Job's hope came through the toughest times of his life as he lost every thing, almost dying, and hated by his friends, he said, 'I know that my Redeemer lives!" (Job 19:25) It meant that God would rescue him, and deliver, and claim and avenge him in his life.
In the NT, the Greek word for redeem is 'lytroo' which means 'to free, to loose, and to untie." The dictionary word for redeem is "to buy back or repurchase; to change for the better; to give freedom from what harms and distresses. Examples of everyday redemtion are coupons, or vouchers or gift cards. But with humans it is a different type of redemtion.
When it is spoken of in the Bible, it refers to a person who is set free by a ransom, by a price. Some would call it an extortion, such as someone being kidnapped and holds the person as a ransom, a unjust thing. The Bible says "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for all . . (! Timothy 2:5,6)
Jesus was our 'substitionary ranson, that means paying a price by putting himself in other person's place. Jesus did 2 things, he was the ransom and he paid the price for the ranson. Our sins agains God had a price to be paid. The penalty for sin had to be paid. Jesus was the sacrifice and He became the sin place on Him as well. WHY? It was pure love for us to be with God forever. His purity made Him the only person who could pay the price and give us the freedom to live eternally with Him and God the Father.
After WW I, 900 German soldiers were put on trial, and their punishment was certain, but a former crown prince of Germany, wanted to be their substitue. He would take upon himself both the accusation and pay the penalty himself. But the Court said no way! because one person could not be the value of 900 soldiers!
Today, we look at the world guilty of sin and a penalty is to be paid. Is there anyone who is good enough to make that ransom paid for all sins? We ourselves could never make it happen, that is why Jesus Christ, our Redeemer came. "Jesus paid the debt, He took our sins upon His own back. He took our punishment. He accepted our beating. His life became the payment needed to free us. His blood became the bail money to get us out of jail.
Jesus became the bridge that crossed the divide between God and man. JESUS IS OUR REDEEMER!
CONCLUSION: Job's hope was "MY REDEEMER LIVES! That is our hope Alfred Acley wrote the popular hymn, "He Lives" (1933) and said "He lives, I tell you. He is not dead, but lives here and now! Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before. Ican prove it by my own experience and as well as the testimony of thousands on earth!" Amen.
Presented By Larry L. Vollink, retired chaplain/pastor, Cedar Springs, MICH. (616) 655-4129 lawrencev@comcast.net
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