Topic: Perfect Redeemer. Category: Life>
Bible Scriptures: Isaiah 59:20, Isaiah 59:12-13, Luke 2:25-32, Luke 2:10-14.
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Several hundreds of years before the first Christmas God promised the redeemer would come. Through His prophet Isaiah God declared a promise to His people. Yet they have turned away from the Living God.
Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion (Jerusalem), And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord.
what is a redeemer?
A redeemer is a close relative of the same tribe who would buy back what had been lost.
In verse 20 the prophet Isaiah is saying the redeemer will come to Zion or Jerusalem. This is not only a physical place on this earth where the redeemer will walk, but also represents a spiritual condition. In the original language of the Bible the word translated Zion or Jerusalem also means parched, or a dry place. We know Jerusalem is physically such a place, but text is also referring to spiritual dryness.
the time of the promise
Humanity at the time of this promise had turned their back on the living God. Even God’s own people had turned their back on their creator. They confess through their own mouths.
Isaiah 59:12-13 “For our transgressions are multiplied before You, And our sins testify against us; For our transgressions are with us, And as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against the Lord, And departing from our God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”
This is a people who were called by God to be a light to the nations. Yet God’s own people are saying, we knowingly have rebelled, turned from you God and lied against you. We choose to live our life away from you God and choose to be unfair and oppress others. In fact we have carefully planed our deceitful lies.
Isaiah 59:14 reveals the result of life without God. ‘Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter.’
one with evil
God’s own people have become one with evil with their hearts ruled by selfish desires. Truth and justice are gone. In fact honesty is forbidden. Anyone who does not call evil good is oppressed and persecuted. God’s own people are living without Him.
The culture of humanity without God becomes spiritually dry, living in conflict, darkness and evil. As a result become one with conflict, darkness and evil.
- Conflict is unequal relationships of oppression and abuse.
- Darkness is life without God, a darkness so dark it can be felt. It is spiritual, mental and physical.
- Evil is death, destruction and everything wrong with this world.
That is the situation into which God gave His promise.
what will the redeemer do?
God not only promises the redeemer will come, but also what the redeemer will do.
The redeemer will pay the price, the cost, for all the offences ever done by humanity against each other and against God. The redeemer will restore what humanity gave to evil and as a result what evil has taken from humanity. He will heal the broken hearted, break the chains of oppression, give freedom to the captives, establish God’s kingdom of justice and defeat evil. Evil has no power and no place in God’s kingdom.
who is the perfect redeemer?
Isaiah 59:21 “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”
God says the redeemer will come and this is my covenant. In this context the word covenant means more than a promise. It means an alliance, a deep personal, intimate bond, a relationship that identifies with each other and is bound by the promise.
The God who created heaven and earth and all things good makes His promise not only for one tribe, but also to the tribe of humanity.
God Himself makes Himself personal, intimate, relational and human.
The first Christmas God chose to subject Himself to the human condition. He came as a seed of the Holy Spirit being carried in the stomach of a woman before she was married. Born into an oppressed people group under the rule of a foreign power that was arguably the most brutal, corrupt and decadent world empire in human history. A baby born in a house for animals in a trough for their food. He came to be the perfect redeemer and saviour of all.
To think the One who filled the darkness with light, set the cycle of night and day, created order out of chaos and breathed life into humanity would came into His own creation as one of us.
He came to redeem, rescue, restore and renew. His name is Jesus.
people testify
In that moment in time when God became the perfect redeemer, a baby born in a manger, prophets both male and female testified!
Luke 2:25-32 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple.
And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
jesus fulfils prophecy
Jesus the Son of God fulfils Israel’s mission. God Himself becomes human from the tribe of Israel to be a servant to all humanity, the light to all nations, to reveal God’s glory, so that the world may know Him and all who are willing can receive deliverance.
Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of Man, is the perfect redeemer.
In that moment in time when God became the perfect redeemer, a baby born
in a manger, shepherds testified:
Luke 2:10-14 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Baby Jesus grew to be a man and went about doing good.
The first Easter Jesus chose to give His life. He was publicly humiliated, shamed, tortured executed, died, rose and ascended into heaven. As a result death and evil were defeated.
Today we celebrate the perfect redeemer did come, paid the cost, bought what humanity gave over to evil and gives it back to humanity.
God Himself became our close relative became one of us and fulfilled every promise.
jesus the perfect redeemer
When we receive Jesus free gift of Himself, the perfect redeemer, we enter into God’s covenant of an intimate relationship with the source of everything good. This relationship is of unconditional love, in this life, in this world damaged by evil, and forever more.
Each day is a journey with Him. An opportunity to receive more of Him. More of His love, more of His peace, more of His light and more of His goodness.
Jesus the perfect redeemer, gives back to humanity what humanity gave over to evil.
- He gives peace in this world of oppression.
- Light in this world of darkness.
- Goodness in this world damaged by evil.
God said, the redeemer will come, and today we celebrate, the redeemer did come!
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Sermon categories: son of man> love of God> hope and healing> know God> truth> power> end times> experience God> life> success in life> kingdom>
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