Particular Redemption

Matthew 20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

The photo above shows a barely noticeable scar from a smallpox vaccination from many years ago. With advances in medicine we have more and more vaccines to protect us from all kinds of diseases. Since humans have no way of knowing who will be exposed to these various diseases, we attempt to vaccinate all that we possibly can. If human beings possessed the foreknowledge that God has, we would need to vaccinate only those who would actually be exposed to the disease. With this same foreknowledge, Jesus gave his life for the many that his atonement redeemed and them only.

Since God does have this foreknowledge of exactly who will be redeemed by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, the verse above indicates that Jesus Christ came to the earth to serve and to give his life as a ransom for the many who are saved by the atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Everyone agrees that the atonement of Jesus Christ is of infinite value and sufficient to save an infinite number of people. Some argue that Christ died for everyone. In this view, the atonement makes salvation possible for everyone, but actually saves no one. This, the Arminian view, limits the power or effectiveness of the atonement by leaving salvation up to human decision. This view leaves open the possibility of no one being saved and Jesus dying in vain. The reformed view does not limit the power as it holds that all that Christ died for (the many in Mt. 20:28) will be saved. This view limits the extent of the atonement by affirming that Christ died for only those that God chose before the foundation of the world. Jesus in the high priestly prayer said, “John 17:9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” After reading this entire prayer in John 17, it is hard to believe that the atonement of Jesus was meant for anyone other than those redeemed by faith in his sacrificial death on the cross.

In Mt. 20:28 above Jesus died for the ‘many’. This either refers to believers only or everyone that has ever lived. Since the passage speaks of his death providing a ransom (redemption) for the many, this passage teaches universalism if the ‘many’ includes everyone that has ever lived. Therefore, since Scripture clearly does not teach universalism, this passage teaches that the atonement of Jesus was for believers only. This is referred to as limited atonement or particular redemption.

Praise God that Jesus’ atonement on the cross saves sinners. Jesus saved all the sinners he intended to save (John 6:37) and that is everyone that place their faith in him for paying their sin debt on the cross.