What Does the Ransom Teach Us?

1. How do we benefit from attending the annual Memorial of Christ’s death?

SURELY you agree that the ransom is a priceless gift! (2 Cor. 9:15) Because Jesus sacrificed his human life, you can have a close friendship with Jehovah God. You can also have the prospect of everlasting life. How fitting it is that we show gratitude for the ransom and for Jehovah, who was moved by love to provide it! (Rom. 5:8) To help us remain grateful and never take the ransom for granted, Jesus instituted the annual Memorial of his death.​—Luke 22:19, 20.

2. What will be discussed in this article?

² This year, the Memorial will be observed on Saturday, April 12, 2025. No doubt all of us are planning to attend. We will benefit greatly if we take time during the Memorial season to meditatea on what Jehovah and his Son have done for us. In this article, we will discuss what the ransom teaches us about Jehovah and his Son. In the following article, we will be helped to understand how we can benefit from that ransom and how we can show our gratitude for it.

WHAT THE RANSOM TEACHES US ABOUT JEHOVAH

3. How could the death of one man lead to the redemption of millions of people? (See also picture.)

³ The ransom teaches us about Jehovah’s justice. (Deut. 32:4) How so? Consider: From disobedient Adam, we inherited sin that leads to death. (Rom. 5:12) To set us free from sin and death, Jehovah arranged for Jesus to provide the ransom. But how could the sacrifice of one perfect human redeem millions of people? The apostle Paul explains: “Just as through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one person [Jesus] many will be made righteous.” (Rom. 5:19; 1 Tim. 2:6) In other words, it took one disobedient perfect man to cause us to become enslaved to sin and death. Therefore, it took one obedient perfect man to set us free.

4. Why did Jehovah not simply allow righthearted members of Adam’s offspring to live forever?

⁴ Did Jesus really have to die in order to save us? Couldn’t Jehovah have simply decided to allow righthearted members of Adam’s offspring to live forever? To imperfect humans, that would seem to be the kind and reasonable thing to do. But it does not take into account Jehovah’s perfect justice. Because Jehovah is just, he would never choose to ignore Adam’s glaring act of disobedience.

5. Why can we be sure that Jehovah will always do what is right?

⁵ What, though, if Jehovah had not provided a ransom but had set justice aside by allowing Adam’s imperfect sons and daughters to live forever? People would likely wonder if God might disregard justice in other matters as well. For example, might he fail to keep some of his promises? We need not worry about such a possibility. The fact that Jehovah carried out justice even at great cost to himself​—sacrificing his own dear Son—​assures us that he will always do what is right.

6. What is one way that the ransom reveals Jehovah’s love? (1 John 4:9, 10)

⁶ While the ransom helps us to understand that Jehovah is just, it especially helps us to grasp the depth of his love. (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, 10.) The teaching of the ransom reveals that Jehovah wants us not only to have endless life but also to be part of his family. Consider: When Adam sinned, Jehovah expelled him from His family of worshippers. As a result, all of us have been born outside of God’s family. But on the basis of the ransom, Jehovah forgives our sins and will eventually bring into his family all mankind who exercise faith and who are obedient. Even now we can have a warm relationship with Jehovah and with our fellow worshippers. Truly, we are recipients of Jehovah’s tender love!​—Rom. 5:10, 11.

7. How does Jesus’ suffering help us understand how much Jehovah loves us?

⁷ We can better understand how much Jehovah loves us if we consider what the ransom cost him. Satan claims that no servant of God will remain loyal to Him when it is hard to do so. To refute that charge, Jehovah allowed Jesus to suffer before he died. (Job 2:1-5; 1 Pet. 2:21) As Jehovah looked on, Jesus was mocked by religious opposers, whipped raw by soldiers, and nailed to a stake. Then Jehovah watched as his dear Son was left to suffer a painful death. (Matt. 27:28-31, 39) Jehovah had the power to stop the process at any given point. For example, when opposers said: “Let [God] now rescue him if He wants him,” Jehovah could have done just that. (Matt. 27:42, 43) However, if God had stepped in, no ransom would have been paid and we would have been left without hope. So Jehovah permitted his Son to endure suffering until he drew his last breath.

8. Did Jehovah feel pain when he saw his Son suffer? Explain. (See also picture.)

⁸ Let us not think that because God is almighty, he does not have feelings! We are made in his image, created with the ability to feel, so it stands to reason that Jehovah has feelings. The Bible describes him as feeling “hurt” and “grieved.” (Ps. 78:40, 41) Consider, too, the experience of Abraham and Isaac. You will recall that Abraham was commanded to offer up his only son in sacrifice. (Gen. 22:9-12; Heb. 11:17-19) We can only imagine the range of emotions Abraham felt as he prepared to end Isaac’s life with a quick stroke of a knife. How much more grieved Jehovah must have felt as he observed his Son being cruelly tortured to death by ungodly men!​—See on jw.org the video Imitate Their Faith​—Abraham, Part 2.

9. What does Romans 8:32, 38, 39 help you to understand about the depth of Jehovah’s love for you and your fellow worshippers?

⁹ The ransom teaches us that no one loves us as much as Jehovah does​—not even our dearest relative or best friend. (Read Romans 8:32, 38, 39.) No doubt Jehovah loves us more than we love ourselves. Do you want to live forever? Not as much as Jehovah wants you to. Do you want to have your sins forgiven? Not as much as Jehovah wants to forgive them. All he asks is that we accept his gracious gift by exercising faith and being obedient. The ransom is truly a profound expression of God’s love. And in the new world, we will learn even more about Jehovah’s love.​—Eccl. 3:11.

WHAT THE RANSOM TEACHES US ABOUT JESUS

10. (a) What especially grieved Jesus about his execution? (b) In what ways did Jesus vindicate Jehovah’s name? (See also the box “Jesus’ Integrity Vindicated Jehovah’s Name.”)

¹⁰ Jesus cares deeply about his Father’s reputation. (John 14:31) Jesus was grieved that his being charged with blasphemy and sedition could bring reproach on his Father’s name. That is why he prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me.” (Matt. 26:39) By keeping his integrity to Jehovah until death, Jesus ultimately vindicated the name of his Father.

11. How did Jesus show deep love for people? (John 13:1)

¹¹ The ransom also teaches us that Jesus cares deeply for people, especially for his disciples. (Prov. 8:31; read John 13:1.) For example, Jesus knew that some aspects of his earthly ministry would be very challenging, in particular his painful death. Yet, in carrying out his assignment on earth, he did not simply go through the motions. Instead, Jesus put his whole heart into preaching, teaching, and ministering to others. Even on the day of his death, Jesus took time to wash the feet of his apostles and give them many parting words of comfort and instruction. (John 13:12-15) Then while he was on the stake, Jesus took a few moments to give hope to a dying criminal and to arrange for his own mother’s care. (Luke 23:42, 43; John 19:26, 27) Thus Jesus’ deep love was expressed not only through his death but also through his entire life course on earth.

12. In what sense is Jesus continuing to make sacrifices in our behalf?

¹² While Christ died “once for all time,” he is still making sacrifices for us. (Rom. 6:10) How so? He continues to expend time and effort as he puts the ransom benefits to work in our behalf. Consider what he is busy doing. He serves as our King, High Priest, and head of the congregation. (1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 5:23; Heb. 2:17) He is in charge of the work of gathering the anointed and the great crowd, a task that will be completed before the great tribulation ends.b (Matt. 25:32; Mark 13:27) He also sees to it that his faithful servants are well-fed spiritually during these last days. (Matt. 24:45) And throughout his Millennial Reign, he will continue to serve our interests. Jehovah truly gave his Son for us!

NEVER STOP LEARNING

13. How can meditation help you keep learning about the love that God and Christ have for us?

¹³ You can keep learning about the love that Jehovah God and Christ Jesus have for us if you continue to meditate on it. Perhaps during this year’s Memorial season, you can carefully read one or more of the Gospels. Do not try to cover too much material at one time. Instead, slow down and look for additional reasons why we should love Jehovah and Jesus. And by all means, share what you learn with others.

14. In harmony with Psalm 119:97 and footnote, how can research help us keep learning about the ransom as well as other teachings? (See also picture.)

¹⁴ If you have been in the truth for many years, you might wonder if it is possible to discover new insights on such familiar subjects as God’s justice, his love, and the ransom. The truth is that there is no end to what we can learn about these and other topics. So, what can you do? Take full advantage of the wealth of information that can be found in our publications. When you find a passage that you do not fully understand, do research. Then throughout the day, meditate on what you have discovered and what it tells you about Jehovah, his Son, and their love for you.​—Read Psalm 119:97 and footnote.

15. Why should we keep seeking Bible gems?

¹⁵ Do not be discouraged if you do not find something new or exciting every time you sit down to read or to do research. In a sense, you are like a person who pans for gold. Patiently, prospectors spend hours or days before finding even the smallest nugget of gold. Yet, they persist because every bit of gold is valuable to them. Of how much greater value is every gem of Bible truth! (Ps. 119:127; Prov. 8:10) So be patient and stick to your Bible reading schedule.​—Ps. 1:2.

16. How may we imitate Jehovah and Jesus?

¹⁶ As you study, look for ways to put what you learn into practice. For example, imitate Jehovah’s justice by treating others impartially. Imitate Jesus’ love for his Father and for others by being willing to suffer for Jehovah’s name and by expending yourself in behalf of your fellow Christians. Also, imitate Jesus by witnessing to others so that they too have the opportunity to accept Jehovah’s priceless gift.

17. What will we consider in the next article?

¹⁷ The more we understand and appreciate the ransom, the more we will love Jehovah and his Son. In turn, they will respond with increased love for us. (John 14:21; Jas. 4:8) So let us use Jehovah’s provisions to keep learning about the ransom. The following article will consider some ways that we can benefit from the ransom and that we can respond appreciatively to Jehovah’s love.