Introduction
Last week we looked at the belief that in Jesus God became a human. We continue this week with our thoughts about the article in the Apostle's Creed: "I believe in God's Son, Jesus Christ" by looking at what theologians call the atonement.
In everyday usage, the word "atonement" means the act of reconciling with another person - or group. In a religious sense, "atonement" normally means "at-one-ment." This is the state of being reconciled with God. In most religious thought, particularly in Jewish and Christian thought, being at one with God requires some form of sacrifice. The words "reconciliation" and "atonement" are used by various English Bible translations. Another word which could be used for atonement is "satisfaction." This was the preferred term used by many Protestant theologians during the Reformation. St Paul used many terms to refer to this process of "getting right with God" including atonement, expiation, justification, reconciliation, redemption, and salvation. These terms all refer to a process by which humans, which Paul viewed as hopelessly sinful and lost, can make contact with a just and loving God and be accepted by him.
The Fall
So if atonement means being reconciled to God, we first need to see what has separated us from God in the first place. Christianity uses the Adam and Eve stories in the book of Genesis to show how humanity first became estranged from God. Of course these stories were written to convey truth, but we should avoid the trap of seeing them as being literally true - they are metaphors, picture language to convey a deeper truth. In the creation story God made humanity with the terrible gift of free will. Adam and Eve used this gift to disobey God and were, as a result, cast out of paradise and made to suffer bodily death. God did not give up loving his creation, but he allowed them free will and with those choices come consequences.
This free will led to humanity choosing to disobey God. To disobey God is to sin and a gulf opened up between humanity and God. This gulf caused by sin at the prompting of the devil meant that death and sin came into the world.
God, however, did not abandon humanity but provided ways for humanity to come close to him again. The Jewish sacrificial system was designed to help humanity come close to God. The sacrifices offered in atonement for their sins were designed to bridge the gulf between sinful humanity and a perfect God. However, eventually, God decided to bridge the gulf permanently through the death of God's own self on the cross.
The Bible tells us that God was at work in the atonement "reconciling the world to himself" but doesn't tell us exactly how the atonement works. Various theories have been offered by the Church to try and explain this deep mystery. Some of us have been in churches which have told us exactly how it worked - the truth is, however, the Church has never been able to fully fathom this mystery. Each of the explanations offer some truth to us, but in the end all we can do is accept the love and forgiveness that is on offer and not worry too much about how it all works. If you read the devotionals this week you will read some of the other theories of the atonement. Today, however, we are going to look at the first theory ever taught by the church, and the one that is still taught by the Eastern Orthodox Churches. We see shades of this theory in many of the songs we sing.
The Ransom Theory
The Ransom Theory is the oldest of all the theories of how Jesus' death on the cross paid the price for our sins. In simple terms the idea is that through the death on the cross God paid Satan a ransom for humanity. This assumes that because of human sin Satan was in charge of this world. It is the theory that is taught by the Eastern Orthodox churches and was the one taught by the Early Church.
As a result of sin Satan acquired a sort of dominion over the world. In order to set people free from the grip of Satan, God offered His own self, in the form of Jesus, as a ransom to the devil. This would free humanity. The sacrifice of Jesus was not made to God because God was not holding humanity captive, Satan was.
Early Church thinkers assumed that Satan accepted the offer thinking that we would end up with ownership of Jesus as well as humanity, but he didn't realise that as a sinless human being Jesus would escape Satan's clutches and release humanity from bondage to sin and death. By raising Jesus from the death, death and Satan were denied their reward. Human beings, by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, will also cheat death and the consequences of sin.
Satan accepted the body of Jesus like a fish seeking a worm. However, just as the fish swallows the worm and the hook, so when Satan got Jesus he realised that he couldn't hold him. The ransom walked and Satan was defeated.
Some thinkers regard this theory as difficult as they say that in cheating Satan out of Jesus, God acted deceitfully. However, others think that Satan himself over-reached himself by trying to claim the life of one who is sinless.
C.S. Lewis showed this idea of the ransom theory when he wrote the Narnia stories. In the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the witch has captured one of the children who was a traitor to his friends. She claims his life, as she has been granted dominion over Narnia and is allowed to kill any who are traitors. However, her enemy, Aslan the Lion, offers his own life in exchange for the boy. The witch is delighted by this and agrees to take his life. When she kills him she, and all her followers are delirious with excitement and joy. However, there was an "older magic" which she had forgotten which meant that if she took the life of one who was not a traitor, then her power would end. Aslan is resurrected and goes on to free Narnia from the grip of evil.
Lewis uses children's fiction to explain this deep mystery. The devil overreached himself in attempting to claim Jesus. As a result the foundations of Hell cracked, the ransom he thought he had, did not do him any good, instead, humanity has been redeemed, purchased back for God.
The New Testament supports this theory more than the others that you can look at during the week. There are very few references to guilt and wrath and justice and satisfaction but many references to ransom and victory over death and destroying death forever for believers.
So What Does This Mean?
Having listened to all this theory, what does it mean for us now sitting here?
- Free from destructive patterns of behaviour
Because of Jesus' death on the cross are no longer in bondage to sin. We have been set free. This, however, requires us to do something! In the 12 Step Movement adherents recognise they are powerless to break their own addiction, but having asked God to set them free from that addiction, they recognise their responsibility to live as free people. We can be set free from destructive patterns of behaviour, from our addiction to things which are bad for us, but first we need to claim the freedom that is ours because of Jesus' death on the cross. We have to ask for the freedom that is available to us.
- Free from consequences of sin
The consequences of sin, of disobedience to God are multi faceted. Sin ruins our relationship with God and with each other. Jesus' death and resurrection means we are freed from the consequences of our sin. We need not fear for our eternal destiny now, as we have an assurance that we are forgiven. The forgiveness is ours, but we have to claim it. The ransom has been paid, the cell door is open, but we still have to walk through it!
- Free to live - now and hereafter
Sometimes Christians are characterised by what they don't do, rather than what we do. Yet Jesus died that we might have life. Life with God in eternity, but also fullness of life now. We don't need a pill or a bottle to be happy in life, we find meaning in our lives and in our relationship with God. This is because we have been freed.
Conclusion
The Atonement is the work of love. We will never understand it, but we can live it. We will never fully understand the mystery of God, nor the mystery of how we can come to be forgiven and made whole. We will never understand the ransom that was paid, nor Satan's ability to overreach himself and cheat himself from the prize. However, we can claim the freedom that is ours, we can choose to use our free will wisely, so as to give glory to God and to live as God intended. Will you pray with me?
Loving
God,
Thank you for the Cross,
For the ransom paid by Jesus so we could be free.
Help us to live as free people,
Set us free from all the sin and addiction which demeans us and drags us down,
Help us to claim that freedom and live as free people,
So that our people might believe.
Amen.
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.