Redemption Over Restitution

Among Jesus’ disciples, two stand out in particular: Judas Iscariot and Peter. Judas was once close to Jesus, yet when the chief priests and others sought to arrest Him, it was Judas who led them to Jesus in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. Though Judas later regretted his actions, he named, confessed his sin and even tried to make restitution by returning the money (Matthew 27:3-4), he ultimately believed his sin was too great to be forgiven. Overwhelmed by guilt, he gave up and ended his life—never experiencing the redeeming power of the Jesus.

Peter, on the other hand, also failed Jesus—denying Him three times, even before a servant girl. Yet unlike Judas, Peter turned back to Jesus, repented, and encountered His redeeming grace. He went on to become one of the greatest leaders in the early Church.

The difference between them wasn’t in the seriousness of their sins, but in their response to failure. Like Peter, unless we truly understand and embrace the redemptive power of Jesus, we too may miss out on the transformation He offers.

What Is Restitution?

• Restitution, by definition, means returning something to its rightful owner or compensating someone for a wrong that was done.

• In the Old Testament, the Law of Moses gave specific instructions about making restitution through what was called a Guilt Offering. We read that in [Leviticus 5:14-16 NIV] 14 The LORD said to Moses: 15 “When anyone is unfaithful to the LORD by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD’s holy things, they are to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. 16 They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven. This shows that restitution wasn’t just about saying sorry—it required action, compensation, and sacrifice.

• We also see a powerful example of restitution in the New Testament with Zacchaeus, a wealthy and corrupt chief tax collector. When he encountered Jesus, his heart changed, and he responded with immediate action: [Luke 19:7-8 NIV ] 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Zacchaeus didn’t just feel remorse—he demonstrated repentance by restoring what he had taken, going above and beyond what the law required

What is Redemption ?

• Redemption is the act of being rescued or bought back—a movement from a place of bondage to a place of freedom, from spiritual death to eternal life.

• As human beings, we are naturally enslaved to sin. Scripture says in  [Romans 6:23 NIV] 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. This means that on our own, we were without hope—trapped in a cycle of sin and left only with the work of restitution, which could never fully restore us. We lacked the power to truly overcome sin.

• But through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, He paid the ultimate price for our freedom. His blood secured our redemption [Ephesians 1:7 NIV] 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

• Redemption doesn’t cancel the importance of confession or restitution. Rather, it fulfils what we could never achieve on our own. Through confession and genuine repentance, we receive forgiveness—and by the grace of Jesus, we are given the power of redemption. It’s a gift we could never earn, but one that is freely offered through His unmerited favour of grace and mercy he gives to us continuously.

• Only through Jesus is true redemption from sin made possible—something no other religion or path offers.

How did Jesus Earn this Redemption ?

There are three key perspectives we can be assured that Jesus earned our redemption, When we understand the same we can fully embrace and take advantage of the power of his redemptive power and be freed from the Slavery of Sin

1.  Jesus came in the form of Man to be our Blessed Redeemer

• In Leviticus 25:24–25, God established a law of redemption when he gave this to Moses, - [Leviticus 25:24-25 NIV] 24 Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. 25 " 'If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.

• According to this law, if someone in Israel became so poor that they had to sell their land, their nearest relative—a kinsman-redeemer—was responsible for buying it back on their behalf. This act was known as redeeming the land.

• How does this apply to us today ? God originally gave the earth to Adam, instructing him to rule over it and care for it. But through disobedience to God’s command, Adam forfeited that authority, effectively handing over the title deed of the earth to Satan. From that moment, Satan became the “ruler of this world.”

• We see this clearly read that in Luke 4:5–6, when Satan tempted Jesus: He said to Jesus that he can give that authority and splendour to anyone he wants.  [Luke 4:5-6 NIV] 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.

• Today God gives many gifts to man, like health, money and others, what does he do, he does the same as Adam, he hands to Satan by his selfless pleasures to be a slave to Satan.

• That’s why the earth—and humanity—needed redemption. And according to God’s law (Leviticus 25), only a near relative could redeem what was lost.

• So Jesus came into the world as a man—fully God, yet fully human—to become our Blessed Redeemer. As our closest relative in the flesh, He alone was qualified to buy back what was lost and restore us to God.

• Through His sacrifice, Jesus redeemed not only our souls but also reclaimed dominion and authority, offering us the hope of restoration and eternal life.

2.  Ruth and Boaz - kinsman-redeemer

• In the book of Ruth, we see another powerful example of redemption. Ruth was a Gentile woman who had married a Jewish man while living in Moab. After her husband died, she returned to Israel with her mother-in-law, Naomi. They were both poor and had no one to provide for them. According to Jewish custom, someone from the family had to redeem the land that belonged to Ruth’s late husband.

• That’s where Boaz comes in. He was a close relative—the one with the right to redeem the land. So Ruth approached Boaz and asked, “Will you redeem it for me?”

• Boaz agreed, and because he stepped in as her kinsman-redeemer, they were married and had a son named Obed. Obed became the grandfather of King David. [Ruth 4:17, 22 NIV] 17 The women living there said, "Naomi has a son!" And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. ... 22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

• When we read the genealogy of Jesus in the New Testament, both Ruth and Boaz are included. Because of their faith and obedience, they became part of God’s chosen family line Matthew 1:5-6

• Their story reminds us that God’s redemption plan includes everyone—regardless of background—and that obedience and faith can lead to eternal impact.

3.  Jesus became our Guarantor thru his work on Cross

• Where do we usually need a guarantor? We need one when taking out a loan or when someone needs to be bailed out of a legal charge. And who qualifies to be a guarantor? Someone with the means—someone in a stronger position, able to cover the cost or debt of another.

• In the same way, Jesus became our guarantor—not for a loan or legal case—but for something far greater: the better covenant, the New Covenant. He, being perfect and without sin, took on our debt and stood in our place to secure our redemption. [Hebrews 7:22 NIV] " 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

• How did Jesus do this? According to the Law, only a priest could offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. However, those high priests were themselves human and sinful. So, while they could perform acts of restitution, they couldn’t secure true redemption, God saw this and he appointed Jesus as the high priest by his own oath. [Hebrews 7:21,23 NIV] 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever. ‘.. 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office

• Jesus Put himself as a guarantor by this Oath to become the better covenant . [Hebrews 7:22 NIV] " 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

• We in our weakness are guaranteed to holiness. This why he intercedes to father to make us better to make him holy every time we come to him - [Hebrews 7:25-26 NIV] 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest truly meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

• He became a guarantor out of his richness in cross. As I mentioned, Redemption doesn’t cancel the importance of confession or restitution. Rather, it fulfils what we could never achieve on our own. Through confession and genuine repentance, we receive forgiveness—and by the grace of Jesus, we are given the power of redemption.

How can we inherit this redemption ?

• Believe that Jesus Christ is Son of God. [1 John 5:1 NIV] 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

• Once we believe, we become children of God—and as His children, He freely gives us the blessings that come with our new identity. One of the greatest gifts we inherit is the power of redemption, enabling us to overcome sin.[1 John 5:4 NIV] 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith . This overcoming power isn’t earned—it’s given to us by His grace and mercy.

• Once we believe and become children of God, we ask for His forgiveness—and He responds with grace. He removes us from the darkness, sets us free, and brings us into the light of His kingdom.[Colossians 1:13-14 NIV] 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

• As God’s children, we learn to follow His Word and live in His goodness. When we stay close to Him, He protects us from evil and leads us to do what is right. [1 John 5:18 NIV] 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.

• Just take a simple step of faith and ask God to help you believe. You can pray like this: “Jesus Christ, I believe You are the Son of God. I place my trust in You—receive me as Your child. I confess the sins I’ve committed and ask for Your forgiveness. Set me free with Your redeeming power and help me overcome the sin that’s held me captive.”

It doesn’t have to be perfect—just honest. He’s ready to meet you right where you are.