While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
—Romans 5:8
Canadian drilling company employee Edward Leonard was kidnapped by ransom-seeking Colombian Marxist guerrillas in 1998. Norbert Reinhart, Leonard’s boss—whom he had never met—paid his ransom.
Then he did something mind-boggling. He negotiated a switch, taking Leonard’s place. “Your shift is done, you can go home,” he told his employee.
That’s what Jesus did for us—paid our ransom and took our place. The ransom price was his life. He who had no sin became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21)—took our place and set us free.
The completely innocent died for the completely guilty
to make the completely guilty completely saved.