NT Framework - It's Paid

Jeremy traces the claim that Jesus came to serve by paying a ransom, why only His life can cover a life debt, and how faith connects that payment to us. 

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and
our series on the New Testamentframework.
Today, a smaller, bite-sizedpiece from the larger lesson.
We hope you enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 (00:10):
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,
that's always so interestingbecause people say, Well, I
serve Jesus Christ.
Oh, I serve Jesus.
Guess what?
Jesus served you.
People are not comfortable withthat statement.
But that's exactly what it says,isn't it?
He did not come to be served byyou and to me.
He came to serve us.

(00:32):
Our creator came down here andserved us.
How did he do that?
It says to serve and to give hislife a ransom for many.
That word ransom is a word forpaying a price.
I mean, what do you do when youransom someone?
You usually have to pay somekind of price, some outlandish
price.
We'll take two million dollarsto release your son that we
kidnapped.
Or whatever.
It's a you've got to pay aprice.

(00:54):
And that's what he did.
He gave his life.
That's the payment.
He's the, by the way, he's theonly one who had life to make a
payment.
The rest of us are dead in ourtransgressions and sins.
What are you going to give?
You can't make the ransompayment.
I can't make the ransom payment.
All the people in the worldcan't make the ransom payment.
We're dead, and I mean, you'regoing to take somebody giving

(01:15):
you a dead body?
Is that a good payment?
That's nothing.
I mean, we need a lot, we needsomething that has life inherent
to it to be given on our behalfso he can pay our debt, our life
debt.
And that's what he did.
He paid our life debt.
And in exchange, when we believein him, guess what?
He gives us his life.
This is really good news.
That means we are in goodstanding with God.

(01:37):
Luke 168.
A couple pages to the right.
Luke 168.
Redemption, money, payment.
And then this one I'll make apoint that'll prepare us for
next week.
In Luke 168, this is Zacharias,John the Baptist's father, you

(02:00):
know, who he was told your wifeis with child, and he laughed.
Ha ha ha.
Whatever.
Okay, well, I guess I'll justshut you up for the rest of the
pregnancy.
And every woman said, Thank God.
So he doubted, and because ofthat, well, he couldn't speak
for a while.
And so when it's all said anddone, uh Zacharias uh was filled

(02:24):
with the Holy Spirit andprophesied, verse 68, Blessed be
the Lord God of Israel, for hehas visited us and accomplished
redemption for his people.
There it is again, redemption.
The one who would make thepayment for Israel's sin debt.
But here's the thing notice thepast tenses.
He has visited us, he hasaccomplished, but did you notice

(02:46):
this is a long time before thecross?
This is a long time before thecross, over 30 years before the
cross.
But see, it's a done deal inZacharias's eyes, right?
I mean, who's else gonna pay thesin penalty for the world?
Is Muhammad gonna do that?
Is Joseph Smith gonna do that?
No, these people are sinners.

(03:06):
They died, they're dead.
They're dead right now.
They rotted away centuries andcenturies ago.
Well, century and a half forJoseph Smith.
But anyway, um, Jesus Christdidn't rot.
He lives forevermore.
You're gonna believe in a deadguy?
Or you're gonna believe in a guythat lives forevermore?
Which one is this?
I mean, this is a logicalchoice.

(03:28):
It's not a complicated choice,it's a very easy choice.
But he says he has visited us,he has accomplished redemption
for his people.
Now, when he was on the cross,he he made the penalty in full.
The payment's been made, right?
Well, why isn't everybody savedthen?
If he already paid the penaltyfor everybody's sin, why isn't
everybody saved?

(03:49):
Because some people don't acceptthat he made the payment for
them.
They reject that he made thepayment for them.
They say, I'll do it myself.
I'll pay it myself.
Yeah, but you're a dead manwalking.
You don't have any life to give.
You can't make the payment.
Yeah, but I'm gonna try to do itmyself.
I got my good works.
Yeah, but all of our good worksare but filthy wreck.
Yeah, but God's not like that.

(04:10):
God's really just gonna weighit.
He's gonna say, Well, you gotthese good works, you got these
bad works, your good worksoutweigh your bad works,
therefore I let you in.
Did they ever pay the life debt?
No, there's just some goodworks.
What does that do?
That's what was required anyway.
Now you're telling me that'sgonna work?
What about all the bad works?
You saying God's gonnacompromise his justice?
That's not who God is.
See, it just doesn't work likethat.

(04:31):
People don't get to choose theway to salvation.
You know, God does.
He's the creator.
That's he did he said, you know,there's no other name under
heaven by which man may be savedin the name of Jesus Christ.
That's it.
That's only one name.
You can't choose the way.
Jesus said, I am the way, thetruth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father butby me.

(04:51):
People say, I don't like that.
Well, I mean, sorry.
I mean, you may not like it, butit doesn't really matter what
you like, it matters what'strue.
What's true is what matters.
Right?
So we gotta deal with what'struth.
I mean, truth is truth.
It doesn't change, otherwise, itwouldn't be true.
So it's viewing it as acompleted act 30 years before it

(05:12):
ever happened.
But to have that enjoyment ofredemption, a person has to
believe.
They have to accept it forthemselves as true.
Uh, 238, we might as well, it'sjust one chapter away, 238.
This is Anna the prophetess, whosaw him when they took him up to
the temple on, I guess it wasthe eighth day, I believe.

(05:33):
Um, verse 37, she is a widow tothe age of 84.
She never left the templeserving night and day with
fastings and prayers.
At the at that very moment, shecame up and she began giving
thanks to God when they've gotlittle baby Jesus there in the
temple, and Simeon was there.
And uh, she continued to speakof him to all those who were
looking for, there it is, theredemption of Jerusalem, which

(05:54):
Jerusalem is the capital ofIsrael, so this is just a
metaphor for the people ofIsrael.
Right?
They were apparently looking forthis, but by the end of the
Gospels, they're saying,crucify.
We have no king but Caesar.
So their sentiments didn'tcontinue 30 years later.

(06:14):
All right, so but redemption issinward, it focuses on the
payment due for our sin debt.
And uh, as I mentioned, the theproblem that we have with debt,
debt is a form of slavery,you're enslaved to the debtor,
uh, the lender.
And so, you know, because of theway that our world's economy is
working, which is on a debtsystem, and this concept that

(06:37):
you can just get out of it allby bankruptcy, filing
bankruptcy, then you know, itweakens our ability to
communicate the power of thecross and what Jesus was
actually doing.
He's actually had to pay thedebt.
God can't just forgive, okay?
He's not just gonna forgivepeople.
There had the payment has to bemade.

(06:58):
And what we're saying is JesusChrist made it.

SPEAKER_00 (07:01):
Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls
with Jeremy Thomas.
If you would like to see thevisuals that went along with
today's sermon, you can findthose on Rumble and on YouTube
under Spoke and Bible Church.
That is where Jeremy is thepastor and teacher.
We hope you found today's lessonproductive and useful in growing

(07:22):
closer to God and walking moreobediently with Him.
If you found this podcast to beuseful and helpful, then please
consider rating us in yourfavorite podcast app.
And until next time, we hope youhave a blessed and wonderful
day.