Redemption is defined as the act of delivering from
sin or saving from; Repayment of the principal amount of a debt or security at
or before maturity; the act of purchasing back something previously sold.[i]
Josh McDowell wrote: “If Jesus Christ
was who He claimed to be, and He did die on a cross at a point of time in
history, then, for all history past and all history future it is relevant
because that is the very focal point for forgiveness and redemption.”[ii]
The apostle Peter wrote:
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: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God,
that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope
might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one
another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The
grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord
endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto
you. (1 Peter 1:18-25).[iii]
As
Peter unfolds by inspiration that which is most “precious” when it comes to our
redemption, we are reminded: that it is not with “corruptible things” (v. 18),
that it was planned before the foundation of the world (v. 20), that it is found in the
Gospel (v. 21),
that in it souls are purified (v. 22), and that we are born again of
incorruptible seed, the word of God (v. 23-25).
Let us consider verse nineteen of this passage noticing the precious
blood of Christ.
PRECIOUS
Thayer
defines “precious” as that which is of great price, held in honor, esteemed,
held especially dear. Consider its use
in scripture: “There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very
precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat” (Matthew 26:7),
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the
precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it…” (James 5:7).
The
apostle Peter speaks in chapter two of Christ as “chosen of God, and precious”
(2:4)
and as the “chief corner stone, elect, precious…” (2:6). In Second Peter, Peter wrote of the
Christian’s “like precious faith” (2 Peter 1:1).
As
the definition indicates something of a great price, consider the great price
of the church. Luke wrote: “Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
The church is held in high honor, esteemed, and held especially dear
because of the great price which was paid: The Son’s Blood!
BLOOD
Why
blood? While most cringe at the mere
thought of it, few like to speak of it.
Yet, it is vital for atonement.
The closest literal meaning from the origin of the word means: “AT –
ONE”. This idea is seen in both
testaments:
Exodus 32:30 “And it came
to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great
sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement
for your sin.”
Leviticus 1:4 “And he shall
put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for
him to make atonement for him.”
Leviticus 9:7 “And Moses
said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt
offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the
offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.”
Though
the English word “atonement” is not
found in our New Testaments in the KJV, it is seen in the word “reconciliation” of Romans 5:11 - “More than that, we also rejoice in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” It is also seen throughout New Testament
teaching in the following verses:
Hebrews 10:4 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sins.”
1 John 1:6-10 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we
lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
Revelation 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first
begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”
Not
just any blood will do! Not mine, not
yours, not an animal’s…only that of Christ.
The Hebrews’ writer spends a great deal of time dealing with this
subject under the theme of “the blood of Christ is better” (Hebrews 9:6-14).
OF CHRIST
The
designation of “Christ” occurs 522 in the KJV denoting that Jesus was anointed
or consecrated to His great redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King of His
people.[iv] Jesus of Nazareth was proved to be the
Christ. John the Baptizer spoke of Jesus
as “the true Light”, the “Word made flesh”, “one preferred”, and “the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:6-29).
Jesus
spoke of himself: “While the Pharisees
were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ?
whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How
then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David
then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a
word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions”
(Matthew
22:41-46).
Peter
spoke of the Christ answering Jesus: “thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and his entire
sermon on the day of Pentecost was concerning the Christ: “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you…” (Acts 2:22). Peter went on to say:
“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him,
that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up
Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of
Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see
corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses” (Acts 2:29-32).
Paul
spoke of the Christ, as well:
Acts 17:2-3 “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days
reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ
must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus,
whom I preach unto you, is Christ.”
1 Corinthians
1:23 “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the
Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”
1 Corinthians
2:2 “For I determined not to know any thing
among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
Acts 18:5 “And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was
pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.”
Because
Jesus is the Christ, His precious blood can wash our sins away. To the Christian, the blood of Christ is SO
DEAR! To the Sinner, the blood of Christ
is SO VALUABLE! To the God of Heaven,
the blood of Christ is SO HONORED AND ESTEEEMED!
[i] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redemption
[ii] http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/joshmcdowe299815.html#Yfw1c5o4kAHDKvj1.99
[iii]
All verses from King James Version of the Bible, electronic edition unless
otherwise noted.
[iv]
Easton’s Bible Dictionary, electronic edition.
