The Ransom Price (from book "Days of Praise")

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

The thought that the death of Jesus and His shed blood were somehow the ransom price paid to redeem lost sinners from an eternal prison in hell has been a stumbling block to many of those very sinners. Yet that is the teaching of Scripture, whether it appeals to their reasonings or not. “Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold. . . . But with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). In the Old Testament economy, ransoms were paid for various reasons, such as freeing slaves. The last use of “ransom” in the Old Testament, however, seems to foreshadow the New Testament concept. “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death” (Hosea 13:14).

But to whom was the ransom of Christ to be paid? Not to the devil, of course, or to any human king. It can only have been paid to God Himself, for He had set “the wages of sin” to be “death” (Romans 6:23). For a time, these wages had been paid in part “by the blood of goats and calves” offered on the altar as a temporary covering for sins. But that was only until the true ransom could be paid. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who . . . offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).

Such a sacrifice was not foolishness as the scoffer claims, but “the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Praise God—the ransom has been paid and we have been redeemed! HMM

I have a slight disagreement: "For a time, these wages had been paid in part “by the blood of goats and calves” offered on the altar as a temporary covering for sins. But that was only until the true ransom could be paid. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who . . . offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)."

When the Israelites offered the sin offering, the atonement offering, it in particular satisfied nothing, as we shall see in the Bible passage to follow. BUT, the doing it exhibited faith in the Promise of God, the doing of the sacrifices was their faithing in the Promises of God. [When I write the verb form 'faithing' or 'faithe' I am reflecting this definition found in the OT exhibition of faith by doing that which connects to the true atonement.]

When I partake of the bread and wine at communion, I am exhibiting the faith that connects me to the Cross, not by the bread transformed somehow, but by my believing in the Promise of God that Christ Crucified is the only atonement that makes me righteous in God's sight. The blood of bullocks and lambs was not magically transformed into the blood of Christ, it pre-figured the perfect blood to be shed for their atonement.

Jesus actually told us this: Hebrews 10

1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Or else wouldn't they have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
5 Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, "Sacrifice and offering you didn't desire, but you prepared a body for me; You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.
7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.'"
8Previously saying, "Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn't desire, neither had pleasure in them" (those which are offered according to the law),then he has said, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Having sacrificed Himself the perfect atonement, Jesus is the atonement that the exhibitions of faith connected to with the offerings long ago. He is the same atonement to Whom we connect when we partake of the bread and wine in remembrance of His sacrifice for us.

And the Gospel of the New Covenant is ...

Hebrews 10:
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them: 'After those days,' says the Lord, 'I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;'" then he says, "I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more."

So, it is by faith, exhibited in the pre-Cross believers, pre-Cross Faithers, through the offerings of animals for atonement, connecting them to the Cross. And in this post-Cross time of the Church Age it is by partaking of the bread and wine that we connect through faith to the Sacrifice on the Cross. We do not eat the sacrifice or drink His blood; we do what we do in REMEBRANCE just as the Israelites connected by faith --their REMEMBRANCE pointing forward.

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