“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth…” – Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)
Many of us are familiar with that old hymn Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It, one of the lines in the hymn is as follows …‘redeemed by the blood of the lamb, redeemed through His infinite mercy’. Jesus, our merciful Saviour redeemed us, He paid the price, He stood in our place (Isaiah 53:7).
A quick research of the word redemption will yield several definitions. For example, according to the Gospel Coalition, redemption means to “secure the release or recovery of persons or things by the payment of a price associated with ransom, atonement, and substitution.” This definition in itself is quite profound and at once gives a clear picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary! What, then, should be our response? According to Isaiah 44:21-23, we should:
- Remember (verse 21) – God admonishes us to remember Whose we are, Who made us, and how much He loves us. He also makes a promise of His own that He will not forget us. Therefore, in the good times, in the bad times, and at all times, we should remember the goodness and faithfulness of God and magnify His name.
- Return (verse 22) – Having redeemed us, God encourages us to come back to Him even though we fail numerous times and fall short on a daily basis. He forgives us and gives us a fresh chance repeatedly, as Jesus has already paid the price.
- Rejoice (verse 23) – This singular act of Jesus dying on the cross and paying the blood price for our sins is reason enough for us to rejoice as requested by God. He (Jesus) made a way for us to have direct access to God, to have a relationship with Him, and serve Him faithfully.
Beloved, let’s all take a moment and reflect on our own lives. Where would we have been if not for the grace of our loving Father? Every day we rise to see a new day. We must find time to thankfully remember, return and rejoice in what Jesus accomplished for us all on Calvary’s cross.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, today we pause to acknowledge the depth of Your love for us, we thank You for redemption, and we make a fresh committment to daily remember, return, and rejoice despite what may come our way; in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: Colossians 1:19-23; Hebrews 10:15-18Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 102:12-17; I Corinthians 15:35-49; 2 Chronicles 18:28-34; 2 Chronicles 19; 2 Chronicles 20; 2 Chronicles 21:1-3
