Redeemed

Romans 3:19-26; John 3:16-21

What does the word “Redeemed” mean?

According to Webster’s redeem means to “buy back; to get or win back; to free from what distresses or harms. Some synonyms are: release, liberate, deliver, rescue, save.

It’s funny but as I think about the word redeemed, I think of recycling. We take our bottles back and get the 5 cents back we paid for and then they are taken and recycle to be used again. This is redemption in full circle.

How are we redeemed?
So how can redemption come from the cross…an instrument of torture and death? Can something be redeemed after being put to death? Like, Nicodemus who asked Jesus how a person could be born again, we can ask how can we live after we have died?

Jesus replied to Nicodemus and to us with the words from John 3…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Jesus knows our bent to sin. Jesus knows that no matter how hard we try, we will make bad decisions, turn away, or try to make it on our own and so He did not come to condemn us but to redeem us through the power of his victory over the cross.

Paul states it like this to the church in Rome:

23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. Romans 3:23-24

And again in Chapter 6:

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:3-5

Why are we redeemed?

So why would Jesus want to redeem us? Why save these humans who not only choose to sin against God but who actually put Him to death on the cross? Why save such a useless people?

As I was thinking about this question, I went back to the idea of recycling. I have bags of bottles in my garage I have not returned. I thought, how sad is it, that these cans are just sitting in my garage, empty, unusable and in reality could actually be returned not only to be reused but I can get my money back. There are people who see these cans not as garbage to be thrown out and destroyed but worth another chance to be used again.

Is this what Jesus sees in us? We are not junk. We are not just worthless garbage to be thrown away, left to perish. We are God’s children and we are precious in His sight. We are worth so much He was willing to endure the pain and agony of the cross, so that we can be redeemed. He sees the potential in us. He sees that although we are not perfect we are usable. Jesus is able to save us from the junk pile and to redeem us and to use us for His purpose.

The Trial

A long time ago someone shared this story with me and I want to share it with you today. It is called, “THE TRIAL” (author unknown)

After living a “descent” life, my time on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a courthouse. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the “prosecutor.” He was villainous looking and seemed to snarl as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed familiar to me.

Soon, the door of the judge’s chamber opened and the judge made His way into the courtroom. In His flowing robe He moved across the room. In a mysteriously powerful way, He had full command of the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. As he took his seat behind the bench, he said, “Let us begin.”

The prosecutor rose and said, “My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this person deserves to be punished and belongs in hell.” He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and how I had cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life, some even I had forgotten about. The more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t look at anyone, even my own lawyer.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at my representative who sat there silently not offering any form of objection or defense at all. I knew I was guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life, couldn’t that at least equal out part of the harm I’ve done?

Satan finished with a fury and said, “This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.”

When it was his turn, my lawyer first asked if he might approach the bench. The judge allowed this, over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned him to come forward. When He reached the bench he spoke softly saying to the judge, “Hi Dad.” This was Jesus! He had seemed familiar and now I knew why! My lawyer was, my Lord and Savior.

Jesus then turned to address the court. “Satan was correct in saying that this person has sinned, I won’t deny any of these allegations. And yes, the wage of sin is death, and this person deserves to be punished.”

I sighed and was feeling the weight of my sins until it happened…Jesus took a deep breath and turned to his Father and proclaimed, “However, I died on the cross so that all people who accept me as their Savior will not be punished but will have eternal life. This person,” Jesus continued, “asked me into their heart and accepted me as their Savior, this person is mine forevermore. Satan cannot have this one. The person is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.”

As Jesus sat down, he quietly paused, looked at his Father and finished, ‘There is nothing else that needs to be done. I’ve done it all.

The judge lifted his mighty hand slamming down the gavel, proclaiming, “This person is free. The penalty has already be paid in full. Mercy is given. Case dismissed.

As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, “I won’t give up, I’ll win the next one.”

I asked Jesus, “Have you ever lost a case?”

Jesus replied, “Everyone that has come to me and asked me to represent them has received the same verdict as you – Paid in Full.”

Who will represent you?
Jesus is our defender – the only true Redeemer!