Adult Teacher January – June, 2024

 

Sunday January 14, 2024

 

UNIT 1: Redemption

 

LESSON 2

REDEMPTION BY CHRIST

 

MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 20:28

The Son of man came not to be ministered unto… to give his life a ransom for many. (KJV).

 

Central Truth

Jesus Christ came to redeem us from sin.

 

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 

1. Acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Redeemer and live in the salvation He provides.

 

2. Accept the fact that Christ paid the eternal price for our freedom and that He stands as our Mediator.

 

3. Understand and enjoy the privilege of Justification and the Inheritance believers have in Christ.

The Lesson Outline

*1. Redemption by Christ Foretold

A. By Simeon – Luke 2:27-32

 

B. By Anna – Luke 2:36-38

 

2. Christ the Redeemer

A. The Ransom

*Mark 10:45; Luke 24:21, 25-27*

B. The Mediator – 1 Timothy 2:5, 6

 

3. Redemption Accomplished by Christ

A. Provides Justification – Romans 3:22-26

B. Provides an Eternal Inheritance

Hebrews 9:11-15

 

Introducing the Lesson

The promise of redemption goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden when God told Eve that one of her descendants would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:9-15).

 

The prophet Isaiah told how the Lord would raise up a Suffering Servant: “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, KJV).

 

For hundreds of years, the Israelites longed for the Messiah to come and deliver them from their oppressors. He would redeem Israel and bring about a new age when they would no longer feel the sting of oppression.

 

But when Jesus came, the Jewish people failed to see Him as the One who fulfilled the Bible passages about the Messiah.

 

They failed to see that God would deal with redemption from the bondage of sin before He would set them free from political oppression. Instead of a conquering king, Jesus Christ came as a suffering Saviour.

 

In this week’s lesson, we will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the promised Redeemer. He came to redeem us from sin. Redemption brings freedom in a dynamic way -through the transformation of spirit and mind.

 

*THE HOLY SCRIPTURES*

*Luke 2:36.* “`And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

 

37. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

 

38. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

 

 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

 

*Luke 24:21.* But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

 

25. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

 

26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

 

27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

 

*1 Timothy 2:5.* For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

 

6. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

*Romans 3:23.* For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

 

*Commentary and Application

*1. Redemption by Christ Foretold*

*A. By Simeon* – Luke 2:27-32*

It had been more than 400 years since the last prophet of Israel ministered. Israel was under Roman occupation. The desire of the Jewish people to see their Deliverer grew with each year. It was into this setting Jesus was born.

 

After Jesus’ birth, Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Joseph, her husband, went to the temple with their newborn child. There, they dedicated Jesus to fulfil the Law of Moses about the dedication of children.

 

At this point of the narrative, Simeon is introduced as a just and devout man who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25). He approached Mary, took Jesus in his arms, and gave praise to God (verses 27, 28).

 

The Lord had promised Simeon he would not die until he saw the Lord’s (Christ) Anointed. We can assume Simeon was quite old at this time, for he stated he could now die in peace because the Lord’s promise to him was fulfilled – he had seen the Lord’s salvation (verses 29, 30).

 

He recognised Jesus was the One who would bring about the redemption God had promised in His Word. Through Jesus, all people, both Jews and Gentiles, would experience the glory of God (verses 31, 32). The time for salvation had appeared after so many years of silence and frustration. Simeon knew he held the redemption of God’s people in his arms.

 

The praise of Simeon came as a result of years of waiting. His joy must have been boundless as he looked into the face of Jesus. Just as the angels had been and John the Baptist would be, Simeon stood as a herald to foretell the greatness of the Lord. God had kept His promise to provide redemption for all people.

 

We are able to embrace this great redemption as well, for the salvation of the Lord reaches to all people. Simeon’s voice, recorded in Scripture, still calls people to come and see the salvation of the Lord. Like Simeon, we can praise God for the salvation that is available through Jesus.

 

*B. By Anna – Luke 2:36-38*

Simeon was not the only one to see Jesus at the temple on the day of His dedication. There was a woman named Anna who also recognised Jesus as the One who would bring about the redemption foretold in God’s Word.

 

Anna is described as a prophetess who was always at the temple worshipping the Lord and seeking His face through fasting and prayer (Luke 2:36, 37). She had been married for 7 years, but on the death of her husband, she devoted the rest of her life completely to the service of God. At age 84, she saw Mary and Joseph with the Baby Jesus and knew He was the Messiah.

 

She approached them and was filled with thanksgiving to God for the Child and the redemption He would bring to Jerusalem (verse 38). Because of her devotion to God, she too saw the salvation of Israel.

 

Anna knew Jesus would one day save His people from their sins.

 

We too can give thanks for all that Christ has accomplished and will accomplish in our lives and the lives of others. Redemption is available to all people, for through Christ everyone who believes in Him can find the freedom foretold by God in His Word.

 

Anna spoke about Jesus to all who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem (verse 38).

 

Question for Application

What are some ways we can let others know about the redemption available through Christ?

 

One way to get out the good news about Jesus is by inviting people to attend church. A sincere invitation coupled with the witness of a life that is lived in dedication to God can powerfully influence the unsaved.

 

2. Christ, the Redeemer – A. The Ransom*

*Mark 10:45; Luke 24:21, 25-27*

An incident occurred during the ministry of Jesus in which two of the apostles, James and John, sought positions of honour with Him when He entered His glory (Mark 10:35- 45). Jesus used this event to inform His followers He had not come as a leader to be served by others.

 

Rather, the Son of Man, a messianic term Jesus often used of Himself (used 93 times in the Book of Ezekiel), had come to be a servant who would give His life “a ransom for many” (verse 45).

 

Questions for Application

What is the purpose of a ransom?

In New Testament times, slaves could find freedom by working off their debt or by having someone else pay the price for their freedom. This amount would be the ransom paid to set them free.

 

For those held captive in sin, Jesus stated His death on the cross would be that ransom. His life would be forfeited so sinful people might find freedom from the captivity of sin and experience the life that God desires for them.

 

Redemption comes only when we trust in Christ, the Redeemer. Freedom from sin cannot be gained through human means, if this were not the case, Christ would not have come to give His life as a ransom. Indeed, if righteousness could be obtained by human effort, such as keeping the Law, then Christ died in vain (see Galatians 2:16 21).

 

Despite Jesus’ efforts to teach the disciples about His purpose for coming, they did not grasp that Jesus had to die to pay the ransom for humanity’s sin.

 

This is seen by their actions after the Crucifixion. Luke gave an account that highlights the reaction of Jesus’ followers to His death on the cross.

 

On the road to Emmaus, a small town about 7 miles from Jerusalem, two disciples walked and wondered what would happen to them since Christ was dead (Luke 24:13-27). Another man joined them on their journey who seemed intrigued by their concern.

 

This other man was later revealed to be Jesus, who had risen from the dead. They had hoped that Jesus was going to redeem Israel, perhaps freeing them from Roman oppression, but now their hope was gone (verse 21).

 

Jesus challenged the weak faith of these two men, noting the prophets had referred to the suffering of the Messiah that would happen before His glorification (verses 25, 26). Jesus then stirred their troubled hearts by explaining from the Scriptures the true nature of the Messiah’s mission (verse 27).

 

Questions for Application

How does knowing that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah help you to believe in Him as the Redeemer?

 

By believing that Jesus is who He claimed to be the Christ who came to give His life as a ransom for many we are redeemed by faith in Him. When we observe in the Bible how Jesus fulfilled so many prophecies by His crucifixion and resurrection, this faith is strengthened. May we not be “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” concerning how Christ redeemed us by His sufferings.

 

*B. The Mediator* – 1 Timothy 2:5, 6*

The statement found in Deuteronomy 6:4, 5 is a basic tenet of the Jewish faith: There is only one God and we are to devote our love and lives to Him. Paul affirmed that this truth is also a basic tenet of the Christian faith in a letter to Timothy. Paul explained that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between the one true God and people (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus fills this role because He freely gave Himself as the ransom for all people (verse 6).

 

Questions for Application

If Jesus is the only Mediator between God and people, what responsibility do those who believe in Jesus have toward those who do not believe in Him?

 

God’s will is that each person accepts salvation through the knowledge of His Son, Jesus, the only Mediator between God and people. In a world that has proposed many false alternatives to reaching God other than through Jesus, we have been given the responsibility of reaching everyone with the gospel.

 

3. Redemption Accomplished by Christ

A. Provides Justificationn

Romans 3:22-26

Paul discussed at length the redemptive work of Christ in his letter to the church at Rome. He noted that righteousness – being in right relationship to God comes only through faith in Christ (verse 22).

 

This is vital since there is no one alive without sin; no one is able to live up to God’s standard (verse 23). Yet each person can be justified freely by God’s grace “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (verse 24). Being justified means being declared not guilty and restored to a right standing with God.

 

Question for Application

How did Christ’s death satisfy God’s justice?

 

God looks on Christ’s death as a propitiation an atoning sacrifice that reconciles people to Him. Sin must be punished because of the nature of God’s justice, but His justice was satisfied because Christ shed His blood.

 

Through “faith in His blood” that is, through faith in the atoning death of Christ on the cross – a person is no longer found guilty in God’s sight (verse 25, 26).

Question For Application

Does it make a difference how we live since we are justified freely by God’s grace? Explain.

 

By God’s grace our faith in Christ and His atoning death on the cross brings us into right relationship with God.

 

This does not imply that we are not to walk daily in holiness, but that our human attempts at godliness will fail if not for Christ. Our trust in Him and His righteousness places us on a path that is unreachable on our own. He enables us to live holy lives through His Spirit.

 

B. Provides an Eternal Inheritance

Hebrews 9:11-15

Not only does the redemption accomplished by Christ provide justification to those who put their faith in Him, it also provides them an eternal inheritance. This truth is found in Hebrews 9:11-15.

 

The writer of Hebrews often used the term “better” to describe Christ’s work in relationship to Old Testament parallels.

 

Questions for Application

What made Christ’s sacrifice so much better than the Old Testament sacrifices?

 

In reference to Christ’s sacrifice, the writer of Hebrews compared Christ to the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies once every year. But Christ needed to enter only once for He entered the “greater and more perfect tabernacle” in heaven, not the one made by human hands (Hebrews 9:11).

 

Also, when Christ entered the holy place of God, it was not with animal blood, but with His own precious blood (verse 12). This provided eternal redemption, for His offering Himself to God provided a cleansing for sin once and for all. No annual repetition of the event is necessary.

 

Question for Application

If the Old Testament sacrificial system was inadequate, why did God ordain it for Israel?

 

The sacrifice of animals reminded the people of their sinfulness, but it could not give them power over their sin or take away guilt. It could provide ceremonial cleansing only (verse 13). Christ’s blood purges the conscience cleanses the minds and hearts of those who believe in Him – from sinful things that lead to death (verse 14).

 

His blood brings lasting peace to our conscience so we may be free from sin’s burden and spend our life serving God in gratitude.

 

The writer further stated that Christ has provided a new testament or covenant that provides believers with an eternal inheritance (verse 15). His death provided the ransom needed to set people free from sin. Nothing else could have provided what we needed to be saved. Nothing else can accomplish what was necessary to redeem us from sin.

 

Call to Discipleship

Redemption by Christ had been prophesied for centuries. Jesus Christ declared He came to give His life as a ransom for many in fulfilment of those prophecies.

 

He accomplished redemption by His sacrificial death on the cross, providing justification and an eternal inheritance.

 

We now stand in a place of decision. We can accept His finished work by faith and be redeemed, restored to a right relationship with God. Or we can choose to try to redeem ourselves – to try to earn our right standing with God through our own goodness and good works.

 

The second choice will result in disappointment and eternal loss. But by taking the first choice, we will find that God Himself will place us on the right road and will walk alongside us on the way.

 

Ministry in Action

The message of gospel is clear in the story of redemption. All people stand at a crossroad, lost without God. Christ came to bring people back to God through His death.

Christians are to testify to the unsaved about the saving power of Christ.