The ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ is a topic which has been relegated in recent times almost to the realms of insignificance. Few are shocked at the notion that an innocent man who is deemed to have been without sin or moral blemish, is reputed to have been offered up as some kind of sacrifice in return for all of humanity's sins; as preposterous as this notion may sound, many people do not seem to have a problem with it.
Those who believe that Jesus died "for [their] sins" seem to have no difficulty with the notion that this apparently unfair trade was made in their behalves, and those who do not believe it, either disdain the notion that such a trade would be possible at all, or in the case of non-believers with a strong sense of morality, find it profoundly abhorrent. But what is the ransom and why was it considered necessary?
When you question mainstream Christian believers you will mostly find a lot of misinformation about the actual Biblical teachings surrounding the ransom. I would like to explain my understanding of it in the course of these postings, without claiming any kind of institutional authority from any church or religious movement. This understanding comes from Bible study and from thinking about the questions a lot, and from prayerfully submitting my conclusions to God.
'...want so lief het God die wereld gehad , dat Hy sy enigste Seun gestuur het (om vir ons sondes te sterf) ...'
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