Title Matthew 20:28 The Grace of Atonement
Contents
Matthew 20:28 / Grace of Atonement
“The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In a village in Mexico, there was a kind-hearted girl who lived with her sick single mother. One day, a man came to me and said, “There are good herbs that cure this disease. If you get it, you can easily cure the disease.” The girl went deep into the mountains to find the medicinal herb that Myung Myung had drawn. The girl, exhausted from the cold and hunger, was resting under the tree. At that time, I looked at the cliff and saw the white flowers that Myeong-myeong mentioned. The girl hurriedly climbed the cliff and fell. “God, I need to heal my mother,” the girl cried and prayed. Then an angel appeared and handed him a bloody herb. At that moment, the girl's wounds healed as if washed away. And the white flowers of the cliff were dyed red with the girl's blood. That's the poinsettia whose leaves turn red in winter. A Christmas flower that celebrates the birth of baby Jesus. Jesus is like a white flower without any blemish. However, it became the red flower that was shed on the cross to atone for the sins of mankind.
“There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which will bear witness when the time comes” (1 Timothy 2:5, 6).
Whenever we think of the cross, we should stop complaining and complaining and give thanks. Because the cross was to atone for our sins. Jesus is God's ransom paid to save us. He gave for us a life that nothing else can replace.
“No one who trusts in his riches, and is proud of his abundance, will by no means redeem his brother, nor will he make a ransom for him to God” (Psalm 49:6-7).
One cold winter, a woman went to various places to find grapes. Because his only son, who was seriously ill, desperately wanted grapes. The woman saw the luscious grapes piled up on the wall of the palace and ejaculated to the manager. “Sell grapes for $100.” The janitor shook his head. The woman again offered 200 dollars. The caretaker burst out in anger and drove the woman out of the palace. The princess looked at the scene and called the weeping woman. “Woman, you have made a big mistake now. The owner of this grape is the king of this country. He is not a merchant. He doesn’t sell grapes, he just gives them.”
No one in this world is without sin. But Christians differ from the world in that they know that they are sinners and know how to honestly repent. Those who do not realize or admit their sins do not repent, so they will not be forgiven and will pay the price for their sins. However, there is the grace of forgiveness of sins to those who realize their sins and repent. We receive God's abundant grace by honestly confessing our sins before God and repenting. And this grace is a free gift only through the merits of Jesus Christ.
Moved by the perfection of His holy love, God gave Himself as a ransom for sinners in Christ. This is the essence of the cross of Christ. This now leads us from the event to the outcome of the event. That is, it leads from what happened on the cross to the result it achieved. Why did God take our sins on our behalf? What has God accomplished by giving Himself as a ransom through self-sacrifice?
The New Testament provides three main answers to these questions, which can be summarized as 'salvation', 'revelation', and 'conquest'. What God has accomplished in Christ through the cross has saved us and conquered evil. For God and us, the magnitude of the change brought about by the cross is very important, especially in his dealings with us and in our relationship with him. When Christ died and rose from the dead, indeed a new day has dawned and a new age has begun.
If God did not die for us in Christ, there could be no reconciliation, no redemption, no justification, no reconciliation. Life that began in the Old Testament becomes more sophisticated and enriched in the New Testament, especially through direct connection to Christ and his cross.
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave up His equality with God and all the glory and glory of the kingdom of God to save us from the darkness of sin, death, and destruction, and even gave His precious life as a ransom sacrifice on the cross. As children of God who were redeemed by the blood of the Lord and citizens of heaven, I hope that we will all become channels of the Lord's love, who is the light that illuminates the darkness and darkness of our lives.
* Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive us for our foolishness in living without realizing grace through grace. Realizing the grace that He has given to our nation, the grace He has given us through reality, God’s great economy that He has given to me, or knowing how great the grace given to me personally shared with me, I am always grateful and moved with praise and victory. I can do it and live an honest life in grace. May we praise the Lord who redeemed us. I pray in Jesus name, amen