Redemption: Heaven's Sweetest Song

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This is a sermon that was given by Pastor Les on Sept. 4, 2016 and it is the first of a series of messages on the topic of "Redemption." It is an introduction to the series and stresses the text in Rev. 5:9.

Written Excerpts:

Revelation 5:9 (KJV) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Introduction:

A few years ago I did a series of Bible study lessons on Wednesday nights regarding the topic of redemption. At that time I said if I was to reduce the message of the entire Bible to just one word, it would be the word “redemption.” For several weeks now I’ve been feeling led to develop a series of sermons on this same study of Redemption.

I want to introduce the series today by reading a story that was one of the favorites that Paul Harvey used to read on his radio program every year at Easter. (The Bird Cage)

This morning I want to give you some explanations of the term redemption, then I want to finish up by briefly looking at the verse in Revelation, which is the basis for the sermon title today.

I. The Meaning of Redemption

Earthly/material meaning or applications:

Buy Back – i.e. Pawn Shop  

Pay Off – i.e. a lien, ransom  

Turn in / Exchange – i.e. Lottery/Raffle Ticket; Store Coupons

Atone for – i.e. “He redeemed himself by bringing roses home the next day.”

Spiritual Meaning: Gal. 4:1-7. Context is 3:13ff; i.e. purpose of the law 

We were in “slavery” to elements of the world. (4:3) “Elements” = rudiments, principles; that is, material vs. spiritual principles. Understood in context, it means temporal, visible, or elementary understanding of the law. Now it’s time to “graduate” to spiritual understanding.

God redeemed us from condemnation of law. We now are no longer slaves, but sons.

(Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms.) Redemption - The process by which sinful humans are “bought back” from the bondage of sin into relationship with God through grace by the “payment” of Jesus' death. Redemption is one of the pictures or metaphors that the NT uses to give insight into God's gracious saving work in Jesus.

Oswald Chambers – The cross of Jesus Christ and his baptism express the same thing. Our Lord was not a martyr; he was not merely a good man; he was God Incarnate. He came down to the lowest reach of creation in order to bring back the whole human race to God, and in order to do this he must take upon him, as representative man, the whole massed sin of the race. (Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World)

(Charles Hodge, Quoted in Easton’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) The purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom…. There are many passages in the New Testament which represent Christ's sufferings under the idea of a ransom or price, and the result thereby secured is a purchase or redemption (Compare Acts 20:28; 1Co 6:19, 20; Gal 3:13; Gal 4:4, 5; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; 1Ti 2:5, 6; Tit 2:14; Heb 9:12; 1Pe 1:18, 19; Rev 5:9). The idea running through all these texts, however various their reference, is that of payment made for our redemption. The debt against us is not viewed as simply cancelled, but is fully paid. Christ's blood or life, which he surrendered for them, is the "ransom" by which the deliverance of his people from the servitude of sin and from its penal consequences is secured. It is the plain doctrine of Scripture that "Christ saves us neither by the mere exercise of power, nor by his doctrine, nor by his example, nor by the moral influence which he exerted, nor by any subjective influence on his people, whether natural or mystical, but as a satisfaction to divine justice, as an expiation for sin, and as a ransom from the curse and authority of the law, thus reconciling us to God by making it consistent with his perfection to exercise mercy toward sinners" (Hodge's Systematic Theology).

Charles Hodge’s extensive definition here includes the same concept that was expressed in the story of the caged birds that I shared earlier. But, it goes beyond the mere deliverance from entrapment and slavery to sin and the Devil. It also delivers and ransoms us from the curse of the law, which condemns us to death because of our sin.

(The New Unger's Bible Dictionary) Redemption implies [prior] bondage. Thus the word refers primarily to man’s subjection to the dominion and curse of sin (see Galatians 3:13; 1 Cor. 15:56). Also in a secondary sense to the bondage of Satan as the head of the kingdom of darkness, and to the bondage of death as the penalty of sin (see Acts 26:18; Hebrews 2:14-15). Redemption from this bondage is represented in the Scriptures as both universal and limited. It is universal in the sense that its advantages are freely offered to all. It is limited in the sense that it is effectual only with respect to those who meet the conditions of salvation announced in the gospel. For such it is effectual in that they receive forgiveness of sins and the power to lead a new and holy life. Satan is no longer their captor, and death has lost its sting and terror.

God has paid the price of redemption for every human being, but it is only effective for those who recognize their need to be redeemed and receive the deliverance and freedom offered through the message of the gospel.

Leith Anderson, "The Lord Is My Shepherd," Preaching Today.   God Bought Back His Sheep - There's a line in the Old Testament written by Isaiah that tells the result of God's gamble, Isaiah 53:6: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." Although God has a right to own us because he created us, he gave us the option of freedom, and we all left. We chose sin and did not love him as he wanted to be loved. In response, he chose to send out his own son to look for us, to hunt us down, to find and redeem us at a terrible cost—the cost of his own life.

A shepherd notches the ear of a lamb born to his flock and has rightful ownership. That lamb deliberately walks away. The shepherd searches near and far to get that lamb back. A long time later, he finds not a baby lamb but a grown sheep for sale at an animal auction. The shepherd recognizes his mark on that sheep's ear. He goes to the auctioneer and says, "I can see the mark. That sheep is mine."

The auctioneer says, "Listen, you must bid and pay just like anybody else."

The shepherd bids and pays an outrageous price, far above any reasonable market value in order to get his lamb. He now has a double right to own this sheep: from birth, and from redemption.

God has a right to own us as creator and because he has paid the blood of his own Son—an outrageous price far above our market value—in order to redeem us back again. (Today's Best Illustrations)

Oh, dear friends, this passage in Isaiah and this illustration accurately depicts our plight. We rightfully belonged to God because of His act of creation. However, with the free will He created in us, we chose to use to walk away and seek our own happiness and satisfaction. We ultimately found ourselves in bondage and slavery to sin and under the curse of the law. In a very real sense we found ourselves on the devil’s auction block being sold for slaughter. Christ came along and offers to buy us back with His own life. All we have to do is once again acknowledge His rightful ownership and submit to His loving will.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The idea of redemption in the Old Testament takes its start from the thought of property (Leviticus 25:26; Ruth 4:4ff). Money is paid according to law to buy back something which must be delivered or rescued (Numbers 3:51; Neh. 5:8)….

In the New Testament the idea of redemption has more a suggestion of ransom. Men are held under the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), or of sin itself (Romans 7:23f). The Redeemer purchases their deliverance by offering Himself as payment for their redemption (Ephes. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18).

I think this is illustrated by this OT passage:

Exodus 13:11-15 (NKJV) ¹¹ "And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, ¹² that you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD'S. ¹³ But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. ¹⁴ So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.'

II. Heaven’s Sweetest Song

Revelation 5:9 (KJV) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

“They” – The “four living creatures and twenty-four elders.”

The creatures and elders are described in 4:6-11. Elders – possibly 12 Patriarchs from OT and 12 Apostles from NT.

They sing a new song and it is a song of being redeemed. It is new because now redemption is completed; now merely planned.

It is a sweet song because it honors and acknowledges the Lamb.

It is a sweet song because it showcases God’s crowning work: Redemption of humanity; i.e. those who were created in the image of God.

God didn’t redeem the angels who fell.

God has redeemed people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Conclusion:

Redemption is the theme of the entire Bible. From cover to cover, it reveals to us God’s wonderful plan and work to ransom His people from bondage to Satan and from the curse of the Law. He truly is worthy to receive the songs of worship and praise that is being sung in heaven. The song of redemption, I believe, is going on today, and it will go on forever! Hallelujah!