Jesus Looking at His Own Cross

A Walk with Paul (2)

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Ephesians 1:7

1 Cor. 6:20

 

We are walking with Paul and finding some of the metaphors he used in his writings to describe the Cross and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

2nd Metaphor: The Prisoner of War (Ephesians 1:7)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins….”

The Greek word for redemption is apolutrosis; the word has four parts:

Apo: from

Lu: to set free

Tro: by agency of someone

Sis: an action

“Set free from something by agency of someone through some action.”

 

Someone (Christ) is going to free us from something (sin) through some action (the cross and resurrection). 

 

Paul wrote his letter in Greek. His words are chosen from the Greek culture of the day. During a war sometimes a general was captured by the enemy. The negotiators quickly started to work on releasing this general from prison. These negotiations included giving up some territory, money, or an exchange of prisoners. At the end when the general was released, this process was called apolutrosis; he was redeemed, freed after long negotiations.

 

This is a great picture for us to think about: God made His “negotiations” by coming to this earth, becoming like us and going to the cross so that we are redeemed from sin and death.

How can I pay back to God? I cannot. None of us can pay back. The price is too high. That is why God, “the judge”, came down from his throne and became like us (incarnation) so that he will have the gift of salvation.

In Him we have REDEMPTION.

 

 

3rd Metaphor: Setting the Slave Free (1 Corn 6:20)

“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor (glorify) God with your body”

 

This time the metaphor is from slavery. There were 60 million slaves in the Roman Empire in those days. Slaves had an opportunity to be freed. Sometimes they were paid for extra work. They had to save money, penny by penny. There were no banks those days; therefore they took the money to the priest in the temple. The idea was that they would collect money with the priest of a certain god in the temple.  One day when the sum of money was enough the slave could be bought back from him master and become the slave of that god. On that day, the slave would receive a letter from the priest that he was owned by the god and he could live as a free man in society. That slave would leave the temple free but filled with adoration and special love towards that god who became his “savior”.

Paul uses the same imagery. Christians are bought at a price. The price of being free from sin cannot be paid by our pennies, or efforts; it was paid by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The verse end saying: therefore glorify, honor God in your lives.

 

The question that we can ask, do we glorify God in our lives?

Sevan teaches the piano for an interesting family who have six children five of whom learn the piano. The mother who home-schools her children, said to Sevan that she wants her children to learn the piano for the glory of God. She likes the kids to learn the piano so they can play the piano in the church worship services.

I think we should always ask this question.

Why do I work? Why do I earn money? Why did I get married? Why did I have kids?

Does every aspect of our lives glorify God?

 

4th Metaphor: Sacrificial Altar (1 Corn 5:7)

“…. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival….”

 

5th Metaphor: Battlefield (1 Corn 15:54-55)    

Death and sin are defeated. Battle of Evil and Good.

 

 

6th Metaphor: Wisdom of the Sage (1 Corn 1:17-2:2)

“….Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 

 

All these metaphors are written by Paul so we can identify with the images.

I have taken these ideas from my teacher Dr. Ken Bailey. He always finished his lessons asking us to see what all these information tell us personally.

 

We will finish the sermon by listening and watching form Handel’s Messiah

(26) “All we like sheep have gone astray”

 

So what? What does all these mean to me?

 

Please give a chance to God to free you this morning.

 

Amen