Christ the Redeemer

Continuing this study in Colossians, we will look at the position of our Lord Jesus Christ as redeemer.  As we consider mankind’s greatest need, what could be greater than forgiveness of sins?  As we get to verse eighteen of chapter one, we see that the Father’s goal is that in all things, Christ would have the preeminence.  And how great is that preeminence in our redemption?  He is first in redemption because He is the Redeemer!

The Redeemer must be able to redeem and willing to redeem.  As Redeemer, Jesus Christ is both.  Redemption is found in Him alone.  He is our redemption.

But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption… (1 Corinthians 1:30)

But it is not His life nor His teaching that redeems us.  His life was a trial that showed no sin (Hebrews 4:15).  Our life is a trial that shows sin, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  The teachings of our Lord take the commandments of the Law and raise the standard from what is done, to what is thought.  Take the time to read Matthew 5:20–32 and remember that the Lord often said “he that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:35).  Mankind cannot stand against the scrutiny of the Law, much less the scrutiny of the Kingdom code of the King of kings.  No, His life and teaching only condemn, so who shall stand at His appearing?

The Bible teaches that it is His death that will redeem.  “In whom we have redemption through His blood…“

The scriptures speak of a redemption in the Old Testament known as the Passover.

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: … Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. … For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:3, 5-7, 12-13)

Notice that the lamb was to be without blemish.  The Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, was completely without blemish.  John states that “in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).  Peter says that He “did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22).  Paul says that He “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and that He was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).  Notice here how Peter describes the redemption which Christ provided:

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot… (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Please take this to heart:  the lamb had to be without blemish as a requirement for the Passover, but unless the lamb was slain and the blood applied to the upper door post and the side door posts of the houses, it did not redeem.  In fact, can you imagine the tragedy of an Israelite home in Egypt that night with an unblemished lamb that was perfectly qualified for the sacrifice, yet they did not kill it and apply the blood to the door posts.  The firstborn in that household would have been killed.  It is the same with our Lord.  His life proved His qualification.  His death, His precious blood, is what can redeem.  “In whom we have redemption through His blood…“

But how is the blood applied?

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)

The blood is applied when the sinner puts faith in His blood.  He believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  It is when the sinner believes the gospel, “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), that the blood is applied.  The redemption is in Christ Jesus.  We are justified FREELY by His grace.  We have “redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).  Let no one call this “cheap grace”!  It came at the great price of the precious blood of the Son of God!  But God does grace us freely!

 God is sovereign, but God is righteous.  God justifies freely because He can.  The one who “believeth in Jesus” is righteous by an act of God.  He declares it so, but He will not declare it so in violation of His own righteousness.  There must be forgiveness of sins.  They must not be attached to the sinner any more.  Remember that God does not change. The nation of Israel only exists because God does not change:  “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).  Recall this proclamation from the LORD to Moses:

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the Name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:5-7)

God is gracious, but He must deal with sin.  He does not have to forgive, but He does because He is gracious.  He only can righteously forgive by the blood of Jesus Christ.  He looks at the blood of Christ and He is satisfied.  Sins can be forgiven—separated from the sinner—by the blood of Christ.

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:6-8)

Which sins are forgiven:

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses… (Colossians 2:13)

“In Whom we have redemption through His blood…”

Is it not wonderful, Christian, to know the joy of redemption and sins forgiven?  Join with the Israelites who left Egypt, and the twenty four elders about the throne in heaven:

The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. (Exodus 15:2)

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)

Unsaved friend, Christ died for you too!  As the Israelites needed to apply the blood to the door posts, so you must apply the death of Christ to yourself, by faith.  It is not presumptuous  to do so, for the blood is already shed.  Think of the tragedy of a family that killed the unblemished Passover lamb and did not apply the blood!  Only the tragedy for you is not the death of your firstborn, it will be that you must stand before the Lamb of God, He who was made sin on your behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21), in your own sins, and not written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 13:8, 21:27).

And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

Trust in Jesus Christ, the unblemished Lamb of God, our Passover who was sacrificed for us, and His death for your sin, and God will declare you righteous. The one Who is the judge is now the one sits enthroned as Savior.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)

All judgment is committed to Jesus Christ the Son by the Father (John 5:22), yet He sits enthroned as Savior.  When we trust Him, we “apply the blood”, and His very presence at the Father’s right hand intercedes for us, and there is “therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

“BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED…” (Acts 16:31)