CAÑON DEL RESCATE
The Canyon of Ransom: A place where a ransom was paid to redeem loved ones from their captors on the Frontier of Texas.
At Yellowhouse Canyon inside the city limits of Lubbock, Texas there is a marker commemorating a time when having your loved ones taken captive was not so uncommon. The small canyon cut out of the flat table-land of the High Plains of Texas by the headwaters of the Brazos River is a distinctive topographical feature.
The marker has the following inscription:
“MANY EARLY MAPS OF NORTHWEST TEXAS RECORD THE NAME OF YELLOWHOUSE CANYON AS CAÑON DEL RESCATE, THE CANYON OF RANSOM. THIS NAME STEMS FROM THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY BARTER TRADE BETWEEN NEW MEXICANS AND COMANCHE, KIOWA, AND CHEYENNE INDIANS. A RANSOM, OR PURCHASE PRICE, USUALLY IN MERCHANDISE, WAS PAID FOR CATTLE, HORSES, AND EVEN HUMAN CAPTIVES STOLEN FROM TEXAN OR MEXICAN SETTLEMENTS. CAÑON DEL RESCATE WAS ONE OF THREE MAJOR COMANCHERO TRADING SPOTS.”
JESUS IN THE VALLEY OF RANSOM
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples the purpose of his becoming human and living among us. Using the title “Son of Man”, by which he identified with our humanity, he said, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 (NLT).
His death on the cross, followed by his resurrection from the dead paid the purchase price to buy us back from sin and eternal death.
Jesus left his throne in heaven for the purpose of buying us back after Adam plunged all humanity into bondage to sin.
Jesus came to our rescue!
God planned your ransom a long time ago.
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. 21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. 22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. 23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 1 Peter 1:17–23 (NLT).
When I stand in Ransom Canyon today I sometimes think about that mother and father long ago who would pay any “ransom price” that they probably really couldn’t afford to buy back their child. That gives me a glimpse of the passion that our God has to buy back his wayward children at the most extravagant price of Jesus’ blood.
Do you have worth? Look at that cross in Ransom Canyon and know that you do!!!
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