I know that my Redeemer lives! Job 19:25-27
My Redeemer Lives
Job 19:25-27
This morning we celebrate, in a special way, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is of critical importance to our faith- for as Paul has written in 1 Corinthians 15:14, if Christ did not rise, then our faith is in vain
In approaching the subject of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, I would like to refer you to 3 different passages this morning
1. Luke 24:13-27-- the account of Jesus talking to 2 of his disciples on the road to Emmaus
READ text but note in particular v.25-27 wherein Jesus says; "He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."
Aspects: Kept from recognizing him. Their despair. Their disbelief (in the face of the women's testimony and some recollection of the third day being important)
Standouts: Jesus compassion upon them-- his condescending to their weakness. His taking the time to give them a lesson of a lifetime in pointing out to them text after text in Old Testament that referred to him (his ministry, his life, his death, his resurrection)
Point: Jesus taking time to convince his disciples and give them a firm conviction as it regarded his resurrection.
Fascinating: The established basis for belief in his resurrection was not initially their sight of him but the testimony of the Scriptures****- anticipating his words in John 20:29 "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." I'm also reminded of the verse "We walk by faith and not by sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7.
2. Acts 1:1-3 -Jesus' many convincing proofs
"In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."
After rising from the dead, Jesus spent 40 additional days on earth before returning to the Father and His heavenly glory. Over the course of these 40 days he had one chief purpose-- to convince his disciples and followers that He had risen from the dead.
What did Jesus do to convince his disciples that he had risen
a. Multiple appearances to them (varying numbers each time) at different locations
b. Spent 40 days with them (that's a long time)
c. He let them touch him (doubting Thomas)
d. He ate with them
e. He spoke to them and taught them
f. He performed some more miracles (i.e the miraculous catch of 153 fish)
The result: When Jesus ascended there was no doubt in their minds that the one ascending was Jesus and that he had risen from the dead.
3. Job 19:25-27 The faith of Job and his great declaration "My redeemer lives"
In Job 19:25-27 it says; "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
I love this text, which predates the first coming of Jesus by at 1000 years, for a number of reasons-- the pre-eminent one being that it is about Jesus
The context in which Job makes this statement
-He being tested by God
-He a righteous man
-He a righteous sufferer
-He at the "end of his rope" He in a pit of despair
-By God's permission Satan had afflicted Job-- taking away from him his children, his possessions, his health. Through it all Job stayed faithful to God-- refusing to curse God and die.
-Hearing of his plight, some of Job's friends visited him. Instead of comforting him they proceeded to repeatedly tell Job that what he was experiencing was his fault, and God's punishment against him for his sin.
Job found there words to be heart breaking- for in in Job 19:1 he says; "How long will you torment me and crush me with words?" Following this Job expresses his sorrows, his sufferings, his feeling that God was against him for now reason."
Job's faith
Despite all of his sorrow, Job still believed in God. Job still had hope. Job still had faith and it is this that he clings tenaciously!
Job believed that he had one in Heaven who interceded for him as a friend. In Job 16:19-21 he says; "Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.
Job's words in Job 16 lead straight to Job 19:25-27 and this powerful declaration of faith about Jesus.
An interesting thought
Usually when a person losses their health the only thing they care about is getting better again. Such is not the case for Job. In reading Job he makes it clear that he has given up all hope of ever recovering (Job 17:1)- while such was the case he held on to this one thing: He had a Redeemer! How fascinating-- Job was looking forward beyond the grave to the life to come.
Having lost everything, Job's one comfort was that he had a Redeemer who would vindicate him, who would declare him righteous, who would rescue him, who would one day reward him.. Such is to be our comfort.
Note: Job did not have a relative in mind when he spoke of having a Redeemer. He ultimately had Jesus in mind- though he did not yet know his name.
Redeemer/Goel
-In Jewish society kinsmen redeemers had a duty to help, support, avenge, deliver from bondage. Such a duty fell to the closest relative
-Job's hope is not in an earthly redeemer but in a heavenly one, the person of Christ
Jesus is our closest kinsmen. There is none so near as Christ. In Hebrews 2:11 it says of Jesus in relation to us who are his followers "So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters"
Interesting: Job spoke of his Redeemer as "living" at the time he speaks
Jesus indeed was - remember the words of Christ in the Gospel of John "Before Abraham was "I am"
Interesting: Job looked forward to the day of redemption- to the 2nd coming of Christ, the day of the resurrection to come
"Yet in my flesh I will see God"-- speaking of the resurrection to come (the one that will happen when Jesus returns)
Note Jesus' words in John 5:28-29 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned." (Also see Daniel 12:1-2, Acts 24:15, Isaiah 26:19-21etc)
As Job looked forward to the coming of His Redeemer/Christ- we are to look forward.
In Luke 21:25-28 Jesus says about the end of this age ""There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
In Hebrews 11:1-2 it says; "Faith is being sure of what we hope for an certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for."
Our Redeemer lives! Christ arose.
As Job looked forward, our faith is forward looking and not rooted in the things of this world
Though we may lose everything in this life, we to hold on to our faith and our hope in Christ (it is a secure faith and hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead)
Death is not the end-- hence we can face death confidently-- knowing that we will be resurrected to life, knowing that with our own eyes we will see God and we will be vindicated-- declared righteous in Christ- our advocate (the very same advocate whom Job trusted)
There is only 1 Redeemer-- Jesus Christ. There is only one way to be saved from the Judgment to come-- That's in Jesus. Put your faith in him today.
Job 19:25-27
This morning we celebrate, in a special way, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is of critical importance to our faith- for as Paul has written in 1 Corinthians 15:14, if Christ did not rise, then our faith is in vain
In approaching the subject of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, I would like to refer you to 3 different passages this morning
1. Luke 24:13-27-- the account of Jesus talking to 2 of his disciples on the road to Emmaus
READ text but note in particular v.25-27 wherein Jesus says; "He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."
Aspects: Kept from recognizing him. Their despair. Their disbelief (in the face of the women's testimony and some recollection of the third day being important)
Standouts: Jesus compassion upon them-- his condescending to their weakness. His taking the time to give them a lesson of a lifetime in pointing out to them text after text in Old Testament that referred to him (his ministry, his life, his death, his resurrection)
Point: Jesus taking time to convince his disciples and give them a firm conviction as it regarded his resurrection.
Fascinating: The established basis for belief in his resurrection was not initially their sight of him but the testimony of the Scriptures****- anticipating his words in John 20:29 "Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." I'm also reminded of the verse "We walk by faith and not by sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7.
2. Acts 1:1-3 -Jesus' many convincing proofs
"In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."
After rising from the dead, Jesus spent 40 additional days on earth before returning to the Father and His heavenly glory. Over the course of these 40 days he had one chief purpose-- to convince his disciples and followers that He had risen from the dead.
What did Jesus do to convince his disciples that he had risen
a. Multiple appearances to them (varying numbers each time) at different locations
b. Spent 40 days with them (that's a long time)
c. He let them touch him (doubting Thomas)
d. He ate with them
e. He spoke to them and taught them
f. He performed some more miracles (i.e the miraculous catch of 153 fish)
The result: When Jesus ascended there was no doubt in their minds that the one ascending was Jesus and that he had risen from the dead.
3. Job 19:25-27 The faith of Job and his great declaration "My redeemer lives"
In Job 19:25-27 it says; "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes-I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
I love this text, which predates the first coming of Jesus by at 1000 years, for a number of reasons-- the pre-eminent one being that it is about Jesus
The context in which Job makes this statement
-He being tested by God
-He a righteous man
-He a righteous sufferer
-He at the "end of his rope" He in a pit of despair
-By God's permission Satan had afflicted Job-- taking away from him his children, his possessions, his health. Through it all Job stayed faithful to God-- refusing to curse God and die.
-Hearing of his plight, some of Job's friends visited him. Instead of comforting him they proceeded to repeatedly tell Job that what he was experiencing was his fault, and God's punishment against him for his sin.
Job found there words to be heart breaking- for in in Job 19:1 he says; "How long will you torment me and crush me with words?" Following this Job expresses his sorrows, his sufferings, his feeling that God was against him for now reason."
Job's faith
Despite all of his sorrow, Job still believed in God. Job still had hope. Job still had faith and it is this that he clings tenaciously!
Job believed that he had one in Heaven who interceded for him as a friend. In Job 16:19-21 he says; "Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.
Job's words in Job 16 lead straight to Job 19:25-27 and this powerful declaration of faith about Jesus.
An interesting thought
Usually when a person losses their health the only thing they care about is getting better again. Such is not the case for Job. In reading Job he makes it clear that he has given up all hope of ever recovering (Job 17:1)- while such was the case he held on to this one thing: He had a Redeemer! How fascinating-- Job was looking forward beyond the grave to the life to come.
Having lost everything, Job's one comfort was that he had a Redeemer who would vindicate him, who would declare him righteous, who would rescue him, who would one day reward him.. Such is to be our comfort.
Note: Job did not have a relative in mind when he spoke of having a Redeemer. He ultimately had Jesus in mind- though he did not yet know his name.
Redeemer/Goel
-In Jewish society kinsmen redeemers had a duty to help, support, avenge, deliver from bondage. Such a duty fell to the closest relative
-Job's hope is not in an earthly redeemer but in a heavenly one, the person of Christ
Jesus is our closest kinsmen. There is none so near as Christ. In Hebrews 2:11 it says of Jesus in relation to us who are his followers "So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters"
Interesting: Job spoke of his Redeemer as "living" at the time he speaks
Jesus indeed was - remember the words of Christ in the Gospel of John "Before Abraham was "I am"
Interesting: Job looked forward to the day of redemption- to the 2nd coming of Christ, the day of the resurrection to come
"Yet in my flesh I will see God"-- speaking of the resurrection to come (the one that will happen when Jesus returns)
Note Jesus' words in John 5:28-29 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned." (Also see Daniel 12:1-2, Acts 24:15, Isaiah 26:19-21etc)
As Job looked forward to the coming of His Redeemer/Christ- we are to look forward.
In Luke 21:25-28 Jesus says about the end of this age ""There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
In Hebrews 11:1-2 it says; "Faith is being sure of what we hope for an certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for."
Our Redeemer lives! Christ arose.
As Job looked forward, our faith is forward looking and not rooted in the things of this world
Though we may lose everything in this life, we to hold on to our faith and our hope in Christ (it is a secure faith and hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead)
Death is not the end-- hence we can face death confidently-- knowing that we will be resurrected to life, knowing that with our own eyes we will see God and we will be vindicated-- declared righteous in Christ- our advocate (the very same advocate whom Job trusted)
There is only 1 Redeemer-- Jesus Christ. There is only one way to be saved from the Judgment to come-- That's in Jesus. Put your faith in him today.