Job made this strong confession of faith some 1200 years before the
suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. This was before God redeemed
Israel from Egypt, before the Passover Lamb. This was before the temple, before its ordinances and its services. What
did that title “Redeemer” bring to mind for Job?
In ancient times a redeemer was that kinsman who could restore an
inheritance lost to a relative’s family through poverty, war or other
reverses. After Israel settled the Promised Land a kinsman-redeemer
could “step into the shoes” of a relative and pay the
price required to buy back property once deeded to the family when the
Land was divided at God’s instruction.
Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. For that purpose He became our kinsman by
being born into our human family at Bethlehem. He did this to restore
our lost inheritance--namely that living relationship with God our
first parents lost when they rebelled against the
Lord. Originally God made humankind to live, not to die. He made us to
be His dear friends, not His enemies. Tragically, we lost all that
when we became lost in sin.
But Jesus our Redeemer paid the price necessary to restore to us our
eternal heritage. Because Jesus died in our place, holding fast to His
substitutionary sacrifice on the cross we have a place in God’s own
family and can say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer
lives.”
It was necessary for the Son of God to become the Son of Man (our blood-brother) in order to redeem us from sin and death. He could not
truly represent us without being one of us. At the same time a sacrifice
for sin could not be substitutionary without the
shedding of blood. In this way also it was necessary for the Son of God
to become the Son of Man (our blood-brother) in order to redeem us from
sin and death. This is well illustrated by a lapel-pin a friend showed
me. It looks like a wreath until you get
up close and see that it is made of thorns. The Christmas wreath and
the crown of thorns are both circles but they show a straight line
between Christmas and Easter.
God is man, man to deliver;
His dear Son Now is one with our blood forever!
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 77:2) |
