I SAW THE LIGHT

JESUS PAID 4 US

I think the greatest ransom ever paid for one man in our world’s history was paid by Inka Indians for the release of their kingly ruler Atahualpa. He had been captured in 1532 by a warring desperado who has been elevated as a world hero.  His name was Francisco Pizarro.     With the financial backing of Spain, Pizarro's army invaded South America and captured the ruler of the Inka Empire. Pizarro held their king hostage and demanded gold and bricks of gold as a ransom payment for his release.     A room 22 feet long, 17 feet wide and 8 feet high was to be filled with gold and two other rooms were to be filled with silver. From all over the Peruvian country the loyal Indians trudged with their loads of gold and silver.  It took eight months to fill the rooms with gold and silver and Pizarro became one of the world’s richest men. As soon as the ransom was paid Pizarro ordered the murder of Atahualpahe the beloved Inka ruler by strangulation.     Highjackers and Kidnappers seem to be the worst criminals of humanity. And the more brutal they become the more noteriety they receive to feed their ego.

The Bible says that no amount of money can ransom a person from the penalty of sin, which is the second death.      Psalms 49:6-7 LB tells us that money will never work as a  ransom:  ----  “They trust in their wealth and boast about how rich they are, yet not one of them, though rich as kings, can ransom his own brother from the penalty of sin! For God's forgiveness does not come that way.”    All of Pizarro's gold could not save him from the grim reaper, nor could it redeem him from the second death.  If he never did accept the ransom that God offered he will come alive at the resurrection of damnation to be exterminated in the fire of destruction that will rain down upon all unforgiven sinners.    The Bible is very clear about that. ----.     "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations ...to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.  They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.      And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone...  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."  Rev.20:7-14 NKJ       But for all those who have repented of their sins and have accepted the ransom that God has provided it is another story. God puts the righteous life of Jesus to their account and they are counted as holy and ready for heaven.       "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."  Rev.20:6        God wants everyone to be saved from their sins and come back home to his house of faith, love, and obedience..    "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."     And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!'' And let him who hears say, "Come!'' And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Rev.22:14,17        "Jehovah appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." "The Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he."  ( I remember Jacob's vision of the Ladder and the joy I felt from my own vision of the Steps leading up and out of the pit. ) "I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow." "My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith Jehovah." Jer. 31:3,11,13-14 ARV.

The Most Publisized Kidnapping          About 78 years ago when I was 8 years old my parents were one of several privileged ranchers to acquire electricity and my Dad bought us a large radio.  It was a dandy and I could hear Walter Winchell machine gun us with the news every night after the cows were milked and all the animals feed. And what do you suppose the news was all about?     It was all about Charles and Anne Lindbergh, the airplane pilot heroes, and the kidnapping of their firstborn 20 month old son.   First there was the $50,000 ransom letter with the warning against any police involvement and a strange identity sign.     Unfortunately Colonel Lindbergh had called the FBI before they had found the letter and the news spread all over the world. Crowds of people surrounded Lindbergh’s home trampling down their lawn and garden trying to find out the latest bits of information. Anne placed appeals in all newspapers telling what foods agreed with her baby and the assurance of cooperation with what ever the kidnappers wanted.        Finally a second ransom letter arrived.  It warned that too many policemen had blocked the plan and now "we" would wait and the ransom would need to be $70,000, and the baby was in "gut health."   Today we know that was a big lie. The baby was dead.  The lone kidnapper, Richard Hauptmann, accidentally killed the baby the night he snatched it from its bed. The ladder broke as he climbed back out of the upper story window with the baby. Its head was crushed against the window sill as the ladder collapsed forward.      The heartless Richard succeeded in lying enough to get the ransom money and to escape by giving a scribbled note with a lying description as to where the baby could be located. The note said the baby was on a small 28 foot boat “Nelly” at a certain bay.  Hopes and excitement were revived. Early the next morning Charles Lindbergh flew to the bay and searched for the boat and when he came home that night his house was all lighted up.  Anne had prepared the house for the happy homecoming reunion but Charles returned weary and empty handed. Can you imagine Anne's disappointment? The celebration party turned into grief but Charles tried to bring hope. He still thought he would bring his baby boy home on the next days search. His trust in mankind kept him searching day after day and week after week.   To further confuse matters a friendly Mr. Curtis lied about the baby being alive with a gang who were demanding another $25,000 ransom token. He claimed to be their mediator and they were to make contact with another boat.  Charles refused to give up hope and his wild goose chase went on for over a month until the boy’s body was found.       It took another year and half before Hauptmann was found and arrested. Then the greatest “trial of the century” took over the news.  After that there were appeals and delays but finally after more than 4 years from his crime Hauptmann died in the electric chair, April 3,1936.  I thought it was terrible the way people treated Charles and Anne Lindbergh. They even received several threats to kidnap their new baby Jon.       My folks thought this kidnapping was the saddest and cruelest thing to happen in our country.  We saw the Lindberghs forced to leave the U.S. and seek asylum in England because of lies, threats, and for the safety of their son.       There is one part of this story that has a very good lesson for us, a lesson of self-sacrifice and love. It will help us understand the ransom Jesus paid for us.  A week  after the baby was kidnapped and no contacts had been made a retired professor Dr. Condon put an add in a local paper: “I offer $1,000, all of my life’s savings, in addition to the suggested $50,000, so a loving mother may again have her child.  I am ready, at my own expense , to go anywhere, and never utter the kidnapers’ names...”        His family and friends thought he was foolish to think the kidnappers would read his local paper.  He said, “I want to see that baby’s arms around his mother’s neck once more.”  And to the surprise of all a letter came with instructions for him to be his mediator with Lindbergh.  The Letter gave him instructions to follow.       Dr. Condon called Lindbergh immediately and read to him the letter. There was a code mark that assured Lindy that this was the right contact. Dr. Condon drove to Lindbergh’s house at 2 in the morning.  He met Anne and cheered her up promising to bring her baby back.  Before sleeping on the mattress that Charles provided he knelt beside the crib and prayed for help and guidance in his quest to bring the little boy back to that nursery.    A detective warned Dr. Condon about the danger of his mission.  “After they get their money they may kill you.  I hope you receive a reward for the risk you are taking.”  Condon replied that the reward he wanted was too big for them to pay. The reward he had his heart set on was the privilege of putting the baby back in his mother’s arms.       Dr Condon did make contact with “John” who claimed to be a go-between for a gang but no exchange was made.  Before his second attempt Condon’s family and his detective both pleaded with him not to go, “You could identify John and now he will want to get rid of you.”  But Condon was steadfast in his purpose, “That’s a chance I am willing to take, if only I can bring the boy home.”     One dark night Lindy and Dr. Condon drove to a lonely place near a cemetary where they would make the ransom exchange.  The money was in the box that Dr. Condon carried down a path away from the road. "John" waved his hand and gave the Doctor a scribbled note telling where the baby could be located.  Dr. Condon returned unharmed to the car.  Charles Lindbergh was satisfied that he would find his boy the next morning.  The rest is history we can forget about, but the action of Dr. Condon is something we should remember.     Dr. Condon illustrated the true love of God, the love of self-sacrifice.  He was willing to risk his life to bring joy to Anne. He would lay down his life for his friends. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."  John 15:13   "When we were utterly helpless with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for him. . .  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:6-8 LB    The Bible is filled with promises of a Redeemer, a Messenger, a Friend, a Suffering Messiah whose blood is ransom enough to save all mankind.      Jesus said,  “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.''  (Matthew 20:28 LB)      And Paul wrote to Timothy: “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 Tim.2:5-6.)