Redemption: God's Wisest Plan - Part 1

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This is the third sermon in a series of messages on the topic of Redemption. This message discusses God's ordaining of the plan for redeeming humanity before the creation and it also speaks of the ways redemption is symbolized and foreshadowed in the Old Testament.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:  After speaking about man’s greatest need last week, we are going to continue discussing the overall plan of redemption from beginning to end. The title of the message today is: Redemption: God’s Wisest Plan. God’s overall plan of redemption is a wonderful plan. It truly is “His Wisest Plan!”

His plan unfolded and became revealed over a long period of time stretching from eternity past to eternity future. Because there is so much to cover in this area, we are going to consider part of it today and part of it next Sunday. This week we are going to talk about the beginning of the plan and how it unfolded throughout the Old Testament of the Bible.

I. The redemption of humanity was planned before creation.

1 Peter 1:18-20 (NKJV) ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰ He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

Verse 20 here indicates that the “lamb” was “foreordained” before the foundation of the world.

“foreordained” – literally means “having been foreknown”

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) So we say that in regard to Christ and to his precious blood the foreknowledge of God rested on his gracious decision to send him as our Ransomer; because God so decided he foreknew, the verb implies, not a bare previous knowledge, but one in which God was most deeply concerned cum affectu et effectu. (with feeling and performance)

Acts 2:22-24 (NKJV) ²² "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- ²³ Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

In other words, the birth, life, and sacrificial death of God’s Son was all decided and planned out before the world was ever created.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “So what? God decided and knew before creation that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ would come and redeem humanity with his life’s blood. What is so significant about that?”

Significance – God knew beforehand that man would sin, but He created man anyway. 

·     It seems to imply that God values human free will more than guaranteed obedience. 

·     It also seems to imply that the plan God made was absolutely adequate to deal with the problem of sin.

Man’s disobedience and fall into sin, didn’t catch God by surprise, and so therefore, the redemption plan was thoroughly and adequately planned to perfectly match the need or problem. wasn’t a haphazard, hastily devised plan that failed to cover every possibility.

(Greater Vision)

O the blood still cleanses hearts of sin

It still delivers fallen man

It has never lost its power to save

No the blood hasn’t ever changed.

The plan of redemption is the oldest plan in the universe and it is still just as effective as it ever was, and it always will be! Hallelujah!

II. The redemption of humanity is foreshadowed in the OT.

The second phase of the unfolding plan that we want to talk about is the foreshadowing that is presented in the OT.

“Fore” + “shadow” – fore = beforehand. Shadow = shade cast by light over an object, not the real object, thus a type, symbol, or representation of the real object. 

Hebrews 9:23-24 (NKJV) ²³ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these [i.e. blood, water, scarlet wool and hyssop mentioned in v. 19], but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Col. 2:16-17 (NKJV) ¹⁶ So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷ which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Heb. 8:4-5 (NKJV) ⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

A.  Redemption is specifically symbolized, typified, and represented in the OT covenant that required sacrifices and offerings.

Requirements for the tabernacle/temple, sacrificial animals, altar, priests, etc. have symbolic significance. 

B.  Redemption is pictured in OT passages about the nature of God and the ethical requirements for man.

OT shows truths about God’s nature that are important in understanding redemption. (Love, Holiness, Grace, etc.)

Ethical requirements of the Law (Ten Commandments) so man could continue to live in relationship with God.

C.  Redemption is foreshadowed in God’s covenant and dealings with the nation of Israel.

God’s care for Israel to produce Messiah and illustrate what redemption and salvation are all about.

God chose Israel out of sovereign grace.

God remains true to covenant promises.

God forgives Israel’s frequent backslidings.

God sovereignly guides nation to produce Messiah/Savior.

Conclusion:

There is much more to cover in regards to God’s Plan of Redemption, but we do not have time to talk about it today. Next week, the Lord willing, we will continue by looking at the plan of redemption being completed and fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. We will also talk about redemption’s finale in the future glory.

I want to sing an old familiar hymn before we celebrate the Lord’s Supper:

Nothing but the Blood