Good morning,
It was about 4,000 years ago when Abraham and his boys were still around that a really good man in a lot of pain and trouble brought up a topic we still hang on to today. Job was sitting on the ground in lots of physical and emotional pain surrounded by three good hearted friends who didn’t know what they were talking about. Job’s friends were sure that there must be some sort of awful sin in his life for God to treat him this way. Since God had not confronted Job on any of the issues they raised, Job felt betrayed and desperate. As he reached a very low point in his defense, Job burst out with words we still use today. He said “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.” (Job 19:25) We may even have sung these words this last week. What the Lord has planted in the hearts of all his faithful servants is the truth that God will take care of the sin issue that separates us from the God who loves us and wants an eternal relationship with us.
It was 2000 years later that Jesus came and accomplished what he had promised to all of those early saints. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice that then allowed him to become the perfect High Priest that would deal with the sin issue for the rest of time and eternity. Now Jesus is seated right next to God the Father acting out in real time what it means that he is our Heavenly Redeemer. Jesus has been watching quietly as God’s kids, like Job, are often surrounded by hurtful friends and mean spirited enemies who do their best to turn his blood washed family away from their Redeemer and instead become self focused on their own righteousness. Now 2000 years later that one act of loving sacrifice on that cruel cross is still all that is needed to silence our relentless accuser. Like Job, we as God’s kids are surrounded by powerful media voices, clever school teachers, unsaved family members, false religious teachers and that inner accusing voice that reminds us of how wrong we are. On the other hand our Redeemer keeps reminding us that he has finished his work, has paid the full price for our sins and now has given us a holy standing with the Judge and Father of all mankind. May the Lord help us to keep remembering Easter all year long.
Hebrews 10:12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
Roy Wisner
