Christmas, as wonderful as the celebration can be, still signals the birth of Christ , who was born to die. There are plenty of New Testament verses, some from Jesus Himself, discussing His ultimate destiny on earth, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) is one of many verses on this topic. From the moment sin infiltrated earth, God implemented His plan to purchase our freedom and free all creation from the effects of sin. Which brings me to one of my favorite Psalms, Psalm 49.
"Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre." Verses 1-4 I find so interesting, check out the Psalmist exclamation points, illustrating the importance of the words to follow, and that this wisdom to follow is for everyone, with no exceptions.
Than in verse 4, the writer of this Psalm reveals his workflow, how he uses music to help him reason out the deep truths of God. (As a fellow musician I love this insight into how playing his musical instrument is essential to his thinking process). The Psalmist continues, "Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?" This is a profound statement about the worldview of this writer. Despite his lack of resources and influence, he places his trust and faith in his God, not in other men.
We move into deep waters with verse 7, "Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me." Look at the wisdom that God has given this writer in this Psalm. He understands that no person, riches or authority can rescue him from the effects of sin. We see from this passage the reason that Jesus had to come to die, He was the only one capable of granting us freedom, His sacrifice the only way that God's holiness could be granted to us as righteousness through Christ.
Sometimes when discussing my faith people will bring up the "penal substitution" view of the atonement. The conversation revolves around the proposed need for Jesus the Son, to take on the wrath of God the Father. That view is woefully inadequate and doesn't reflect a true Bibilical perspective. Lets be clear, Jesus taking on all of our sins and the wrath that was needed to atone for our souls is central to the Old and New Testament Bible. All scripture points to the fact that the living God - Father, Son, and Spirit are all offended by sin. It is not like they have unequal standards of holiness, all three of the Trinity are Holy and cannot abide sin. They are equally committed to the destruction of sin and just as committed to gain the freedom of not just humans, but all creation. Jesus chose to be the sacrifice, He didn't draw the shortest straw. He considered it an honor to humble Himself and to be obedient, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2) The pre-incarnate Jesus chose to take on flesh, be dishonored by His own creation, and go to His death for rebels who mocked Him as He died.
His humiliation was public, for all to witness. His return will also be public but this time creation will bow to His power and glory. Listen to what God the Father said about the sacrifice of Jesus, "God has highly exalted Him (Jesus) and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name." That is why there is only one way to heaven, one name, and that is only possible by accepting the love, sacrifice and lordship of Jesus Christ for your life. He is Lord, whether we choose to allow Him that position in our lives or not. God the Father, with full authority over all the universe, made Him both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36)
The Psalmist continues with an sober warning about putting our trust in the wrong things. "Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them." The Psalmist is clear, put your trust in God, who ransomed your soul and controls your eternity, not in people of influence and not in material things that will pass away. Remember, in the words of John Ortberg, "It all goes back in the box."
