Redemption

As a little boy, I had a fear of being kidnapped. I can remember planning out how I would pretend that someone had already "gotten to me" if there was ever a kidnapper in my house. Whether it was because of movies I saw when I was little, the constant "Have You Seen Me?" advertisements in mailers and at the post office, or even broadcasts in the middle of Chicago Cubs baseball games on WGN, I was scared of being kidnapped and held for ransom. The movie "Man on Fire" was playing in my head almost two decades before it came out.

As we began our new sermon series at Providence over Exodus, some of these thoughts came flooding back to me. Exodus is the story of God's redemption of His people from slavery in Egypt. As I sat there and thought about these fears from childhood, it reminded me of how incredible it is that Christ has redeemed His children.

What would it be like to be kidnapped and not even know it? The heartache, loneliness, abuse, and everything else that comes with our idea of being kidnapped? Or, even worse, to be constantly wooed into a stupor by your kidnapper to where you just thought the things that were going on around you were how things were supposed to be?

To realize and really understand what Christ did in redeeming us is an incredible thought. He paid our ransom so that we might no longer be under the control of the kidnapper. Through His sacrifice, He glorified Himself by purchasing our lives.

We live in a world that doesn't even know it's been kidnapped. In fact, it's very being desires to be with the kidnapper, since we fall into believing that he gives the best treats and candy. Yet, we know the ransom that has been paid, in Christ's blood, for us.

I pray that my daughter and wife know that, if one of them were ever kidnapped, their man would not stop until he had brought them home (as well as their kidnappers...). And to think... Christ has already done this for us!