THE CHILDREN'S RANSOM

It is a good thing if children ask questions of their parents and of others who can help them about the great things of God. One of the instances of this in Scripture relates to the Passover. This feast recalled the time when God as a judge passed over the houses in Egypt that were under the shelter of the blood of a lamb as a ransom. Children in later years were expected to ask at the Passover "What is this?". The last part of the answer was "Every firstborn of my children I ransom". If you are an eldest child you should be especially thankful that One has taken your place in judgment. Actually the Lord Jesus gave his life a ransom needed by everybody, and known gratefully as such by those who believe in Him.

The wonderful fact of One taking, through love and mercy, the place of another in judgment is illustrated by the story of a young Roman. He had been a traitor to his country and his judges condemned him to die. As judgment was given, an elder brother who had been severely wounded in his country's wars stood up before the tribunal. He held up the stumps of his arms which had been cut off in battle and pleaded for his brother’s life. It was mercifully granted because what he pointed to was that which he himself had done and not, of course, anything that the younger brother could ever do. How thankful the young criminal must have been! It was when we were still sinners and without strength to do anything to help ourselves that Christ died for us, the ungodly ones, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities".

No doubt when young we think of our sins - the wrongs we have done, disobedience and selfishness - mainly because they have led us into trouble and given us a bad conscience. As we grow up, however, and learn more of the holiness of God we realise what an offence these have been to Him. We sometimes sing of the Lord Jesus in the words 'Blest Substitute from God, Wrath's awful cup He drained; Laid down His life, and e'en the tomb's reproach sustained'. The word 'substitute' is not a scriptural word but its meaning is plain. Jesus, the sinless One, knew more than any other ever could what sin really was in the light of divine holiness. Do you know Him as your Substitute?

J.C.Evershed