The Passover Sacrifice
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 NASB
Ransom – Yesterday we looked at the verb tense issues with John’s declaration. Hebrew isn’t Greek. Things might be different. But we still need to explore the idea of ransom, the Greek lytron and the related Hebrew kippur, g’l and pada’. Kippur essentially means something like “wash away.” This is important. The Hebraic idea of atonement is not about covering over something. It is about washing away something. What is washed away in atonement? The obstacle that prevents God’s presence in our lives, namely, the defilement caused by sin.
The second word associated with lytron is the Hebrew root g’l. We find this in Ruth as the kinsman redeemer, the go’el. This word conveys the idea of a family or bloodline obligation on behalf of one party for the release of the other party from some sort of bondage or debt. This is the exercise of the covenant founded on grace (hen) and hesed.
Finally, the word pada’ stresses the act of making payment in order to execute release but the focus is on the action, not the subject (the one making the payment).
John makes a Hebraic declaration. It is translated into Greek. What one of the three words does he have in mind? If he means kpr and its associated derivatives, then he is saying that the Son of Man acts as atonement for many. But John is not saying that the atoning act has yet to be accomplished (see yesterday’s discussion of verb tense). We find ample evidence that YHWH forgives, that His presence is not inhibited in the lives of people in times before the crucifixion. Defilement must have been removed in some way. But now the next step of the full act is at hand. Death will soon be defeated.
If John used g’l and its derivatives, then he is telling the audience that the covenant promise of release from bondage is coming. Once again, bondage to what? Hebrews 2:15 tells us that until the resurrection we were all in bondage to death. Could that not be what John has in mind?
Finally, pada’ stresses the action. Isn’t the action of the crucifixion the conclusion of YHWH’s ancient promise to deliver His people from the house of bondage, seen proleptically in the exodus from Egypt? Isn’t the Passover about living instead of dying?
John spoke Hebrew but you’re reading it in Greek. What did he really say?
Topical Index: ransom, lytron, Mark 10:45
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The Rest of the Story
I sure do hope there is a sequel to this story.
~ For Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. ~ Yes. Crucified. (Was He?) Buried- sealed inside the sepulchre. (Was He?) And… And.. And.. after three days- (Did He?)
Oh, and just to remind us all… Just as He said!
What is the only (right) response of King David, -when (Providentially) confronted by the prophet, Nathan?
~ Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.. ~ (Psalm 51.2)
and?
~ if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ~
~ Ask,- and you will receive.. ~
~ Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners, and eats with them. ~ (Amen to that!)
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, – Yeshua the Messiah came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost ~
This, is the gospel truth!
~ Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, aach of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.
~ For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him ~
Thank You for the cross, LORD
Thank You for the price you paid..
~ knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, – the blood of Christ.…
If John used g’l and its derivatives, then he is telling the audience that the covenant promise of release from bondage is coming. Once again, bondage to what? Hebrews 2:15 tells us that until the resurrection we were all in bondage to death. Could that not be what John has in mind?
My big aha moment at our Passover seder this year was to realize that 2000 yrs ago, on the very night Yeshua was betrayed, millions of fathers were sitting with their children telling the story of how God had made a promise to Abraham that He would come back after 400 years and take his people out of bondage while judging the nation they were held captive in. That same night Yeshua was telling His disciples He would come back for them. It’s taken more than 2 decades for that to dawn on me. Had I never sat at a Passover table and recited this story I probably would never have thought about that. It punctuated His faithfulness to His promises like never before.
The Lamb is Worthy
…~ When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the Book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth. ~ (Revelation 5.9)
As I read the parashat this morning, I found myself thinking about kippur (washing away) vs. covering (as atonement is so often defined in Christian speech).
Reading at Lev. 19:5 (NASB) “Now when you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.” For the first time I saw the accomplished fact of atonement in this verse. God was laying out the pathway to relationship with Him but the offer had to be contingent on knowing that your sin was washed away.
In the 4 verses preceding, God has defined His expectations: you will be set apart as I am set apart. How? Revere your parents, keep the sabbath, don’t worship anybody else and NOW when you make your peace offerings, I will accept them. This can only work if atonement is already in place, especially when you read the chapter before this where all the ways to be defiled are defined.
If atonement is the washing away of the obstacle that prevents God’s presence, how could they “draw near” without knowing their sacrifice would be accepted and that there was already a provision in place for atonement? Because if their sacrifice didn’t really bring them into relationship, it would sure smack of “bait and switch” — and I don’t see that anywhere in God’s character.