REDEMPTION
“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption!” (Heb. 9:12 NKJV).
The theme of this verse is redemption. Redemption means to pay a ransom to free someone. We were all captives of sin (cf. Rom. 6:17), but God has provided for our redemption. Our verse speaks about this wonderful redemption. It speaks of the payer of this redemption, the price of this redemption, and the permanency of this redemption.
Payer of this redemption - “But with His own blood He…obtained eternal redemption.” The “His” in this verse is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One Who paid for our redemption. This was the purpose of His coming to earth some two thousand years ago. In Matt. 20:28 we read, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Price of this redemption - “But with His own blood.” The price of our redemption was costly. We did not have the means or wealth to pay for our own redemption or the redemption of others from sin (cf. Psalm 49:7-8; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the price. That the price of redemption was the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ tells us how great our sin is. We should never minimize the enormity of our sin; it took the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem us from our sin.
Permanency of this redemption - “Eternal redemption.” Our redemption is a permanent redemption. Once the ransom for our soul was paid, we will never have to have another ransom paid. No price was ever as great or equal to that paid for our salvation. Therefore, God will not let the saved be lost again (cf. John 10:28). This redemption makes us forever free from the condemnation of sin. There are some folks who do not believe in the security of the believer, but Scripture teaches it.
(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 2)
Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)
Quotation of the Week
“Jesus Christ is both the only price and sacrifice by which eternal redemption is obtained for believers!”
Jonathan Edwards (1703 - 1758)
American Revivalist Preacher, Philosopher, and Theologian
Word Study
Food
In 1 Cor. 3:2 we read, “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able” (NKJV).
“Food” is the Greek word brōma (βρῶμα = bro'-mah). The word most often is used as a general reference to food, anything you chew for nourishment. In classical Greek, brōma was a primary word for food or meat. In the Septuagint, brōma was the term for food. In the New Testament brōma usually denotes food in the literal sense (cf. 1 Cor. 10:3). However, brōma was also used in a figurative sense. In John 4:34, the Lord Jesus states, “My food (brōma) is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” Here in 1 Cor. 3:2 brōma signifies teaching that is more advanced, teaching that could only be understood by the more mature, and teaching that was instrumental in their continuing maturation. So, the apostle Paul is contrasting solid food (brōma) with milk. Brōma is a key word in 1 Corinthians.
Did You Know…
The name of the Lord Jesus Christ only appears twice in the Book of James (Jam. 1:1; 2:1).
Bible Quiz
How long was Daniel inside the lions’ den?
**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz
In king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, in the Book of Daniel, what were the feet of the statue made of? Both iron and clay (Dan. 2:33).
Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ
Betrayed by a friend, not an enemy (Psalm 55:12-14; cf. John 13:18)
"For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng” (Psalm 55:12-14 NJKV).
In context, the Psalmist David is in deep lament as he finds himself in danger from a trusted friend. The betrayal cuts deep because their ties of friendship. In a similar manner, Judas, one of the twelve, betrayed the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus called him a friend, and treated him equally as He treated the other disciples. However, Judas was a false friend who betrayed the Lord Jesus with a kiss. Betrayed trust is one of life’s most difficult pills to swallow, and how we respond to those who hurt us is a true test of our faith. When someone hurts us, do we live on the divine level and return good for evil? When others do their worst, leave it with God. He will meet our needs and use us to glorify Himself.
Did You Know – Christian History
Ex-Slave Henry Garnet Addressed U.S. House - February 12, 1865
Henry Highland Garnet was born into slavery on December 23, 1815, in Chesterville, (then New Market), Kent County, Maryland. He was an American abolitionist, minister, educator, orator, and diplomat.
Garnet grew up in New York City, having escaped as a child from slavery in Maryland with his family (Quakers helped them on their way to freedom). He was educated at the African Free School, and later the Noyes Academy and the Oneida Institute. As a Presbyterian minister, his drive for abolitionism was based in religion. Garnet was a prominent member of the movement that favored political action over moral suasion. Renowned for his skills as a public speaker, he urged enslaved African Americans to take direct action in freeing themselves from slavery. Garnet was a supporter of the emigration of American free blacks to Mexico, Liberia, or the West Indies, founding the African Civilization Society alongside Martin Delany. In 1841, Garnet married abolitionist Julia Ward Williams and they had three children. In 1852, Garnet became a missionary with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. He traveled to Jamaica with his family until 1855, when he returned to the United States due to health concerns.
On February 12, 1865, the galleries of the United States House of Representatives were packed. Black and white alike vied for a place where they might share in the historic moment. For the first time in the history of the Republic, a black man, an ex-slave was about to address the House of Representatives. It was President Lincoln who asked Presbyterian minister Henry Highland Garnet to deliver a sermon in the United State House of Representatives. Other national leaders had added their encouragement. Now Garnet stood poised to give one of the two most important speeches of his life. He had delivered the other speech 22 years earlier, in 1843. His sermon was to be given due to Congress’ passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, and the end of slavery.
During the 19th Century, the House Chamber regularly hosted religious services and other large meetings when the House was not in session. Garnet was invited to commemorate the House’s approval of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery two weeks earlier on January 31, 1865. Garnet spoke to a crowded chamber and challenged Congress to “Emancipate, Enfranchise, [and to] Educate.” Of slavery, Garnet said, “Upon the total and complete destruction of this accursed sin depends the safety and perpetuity of our Republic and its excellent institutions.” He compared those who kept slaves to the Pharisees whom Jesus charged with laying heavy burdens on others while refusing to lift a finger themselves. He exclaimed, “Great God! I would as soon attempt to enslave Gabriel or Michael as to enslave a man made in the image of God, and for whom Christ died. Slavery is snatching man from the high place to which he was lifted by the hand of God, and dragging him down to the level of the brute creation, where he is made to be the companion of the horse and the fellow of the ox.” Garnett died in Liberia in 1882, having become an advocate of establishing a state of free blacks there.
A Little Humor
The Church sign reads: “Come as you are.” A man shows up in pajamas. The greeter at the door whispers, “We meant spiritually… not literally.”
Thought Provoking Church Sign
“Christ’s resurrection powers our redemption!”
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