What We Should Know About OUR Jesus! #4

What We Should Know About OUR Jesus!

Redeemer

And they sung a New Song, saying, Thou art Worthy to take the Book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation -- Revelation 5:9; King James Version

I had a friend that fell on hard times and felt forced to pawn a certain ring that had been in their family for quite a while. Another friend went to the pawn shop and purchased the note on the ring. When that second friend took the ring back to the first you couldn't imagine the joy and love that was in the room.

That's the first thought of redemption in the Bible; the thought of buying property back (ref. Leviticus 25:26). That's what redeem means; to buy back.

Where redemption comes to play for us is in Christ Jesus. He purchased us back from sin, death and hell. He purchased us from the burden of the keeping the law. The Bible alludes to mankind being under the curse of the law and needing someone to pay ransom for our release (Galatians 3:13).

Please read the words to this beautiful old hymn; it's called Blessed Redeemer:

Up Calvary’s mountain, one dreadful morn,
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn;
Facing for sinners death on the cross,
That He might save them from endless loss.

“Father forgive them!” thus did He pray,
E’en while His lifeblood flowed fast away;
Praying for sinners while in such woe
No one but Jesus ever loved so.

O how I love Him, Savior and Friend,
How can my praises ever find end!
Through years unnumbered on Heaven’s shore,
My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.

Blessed Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,
Blind and unheeding—dying for me!
(Avis M. Christ­ian­sen, 1920)

That will always be one of my favorite songs.

Isn't it a blessed thought to know that we had a debt that we could never pay, but Jesus stepped up and said, "I can pay it. Not only can I pay it, but I will pay it! What's the price? Blood, huh? Okay, I'll give some. Some is not enough? This is a large debt then? Fine. Whatever the price, I'll pay. You want it all? Fine. I'll still pay!" (That's exactly what Ephesians 1:7 and 1 Peter 1:18 tell us; that Jesus ransomed us, paid our debt, and bought us back with HIS OWN precious blood.)

That's why, in today's verse, we see that Jesus is worthy to open the book. He was slain, not for His sin, but for ours. He is worthy because He did what no other COULD do; there was no other that could offer that price (not just the blood, but the UNBLEMISHED blood). There was no other that WOULD pay that price. It was Jesus alone that understood the situation of man and the heart of God. He alone was able and willing to buy us back.

Thanks be unto God for Jesus our Redeemer!