HOW JEHOVAH PROVIDED THE RANSOM

Since a perfect human life was lost, no  imperfect human life could ever buy it back. (Psalm 49:7, 8) What was needed was a ransom equal in value to what was lost. This is in harmony with the principle of perfect justice found in God's Word, which says: "Soul will be for soul." (Deuteronomy 19:21)   So, what would cover the value of the perfect human soul, or life, that Adam lost?  Another perfect  human life was the "corresponding  ransom" that was required. -1 Timothy 2:6.

How did Jehovah provide the ransom? He sent one of his perfect spirit sons  to the earth. But Jehovah did not send just any spirit being. He sent the one most precious to him, his only begotten Son. (1 John  4:9, 10) Willingly, this Son left his heavenly home.  (Philippians 2:7)  As we learned  in the preceding chapter of this book, Jehovah performed a miracle  when he transferred the life of this  Son to the womb of Mary. By means of God's holy spirit,Jesus was born as a perfect human and was not under the penalty of Sin. -Luke 1:35. 

 How could one man serve as a ransom for  many, in fact, millions of humans?  Well, how did humans numbering into the millions come to be sinners inteh first place?  Recall that by sinning, Adam lost the precious possession of perfect human life.  Hence, he could not pass on only sin and death.  Jesus, whom the Bible calls "the last Adam," had a perfect human life, and he never sinned. (1 Corinthians 15:45)  In  a sense, Jesus stepped  into Adam's place in order to save us. By sacrificing, or giving up, his perfect life in flawless obedience to God, Jesus paid the price for Adam's sin.  Jesus thus brought hope to Adam's offspring. -Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22.

The Bible describes in detail the suffering that Jesus endured before his death.  He experienced  harsh whipping, cruel impalement,and an agonizing death on a torture stake.  (John 19:1, 16-18, 30) Whey was it necessary for Jesus to suffer so much? In a later chapter of this book, we will see that Satan has questioned whether Jehovah has any human servants who  would remain faithful under trial.  By enduring faithfully in spite of great suffering, Jesus gave the best possible  answer to Satan's challenge. Jesus proved that a perfect man possessing free will could keep perfect integrity to God no matter what the Devil did.  Jehovah must have rejoiced greatly over the faithfulness of his dear Son! -Proverbs 27:11. 

How was the ransom paid?  On the 14th day of the Jewish month Nissan in 33 C.E.,God allowed his perfect and sinless Son to be executed. Jesus then sacrificed his perfect human life "once for all time."  (Hebrews 10:10)  On the third day after Jesus died, Jehovah raised him back to spirit life.  In heaven,  Jesus presented to God the value of his perfect human life  sacrificed as a ransom in exchange for Adam's offspring.  (Hebrews 9:24)  Jehovah accepted the value of Jesus' sacrifice as the ransom needed to deliver mankind from slavery to  sin and death. -Romans 3:23, 24.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
Next time: WHAT THE RANSOM CAN MEAN FOR YOU

From the Book:What Does the Bible Really Teach? 2005 and 2006