Release From Death

"Look! I Am Making All Things New"

From ancient times, God's prophets have expressed their confidence, not in man's immortality, but in the hope that God would "recover them" from death. (Hosea 13:14) But how could man be released from the bonds of death? Jehovah's perfect justice required 'soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' (Deuteronomy 19:21) Hence, since Adam brought inherited death to all mankind by willfully disobeying God and so losing perfection of human life, another perfect human had to substitute for Adam in paying over his perfect life, to buy back what Adam had lost.

The just principle of paying 'like for like' has been widely accepted throughout history. The expression commonly used is "paying a ransom." What is a ransom? It is "a price paid to recover a person or thing from one who detains that person or thing in captivity. Hence prisoners of war or slaves are said to be ransomed when they are liberated in exchange for a valuable consideration. . . . Whatever is substituted or exchanged in compensation for the party is his ransom."* Since Adam's sin, all mankind have been like prisoners of war or slaves, bound by imperfection and death. To release them, a ransom had to be provided. To avoid any controversy now or later as to the fairness of the ransom price, it would be necessary to sacrifice one perfect human life, that is, the exact equivalent of Adam.

	Jesus was equal to the perfect man Adam

However, where could such a perfect human life be found? All men, as descendants of the imperfect Adam, have been born imperfect. "Not one of them can by any means redeem even a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him." (Psalm 49:7) In answering the need, Jehovah, motivated by his deep love for mankind, actually provided his precious "firstborn" Son to become the necessary sacrifice. He transferred the perfect life of this spirit Son, the Word, to the womb of a Jewish virgin, Mary. The young woman conceived and in due course brought to birth a son, who was named "Jesus." (Matthew 1:18-25) The Creator of life would logically be able to perform such a marvelous miracle.

Jesus grew to manhood, presented himself to Jehovah, and was baptized. God then commissioned him to do His will. (Matthew 3:13, 16, 17) Since Jesus' earthly life came from heaven and he was perfect, he could sacrifice that perfect human life, using it to release mankind from death. (Romans 6:23; 5:18, 19) As he said: "I have come that they might have life and might have it in abundance." "No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends." (John 10:10; 15:13) When Satan had Jesus killed on a torture stake, Jesus submitted to this cruel death, knowing that humans exercising faith would gain life through this ransom provision.—Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6.

* Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, by J. McClintock and J. Strong, Volume 8, page 908.