What does it mean that Jesus is our Redeemer?

“We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.” He paid the price at Calvary, and by this became our Redeemer, that is the Redeemer of all those who have believed in Him.

The sin-bound sinner must therefore look outside of himself for deliverance. A Redeemer has stepped forward in the person of the Only-begotten Son of God, the redemption price being His own most precious blood. This having perfectly satisfied the claims of God's throne, gives the Redeemer the right to set free all who look to Him in the simplicity of faith. Believers are entitled to say, "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1). Over all such, sin has lost its power, and Satan his authority. They delight to yield themselves servants to righteousness to holiness, and have become the willing bondservants of God and the Lord Jesus. They serve in liberty of spirit, love being their governing motive from first to last. Perhaps the finest example of this in the New Testament is Paul the Apostle.

Redemption is the other line of truth, closely akin to "purchase", but applicable only to those who have in repentance and faith, received the Lord Jesus as Savior. "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). This is much more than "purchase." lf a slave has merely been bought, it usually means that he becomes the slave of the purchaser. However, if he is redeemed he is not only bought, but set fully free. Believers have been liberated from the guilt of their sins and from the bondage of sin by the precious blood of Christ. Simply by receiving Christ into the heart, this liberty becomes effective. Wonderful liberty of grace!

Verse 14 is just as absolute as to present, accomplished blessing as are verses 12 and 13. All believers "have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Redemption is the total liberation of the person from bondage by means of a price paid, the price of the blood of Christ. Forgiveness of sins is a complete discharging of those things by which we had offended our Creator. Nothing is held against us, for the blood of Christ has answered for it all.

Sin has also brought all mankind into bondage: it has enslaved us. Therefore redemption is another great necessity. God's Word says concerning believers, that in Christ "we have redemption through His blood" (Eph. 1: 7). That signifies the complete setting free and bringing back by virtue of a price paid; that price the bloodshedding of the Son of God. Only God can measure the greatness of that price, but believers can certainly appreciate the marvellous liberty it has brought them.

We are also REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD of CHRIST. This is repeatedly set forth in the word of God. "In whom we have redemption through His blood," etc. (Eph. 1:7.) "Forasmuch as ye know," says Peter, "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold … but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19.) The Lord Himself expresses the same truth when He says, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life [for the life is in the blood] a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:28.) The meaning of "ransom" is, a price paid for redemption, while redemption signifies the buying back, and consequently deliverance from a state of captivity or bondage. Redemption, therefore, effects a complete change of state, and thus we are reminded of what we were, and of what through grace, in the provision of the precious blood of Christ, we have become. This truth may be illustrated by the redemption (whatever the difference of its character) of the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were under the iron yoke of Pharaoh; their lives made "bitter with hard bondage" — type of the natural condition of man. But God interposed on behalf of His people, and He smote the land of Egypt with plague after plague. At last judgment was pronounced upon all the first-born, whether of man or of beast, in the land. The question of sin having been raised, Israel was as liable to the judgment as Egypt. How then could God righteously screen His people while smiting the Egyptians? The answer was found in the blood of the lamb, type of the blood of Christ, which by God's own command was sprinkled upon their houses. "I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." (Ex. 12:12-13.)

One of the chief aspects presented to us in the Scriptures is, that the blood of Christ was our ransom. This is expressed most clearly in several passages in the Word of God. 'Forasmuch as ye know,' says Peter, 'that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold … but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1 Peter 1:18-19). Again, 'In whom we have redemption through His blood' (Eph. 1:7). The redeemed also sing, 'Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood,' etc. Rev. 5:9). The Lord Himself expresses the same truth when He says, 'The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many' (Matt. 20:28). Now, the meaning of 'ransom' is a price paid for redemption; of 'redemption,' to buy back or out of a state of captivity or bondage. If, therefore, the blood of Christ was our ransom, it involves several things.

But what were we, it might well be asked, to need such a ransom? We were poor slaves of Satan, afflicted with hard bondage, even as the Israelites were bowed down under the cruel yoke of Pharaoh. And not only were we under the enemy's power, but we were there because of our sins; and thus, at the same time, under the just judgment of God. Until therefore the question of our sins, as also that of the sins of Israel, was settled, God was not free in righteousness to act for our deliverance. Thus, when He went through the land of Egypt in judgment, His own people were as guilty as their oppressors, and nothing but the blood of the passover lamb ransomed them from the destroyer's stroke. "When I see the blood," Jehovah said, "I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:13.) For that blood, shadowing forth that of Christ, answered all His holy claims, and, covering up their guilt from His sight, as well as substituting for their guilt its own preciousness before His eye, effectually screened them from His wrath as the holy Judge. So with ourselves. We were guilty sinners, and had all come short of the glory of God; and as such were exposed to the condemnation and doom of sin. But God was gracious, and interposed, saying, as it were, "Deliver them from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom." (See Job 33:24.) And that ransom was the precious blood of Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." It is an immense thing for the soul to perceive the simple truth, that God gave His only begotten Son; that it was He — He who knew what we were, and what the full extent of His claims upon us — who also provided our passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), and who declares that His blood is an all-sufficient ransom for all who receive His testimony to its value. (1 Tim. 2:6.) For if He is satisfied who can be dissatisfied? It is He, and He alone, who can estimate its adequacy as our ransom; and hence the word to Israel was, "When I" (I, the Judge) "when I see the blood, I will pass over you."

(2) The blood of Christ was the price, or ransom, paid for our deliverance or redemption from this state of bondage and captivity. (See the passages already cited, especially 1 Peter 1:18-19; Matthew 20:28.) For He died in our stead, 'the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God' (1 Peter 4:18). Thereby He met and satisfied all the claims which a Holy God had against us: He accepted the whole of our responsibilities: 'He bare our sins in His own body on the tree' (1 Peter 2:24): in a word, He paid the whole of our debt, and the price was His own blood. And thus His blood-shedding — the offering up of His own life for us — availed both to vindicate the holiness of God, yea, to glorify Him even about our sins, and to secure for us eternal redemption. Well, therefore, might it be termed precious blood! So precious as to exceed all finite estimate. It is precious according to the infinite judgment of God; and yet nothing less would have availed. Had there been collected all the wealth, the gems, and costly stones, all the diamonds of Africa and Brazil — all these riches would have been as dust before God. For 'they that trust themselves in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him (for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever): that he should still live for ever, and not see corruption' (Ps. 49:6-9). God only could provide the ransom. He gave it in the gift of His Son; and the ransom was paid in the blood-shedding on the Cross. Blessed be His name!

(3) Believers are, therefore, redeemed. They are now, not shall be, redeemed — brought back out of the house of their bondage unto God. How it thus strengthens our souls to look back upon our redemption as a completed thing! and as we are told that the means of our redemption was the blood of Christ, how it fills our hearts with gratitude and love!

If, however, God is able to justify the believer in righteousness and grace, there must be some adequate ground for God to thus act. This is now brought before us; it "is through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". Redemption is the act which, through the payment of a price, frees the sinner from all the liabilities under which he has fallen. Redemption does a great deal more than set us free from our sins; it includes the setting free of the body from death and disease, and this involves a body of glory like Christ's. Redemption in its fulness frees from guilt, judgment, death, and the power of the enemy, and brings us back to God in glory, with and like Christ. In that glory, when the work of redemption is complete, the assembled hosts will say to Christ "Thou art worthy … for Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood". (Rev. 5:9).