365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 123: Redeemer

Redeemer

"Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob...You will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise." (Isaiah 60:16b, 18b NIV)

God is always intently about the business of bringing us to "then"—the point when we know Who He is.

"Redeemer," specifically, helps us to know that God bought our freedom for the highest of prices.

"The Bible says sin is in charge of us—we are its slaves. It has robbed us of our freedom and our hearts are in chains. How do slaves get free? Someone 'redeems' them—pays the price to buy them back out of slavery and set them free. Jesus redeemed us out of slavery to sin. He paid the price to get us back. What was the price? His life." (From "Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing," by Sally Lloyd-Jones.)

This is the great exchange:

The Redeemer's freedom for our freedom.
The Redeemer's life for our life.

In this exchange—in redemption—there is transformation and reclamation. Look at the promise of Isaiah 60:18: "You will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise."

When we are slaves to sin, we call our walls captivity, but when the Redeemer buys our freedom, we call them "Salvation." When we are slaves to sin, we call our gates confinement, but when the Redeemer buys our freedom, we call them Praise.

And "then" we know: there is a Redeemer.

"There is a Redeemer—
Jesus, God's own Son,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
Holy One.

Jesus, my Redeemer, name above all names,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,
O for sinners slain."

(From "There Is a Redeemer;" performed by Selah; words and music by Melody Green; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_68nZLDjdYY.)