Let Him Pay!

 

Frankly one of Jesus’ great truths is the truth of cleansing and grace, for as Hebrews 2:17 notes: Jesus is a “…merciful and faithful high priest… [who makes] atonement for the sins of the people…”  (Hebrews 2:17). It's fascinating:  the word atonement means literally at-one-ment – or reconciliation.   You see regret and shame literally shatters life, scattering life into pieces.  But Jesus doesn’t want life scattered ‘into pieces’ – Jesus wants life atoned – reconciled – made whole.

A few years ago, I got scattered, as in scattered-brained.  It happened in the coat-check line at the National Prayer Breakfast; a long line, with at least 75 people.  Well after what ‘seemed forever,’ I finally I got to the front of the line, only to discover I didn’t have any cash; man was I embarrassed.  And so I tried to make amends:  ‘here take my credit card’ – ‘we don’t take credit cards’.  ‘Here take an IOU’ – ‘we don’t do IOU’s.’  ‘Well then here: take my triple A super plus, premium auto club card -- you can get a free tow.  We don’t do triple A either!!   And with that I went to pieces.  But just then, a man behind me said:  here let me pay.  ‘Oh no.’ I said.  ‘You can’t pay.  I’ve got to pay.’  But sir, it’s obvious, you can’t pay.  So let me pay.’  And with that, 75 people behind me shouted:  ‘let him pay!!’  And so, I let him pay.  And in due time I got my sanity back.  

The only way we ever get our sanity back, is to let someone else pay – to let someone else atone – to let someone else reconcile our debt.  And that someone is Jesus and Jesus alone!  

It’s amazing the extent Jesus goes to reconcile, to pay our debt.  Why Hebrews 2 notes: Jesus suffers (Hebrews 2:10), sharing in our “….humanity, [even dying] -- so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death…”   (Hebrews 2:14-15).  

 

It’s interesting:  death, in this context, isn’t just physical death – but spiritual death resulting from sin, guilt and shame.  And so Jesus pays the price for the most deadly part of life, the sin, guilt and shame of life.  For Jesus doesn’t want us captive and enslaved to anything.  just physical death – but spiritual death resulting from sin, guilt and shame.  And so Jesus pays the price for the most deadly part of life, the sin, guilt and shame of life.  For Jesus doesn’t want us captive and enslaved to anything.  Rather, Jesus wants us elevated to glory.  

And so comprehend the greatness of God, for God always comes through.  For God is the author of all “…for whom and through whom everything exists…”  (Hebrews 2:10).  And so in the words of Hebrews 2:3 – we will never escape the ‘same old same old’; the drudgery and sin of life – “…if we ignore such a great salvation…first announced by the Lord” (Hebrews 2:3).  

For God doesn’t want us caught up in drudgery and sin, God wants us caught up in liberating salvation – as God brings His “…sons [and daughters] to [everlasting -- tremendous] glory…”  (Hebrews 2:10) – through the life-saving work -- and payment -- of Jesus.