We have heard about it before.
"The Good News"
The Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus.
Especially around Easter time, we hear the amazing story of Jesus Christ suffering and coming back from death to redeem us.
That is nothing new, even if it is not Easter time.
But, at Christmastime, it is good to be reminded of what it is about.
These blog posts are to think about things in a little different way.
Recently, it was heard that Jesus did not die for humans because they needed redeeming, but because they are worth redeeming.
This sounded like an interesting topic to write about.
There are varying answers, but this post asserts it is a little of both.
So, I decided to sit down and think about this, based on Scripture.
Although, after sitting down and contemplating it, the list of why humans are worth redeeming is, no doubt, longer than the list of why humans need redeeming.
Why Humans Need Redeeming:
1. All humans sin
Romans 3:23 reads,
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"2. God sent Prophets guide humans
People sometimes think of Prophets as people who will tell them what will happen, but they are messengers God sent to bring humans back to him.
They are not so much fortune tellers, but people who warn of the consequences of their actions, in relation to God.
Why Humans Are Worth redeeming:
1. Original sin
It is a common belief in Christianity that humans are born with the tendency to sin because of the Fall in the Garden Of Eden.
2. Jesus said he chose you
The Gospel of John 15:16 reads,
"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit,"3. You are worth more than the sparrows
As an example of your worth, God used an example.
Matthew 10:31 reads,
"So do not fear' you are more valuable than many sparrows."4. Covenants
God made Covenants - or agreements - with his people. Some had obligations on the part of the people, and some didn't.
A Covenant implies that a person cares about who he is making a Covenant with. Otherwise you wouldn't go to the trouble.
More about the Covenants can be found here.
5. God looks at things differently
Your worth to God is not based on achievement, per se. God views things based on what he created and how it fits into his plan for you, as explained in this post.
6. God knows your abilities, since he created you
This goes back to number 3 and number 5 above. Some people might think they are a "let down" to God. This is how the human mind thinks.
But, be careful. God's way of thinking is different. Remember Isaiah 55:9, which reads,
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."7. You were made in the image of God
Part of Genesis 1:26 reads,
"Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;"So, hopefully this makes you feel a little better about yourself.
The prevailing way of looking at things seems to be that Jesus died because people need redeeming. In this line of thought redemption was necessary to make up for the Fall of Man in the Garden Of Eden.
However, there is another way of looking at it.
Actually in the theology of Eastern Orthodox Catholics Jesus would have come to earth, even if Adam didn't sin and separate man from God.
Sometimes, this might be good to hear;
Jesus died for you because you were worth redeeming, and not just because you needed redeeming.
And, perhaps, we don't need to know the reason for it. Just have faith in Scripture, such as in the famous John 3:16-17,
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."Happy Holiday Season
