(The following Broadcaster article is edited/adapted from the April 2011 edition)
Fanny Crosby wrote some great lyrics in her time as a hymn writer: "Blessed Assurance," "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour," "Praise Him, Praise Him," "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling," "All the Way My Savior Leads Me," "Near the Cross," and "To God Be the Glory," just to name a few of her all-time greats. In particular, however, Fanny wrote another beautiful hymn, this time masterfully articulating our spiritual position in Christ (based on scripture):
"You were redeemed...with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Fanny wrote the hymn, "Redeemed," and our hymnals celebrate this wonderful anthem which reminds us of God's work in Christ on the cross. As we approach Easter this month (Sunday, April 4th), let the stanzas and chorus prepare you for the blessing of Jesus' willing sacrifice on the cross, his death, burial and subsequent 3rd day resurrection on Easter morning:
Redeemed--how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.
The latin word for redeem is "redimere" which means "to buy back." Over the years the word has come to mean several things. The World English Dictionary states as its first definition of redeem: "to recover possession or ownership of by payment of a price or service; regain." How beautiful is that? But it gets better. Note the ninth and theological definition of the word redeem from Dictionary.com: "to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner." When we consider both definitions we find that Jesus' death on the cross was fulfilling a legal and financial requirement. As we consider Lent, and this time of confession/repentance, it is vital that we remember the element of Jesus' sacrifice that bought us back from death. Redemption is something that makes sense to us when we present coupons at the grocery store or when we print off a ticket that we take to a concert, giving us the privilege of entry or access. Those purchases "buy back" our rights to goods and services. In a similar fashion, we are "bought back" with the blood of Christ and that makes us joy-filled Christians. Read another faith-filled verse of "Redeemed" straight from the heart and pen of Fanny Crosby:
Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.
Paul talks about redemption in his letter to the Corinthians: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price" (1 Cor. 6:19-20a). Knowing that God paid the ultimate price for our lives means we cannot begin to consider the immeasurable cost of our sin! The weight and the burden of that price could only be carried and supported by Christ, the One Who was willing to die in our place! The price was way too high for us to pay! Even if we lived a thousand lifetimes it would still not be enough. But praise God through Jesus Christ that his Son was raised from the dead and through him we can know eternal life! This is the message of Easter, "...that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them..." (2 Cor. 5:19a). What a blessed reality! What a supreme joy! What a magnificent gift! And since we are redeemed, it's true that much of this joy can truly be explained best in song:
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.
One day we will be privileged to see our Savior face to face. We will see our God who loved us and made us for him. We will share in his glory forever and ever and there will be no more tears and no more crying. There will be no more sin, no more enemy, and no more death. But until we reach heaven we can experience redemption on a daily basis as we witness the redeeming work of Christ living itself out in our choices and actions. By living life humbly and in obedience to God, people will see what a redeemed life looks like. They will realize that a follower of Christ participates in life while trusting in Christ to give joy and peace in moments of struggle and trial. They will see an endurance that can only be explained by a life totally surrendered to God and his call. They will observe the Christ-follower who knows he/she is the LORD's child and is forever in God's care...through the "buy-back" (redemption) of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross.
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose way I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.
Holy Week is here, dear friends. We will experience together the moments of sacrificial, loving service (Jesus in the Upper Room), betrayal (Peter) and abandonment (Judas Iscariot) during our Maundy Thursday service on April 1 (6:30pm) and patiently wait for Easter Sunday morning to come. As we enter into these final days of Lent may we remember the price that Jesus paid for us on Calvary's tree. We are indeed, bought back, recovered, repossessed, truly redeemed by the blood of the Lamb! Because of this wonderful truth we must praise our God daily for sending the perfect sacrifice for our sin so that we might enjoy a present-day relationship with God through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us never forget--there is no Easter without an empty cross, there is no Easter without an empty tomb, and there is no emptiness in our hearts because of the Redeemer who conquered sin and death on Calvary's hill! Amen!
Dear friends, let us continue to serve God and one another in love, the same kind of love that expresses itself best through the symbols of a towel and a wash basin (John 13). Let us care for one another's physical, mental, and spiritual best as we seek to care for one another in these unprecedented times. And may we never lose sight of the fact that God loudly expresses our reality found in the gracious gift of the Lamb of God, the Savior who takes away the sins of the world:
"YOU ARE REDEEMED!"
Believe it, embody it, celebrate it! Embrace the fact that you are redeemed and indeed called to proclaim this reality in word and in deed. Therefore, let our hearts sing with spiritual passion:
"Redeemed, how [we] love to proclaim it!" Amen!
Redeemed with all of you thanks to Jesus,
><> Pastor Will <><
John 3:30