for me. Our Father, we thank you for this time and hopefully see this majesty of this redemption that you've bought us with a price, and what that means for our everyday life, for our short time here on earth before we enter eternity with you, as long as we have trusted this sacrifice. We ask that you would be with us as we go, in Jesus' name, amen.