JESUS, OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER
PO Box 5204,
Uvalde,
Texas 78802-5204
USA
Although our Lord Jesus Christ was actually born at the Fall Feast of Tabernacles, this is the time of year when many Christians remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and praise Him or His goodness towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, He came to this earth in order that He might redeem us, His people.
According to Leviticus 25:47-49, if a man lost everything that he had through some great misfortune and had to sell himself as a slave, he could redeem himself-but if he didn’t have the price necessary to redeem himself, he could only be redeemed by a near kinsman . This was called the kinsman-redemption, and it dealt with the redemption of persons and inheritance.
As a people, we have found ourselves in the same predicament spoken of in this passage in Leviticus except our situation is worse, because the stakes are much higher! Ours is one of eternal consequence! We are a fallen people, and have been sold as slaves under sin (Romans 7:14; 3:23; Isaiah 53:6)!
According to God’s Law, we may redeem ourselves we just have to have the price necessary to do it. The problem is, that price is sinless perfection, and any attempt that you or I might make to pay this price would come back marked insufficient funds! That means the only way out of our bondage, and the only hope for the regeneration of our souls and the restoration of our lost inheritance, is for one of our kinsmen to redeem us.
But in the kinsman-redemption, all of the following requirements had-to be met in order for redemption to be secured:
First, the redeemer must be a near kinsman (related by flesh and blood). This could really be anyone-a father, an uncle, a brother, a cousin. But God knew that none of the above had the price required. We have all sinned none of us are without blemish-so He “kinned ” himself to us, by donning flesh and blood. He was born of the virgin Mary, who was an Israelite of the tribe of Judah. Thus, our God became one of us, our own flesh and blood-and in doing so, He made Himself eligible to become our kinsman-redeemer! That’s the whole reason for the manger! He made Himself our kinsman. He met the requirement!
Secondly, the kinsman-redeemer must have the price required. That price, as has been stated, is sinless perfection. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only one in all of history who was absolutely flawless in regard to God’s Law. He was tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He met the requirement!
Thirdly, the kinsman-redeemer must be willing to pay the price required. Having the price required was not enough. That price-that sinless life-had to be given willingly for the redemption. But was Christ willing to lay down His own sinless life in order to redeem us lowly, pitiful sinners?
As stated earlier, the stakes were high. It was much more than paying off all our debts.
It was more like sitting in the electric chair in our stead, but even that example is mild! God stepped into flesh and blood to kin Himself to us, and He had the price required . . . now He had to be willing to pay that price. But was He willing?
To His everlasting praise, He was indeed willing to pay the price (Ruth 4:4-10; Matthew 26:39,42; Hebrews 12:2) Hallelujah! He met the requirement!
Lastly, all of the above requirements having been met, He must now actually pay the price of redemption . Our Lord did this on the cross! As the song says, “He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay!” He has exchanged His sinlessness for our sinfulness, and has paid the price for our redemption in FULL (Isaiah 53:5; Romans 3:24-6, 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:18-21) Bless His Holy Name! He met the requirement! He met all of the requirements! Our Lord Jesus Christ, our near kinsman, has redeemed us!
“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
The principle of the kinsman-redeemer is the main theme of the Old Testament book of Ruth. Just as Boaz redeemed Ruth, our Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed us! But more than that-as if that weren’t enough-just as Boaz took Ruth to wife, our Lord Jesus Christ has taken us to be His Bride! Hallelujah! The redemption has been obtained, and we have been betrothed to our kinsman-redeemer! Glory to God and the Lamb forever!
So, whether you remember Christ’s birth at the fall feasts or in December, or both, make that time of remembrance a celebration of rejoicing in your salvation! Because He could have never gone to the cross if He hadn’t first gone to the manger and kinned Himself with us! “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” AMEN.
