pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: redeem


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Walking the “Holy Way”

Reading: Isaiah 35:8-10

Isaiah 35:8-9 – “A highway will be there. It will be called The Holy Way… Only the redeemed will walk on it.”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

Today we continue in Isaiah’s vision. In its original context the prophet was speaking of the exiles return to the promised land. Isaiah’s oracle spoke of God’s redemption of Israel and of their safe journey through the wilderness. As the exiles return home, this “way” will be free of predators and enemies. No one will get lost along the way. Those ransomed from exile in Babylon will enter Jerusalem “with singing, with everlasting joy.” The grief and groaning of past suffering will “flee away.” For a people familiar with the long, difficult, costly journey out of exile in Egypt, these words of guidance and protection and blessing brought great hope to Israel.

In the now-and-not-yet spirit of Advent we next look at these words of Isaiah as a messianic text. During his ministry, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6.) With these words in mind we reconsider verses 8 and 9 from Isaiah 35: “A highway will be there. It will be called The Holy Way… Only the redeemed will walk on it.” Jesus walked and taught in holiness and righteousness. He called his disciples to walk in his footsteps, following his example of holiness and righteousness. Jesus offered forgiveness of sins to those who repented and committed to walk in his ways and truth. Redeemed from our sins, we strive to daily walk and live Jesus Christ’s “Holy Way.”

Looking forward with hope, the trust that the faithful will one day enter “Zion,” the new Jerusalem in God’s coming new kingdom. In that day the ransomed will sing praises to the Lord. Everlasting joy and peace will be upon us. The grief, groaning, tears, and suffering of this present life will be no more in our eternal home. What great hope! Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice and thank you for rescuing and redeeming your people long ago, bringing them home to their inheritance. We rejoice and thank you for rescuing and redeeming us from our sins and failures each day, empowering us by your Holy Spirit to walk in Christ’s way. And we rejoice and thank you for our coming final rescue and redemption, when we will joyfully stand in your eternal light and love. You are a most awesome God. Glory be to you, O Lord! Amen.


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Rescuer, Deliverer, Redeemer

Reading: Luke 1:76-79

Luke 1:77 – “You [John] will tell his people how to be saved through the forgiveness of their sins.”

As we continue in Zechariah’s prophecy today we read about the role that his son, John the Baptist, will play in the coming of the Messiah. We also learn more about who and what this Messiah will be. John will go before the Lord “to prepare his way.” Zechariah is channeling his inner Isaiah here, as John will also do during his ministry. Out there in the wilderness, along the Jordan River, John will “tell his people how to be saved through the forgiveness of their sins.” Calling God’s people to a baptism of confession and repentance, John will prepare people’s hearts to receive the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

With these words, Zechariah is looping back around to the Savior who delivers and rescues God’s people from their enemies. John calls folks to battle with their sins, the enemies within. This call will next be echoed by Jesus. And after sending his Spirit, this call will be echoed down through the generations of believers, echoed in our hearts. This call is the “light to those sitting in darkness.” Whether from John, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, the call to live out the covenant of love shines a light on our sins and the darkness that they create in us and in the world. This light and the change of heart that it leads to guides us to step out of “the shadow of death.” Freed from the power of sin and death through Jesus Christ, we are guided to walk on “the path of peace.” Thanks be to God for our Savior, deliverer, and redeemer!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the voice that calls out to us, inviting us to come before you, confessing and repenting of our inner darkness, committing to walk on your path of light and peace. Keep our hearts ever open to your still, small voice that whispers words of love. Free us, O Lord, to be people whose love helps others to know the Savior. Amen.


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Springs of Joy

Reading: Isaiah 12

Isaiah 12:2 – “God is indeed my salvation; I will trust and won’t be afraid.”

Our four readings this week collectively speak of God’s continuing transformation of the world. Together these readings help us as Christians to understand how we are to participate in this transformation. Today’s hymn of trust in Isaiah 12 comes after Isaiah’s preaching about Judah’s unfaithfulness and about the coming wrath of God. An invading army will soon decimate Jerusalem, leaving behind a “burning stump.” In the long term, though, this fire will also work to refine and transform God’s people. Isaiah speaks of a day when a shoot (child) from that stump will lead Israel into a time of peace and grace.

Isaiah 12 celebrates the time after God’s refining fire. The opening verse looks forward to when God’s anger has been spent. Then God’s comfort will come in. This leads Isaiah to write, “God is indeed my salvation; I will trust and won’t be afraid.” God, Judah’s strength and shield, will rescue and redeem, will restore and save. These promises are consistent with who God is and are therefore true for our reality too. When we sin and fall short, creating separation from God, we feel the refining fire of conviction. This leads us to confession and repentance, beginning the transformation process within us.

Being made new by these “springs of salvation,” God’s people will draw water of joy. The restored people will exalt God for the “glorious things” that God has done. When the Holy one is among us, Spirit leading and guiding us, then we too will sing for joy, declaring that God is indeed among us. As God works in our lives, transforming us from the inside out, we will be filled with joy as we live as new creations proclaiming our faith and trust in the Lord. Living as light and love, we will draw others to the Lord. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for your redeeming work in our lives and in our world. Each time that we are refined and transformed we are drawn deeper into faith. Each time we are made more into Christ’s image. Use us to bring this invitation to all of creation, inviting all to be made whole, to be made new again. Amen.


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A God That Is Known

Reading: Psalm 91:14-16

Psalm 91:14 – “Because you are devoted to me, I’ll rescue you. I’ll protect you because you know my name.”

Photo credit: Eugene Zhyvchik

As we close out Psalm 91 we read some pretty awesome promises from God. These words are words of rescue, protection, presence, and salvation. In verse 14 God says, “Because you are devoted to me, I’ll rescue you. I’ll protect you because you know my name.” For the people walking with God, for those who are devoted to following God’s instructions, for those who strive to daily live out God’s will and way – God will rescue and protect them. If we live daily within these descriptions, we will be rescued and protected. This absolute feeling guarantee is set partly in Israel’s understanding of themselves as God’s “chosen” people and partly in the reality that for one to be aware of God’s rescuing and protecting, one must know and believe in God’s power and presence.

Our God is a loving and compassionate God. Our God knit every person together in the womb. We are therefore all God’s beloved children. God will rescue and protect those who do not know God at times. These moments are chalked up as karma or good luck or to personal efforts. These folks would not cry out to God as the psalmist speaks of in verse 15. The “cry out to me” in this verse is a knowing cry. It is a cry or a plea to a close friend for help, rescue… To make this kind of a cry – one that is heard and responded to – one must know God.

The crying out to and being answered by the God that is known results in bringing glory to God. The rescue, protection… is credited to God through praise, thanksgiving, witness, and worship. These experiences lead to a long walk with God, to walking with God into “old age,” as the psalmist puts it. And, ultimately, a long and faithful walk with God leads us to experience our salvation – the eternal saving and redemption of our souls. For our God who is known, who is present, who walks daily with us, we say thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, you move and act, guide and direct, rescue and protect, redeem and restore all the time – even when we and others are unaware of it. But as your sons and daughters, make us ever aware of your acts of love and compassion in our lives. Lead us to praise your holy name as our response. It is so good to walk daily with you. For your constant love and care, we say “Thank you!” Amen.


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Breathing New Life

Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-11

Ezekiel 37:6 – “When I put breath in you, and you come to life, you will know that I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel witnessed Nebuchadnezzar’s siege and defeat of Jerusalem. He saw the leaders and then many others, himself included, taken away into Babylonian exile. Judah, like Israel to the north, was devastated. The temple was destroyed. Their relationship with God has been broken by their sin. Living in exile, hope was growing very thin and despair grew daily.

In chapters 33-36 Ezekiel begins to speak of redemption and restoration. He writes of changing their ways and of receiving a “new heart.” He leans into the image of God as the good shepherd who promises to rescue and protect the sheep. Speaking to the mountains of Israel, God through Ezekiel promises that the cities will be rebuilt and inhabited. Even with all of these hopeful words spoken, for those living in exile, the despair felt too great. Was all this even possible? Could God do it? Our passage today is God’s response to these questions.

In chapter 37 Ezekiel is taken in spirit to a valley full of very many dry bones. God asks the prophet if he thinks the bones can live. (Talk about impossible, right?) Ezekiel responds, “Lord God, only you know.” God says they can. After coming together, God adds sinew, flesh, and then skin. Then God says to the bodies, “When I put breath in you, and you come to life, you will know that I am the Lord.” Through Ezekiel’s words, new life enters the bones, “an extraordinarily large company.” They stand in the valley, as if waiting. God then tells Ezekiel (and therefore Israel), “Human One, these bones are the entire house of Israel.” God will restore and redeem not just some of God’s people. God will restore and redeem all of God’s people.

In our dry seasons of faith, in our times of sin and separation from God, in our experiences in the wilderness and in exile, God longs to redeem and restore us, to breath new life into our faith. O God, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, you will stop at nothing, you will do anything, you will try everything in order to bring us back into right relationship with you. This is true no matter how far we’ve run, no matter how deep we’ve fallen, no matter how long we’ve wandered. Thank you for your unconditional love and your unfailing grace. Amen.


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Redemption and Adoption

Reading: Galatians 4:1-7

Galatians 4:4 – “When the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his son, born through a woman, and born under the Law.”

Galatians 4 is a continuation of what Paul was writing about in Galatians 3. Paul reasons that before faith came (Jesus) the Jews were “guarded under the Law.” In Paul’s understanding, the Law functioned as a custodian or guardian. Belief in Jesus (faith) allowed one to “be made righteous,” something that could never happen living just under the Law. It was impossible.

As we turn to chapter 4, Paul states that as long as the “heirs” are still children (without faith,) they are under the Law. At this point, Paul parallels them to “slaves,” even though they “really are heirs of everything.” At this point, the Jews are also living under “the world’s system.” All of this changed at just the right moment: “When the fulfillment of the time came, God sent his son, born through a woman, and born under the Law.”

For Paul, the coming of Jesus accomplished at least two things. In today’s passage this is redemption and adoption. Through Christ we can be redeemed – made right with God and with one another. Jesus paid the atoning sacrifice for our struggles with the world’s system of sin and death. Jesus also opened a new door, becoming the first of many brothers and sisters, connecting all believers to God through the Spirit. This Spirit became our internal guardian or custodian, to use Paul’s words, guiding and leading us as children living under the law or example of Christ. In this place of faith we are no longer slaves but are heirs, fully belonging to the family of God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for our place in your family. Thank you for doing something in Jesus that none of us could ever do on our own. Thank you for freeing us from our entrapment to the world and its sins. Thank you for taking us in as your children. Amen.


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The Way of the Lord

Reading: Isaiah 35:5-10

Isaiah 35:10 – “The Lord’s ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads.”

Isaiah 35 speaks of God’s restoration of Israel. Likely proclaimed while in exile, the words of the prophet would give hope to those living as foreigners in a pagan land. Our passage begins with promises of healing for those with physical suffering: the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will walk, the mute will sing. God will restore all to wholeness and well-being.

God will also restore the land. What has become dry and harsh will become green pastures with flowing waters. Israel’s collective last memory of their homeland was the destruction left behind by the Babylonians in the north and the Assyrians in the south. They had ravaged the land. God will restore it. The exiles will return to a new version of the Promised Land.

In verses 8-9 Isaiah begins to lay out a vision of Israel’s actual return. God will make their path like a highway – smooth and easy to travel upon. Only the faithful will walk “The Holy Way.” No predators and no evil persons. Only the redeemed will walk on it. There will be joy and happiness. There will not be grief or groaning. In verse 10 we read, “The Lord’s ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing, with everlasting joy upon their heads.” How the Lord will forgive, restore, and return Israel to wholeness and faithfulness!

While these words were originally written to a nation living in exile, the promises are true today because the character of God does not change. If you or someone you know is in exile – suffering, alone, struggling with health or a difficult situation – God wants to bring wholeness and joy to your life, to their life, to all of our lives. Our God wants to ransom us all from our places of exile and thirst. The invitation to walk the way of the Lord is always there. We just have to step upon the “highway.”

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the vision and reminder of who and what you are and if who and what you want us to be. Help us to walk in your ways, to step into the plans you have for us, into who you call us to be. Walking with you, ransomed by your love, we will be restored and made whole. Draw each of us to walk in your ways. Amen.


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God’s Goodness and Faithfulness

Reading: Psalm 77:1-15

Psalm 77:6-7 – “I complain, and my spirit keeps searching: Will my Lord reject me forever? Will he never be pleased again?”

Today’s reading has two distinct portions. In verses 1-10 Asaph, the psalmist, pours our the complaint of a troubled heart. This is all lament. In verses 11-15 the focus shifts to a remembrance of God’s works in the past.

The Psalm begins with a crying out and searching for the Lord. The physical joins the spiritual as hands are outstretched, reaching out for God. Weariness caused by an inability to sleep adds to the lament. In verses 6-7 we read, “I complain, and my spirit keeps searching: Will my Lord reject me forever? Will he never be pleased again?” As he continues, Asaph wonders if God has forgotten the promises made to future generations.

We have all felt what Asaph is feeling. Some of us may be in the midst of trial and suffering right now. We can recall times when the illness just lingered in or when the oppression would not cease. We’ve longed for God to intervene and have wondered where God was as that season or situation drug on and on.

Beginning in verse 11 there is a shift. Asaph begins to recall who and what God has been in the past. He remembers wondrous works and demonstrations of God’s strength. He recalls when God redeemed Israel. Asaph is reminding himself of God’s might. This brings him hope. And he is also inviting God to act in these ways once again. He is reminding God of who God is. This too builds his faith.

In our times of hardship and trial – future or present – may we tune into who and what God is, inviting God to walk with us as we work our way back into God’s presence through prayer and the study of God’s word.

Prayer: Lord God, the times when we feel all alone will surely come. Those seasons are a part of everyone’s life at times. When we find ourselves there, Lord, send the whispers of the Holy Spirit straight to our hearts. Guide us to turn to scripture to remind ourselves of your goodness and faithfulness to all generations. Remind us too of the times you redeemed and restored us. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Redeem, Restore, Rescue

Readings: Psalm 137:1-3 and 8, Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass.”

The people of God had already experienced much trauma leading up to their exile in Babylon. The nation had split into Israel and Judah. Both parts experienced good and bad kings – much more of the latter. Israel, and later Judah were conquered and hauled into exile. It is in this foreign land, living under a pagan oppressor, that Israel’s longing for a Messiah really begins to take shape.

Psalm 137 is a song of lament. In the first few verses the writer expresses the people’s collective sadness. Their captors are forcing them to sing songs of joy. These songs are intended to be sung as they ascend to the temple, preparing themselves to worship God. They were forced to sing these songs out of place, to a God whose home – the temple – was destroyed. It is no wonder that they long for destroyer Babylon to be paid back by the one who will come to redeem and restore Israel.

This longing for a rescuer, for a Messiah, is expressed in Zechariah 9:9. These words will be brought to life by a king riding into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. Psalms will be waving and shouts of “Hosanna!” will fill the air. It’s just the Romans who now oppress, who now need overthrown. This is the king that Israel still longs for. It is just not the kind of king that Jesus will prove himself to be. His rescue, redemption, and restoration is not military but personal and spiritual.

Prayer: Lord God, for many the longing for a Messiah remains very real. Today people long to be redeemed and rescued – from an abusive relationship, from addiction, from financial hardship, from illness, from oppression, from injustice… These real struggles weigh upon their hearts, upon our hearts. Lord Jesus, please ride into our hearts, enter through those gates, bringing a peace to the battles, a calm to the chaos, a strength to the weakness, a wholeness to the brokenness. Rescue, redeem, and restore. Amen.


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High Priest, Mediator, Perfect Sacrifice

Reading: Hebrews 7-9

Hebrews 9:24 – “Christ didn’t enter the holy place… made by human hands, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears in God’s presence for us.”

The focus of Hebrews 7-9 is to establish Jesus as high priest forever, as the mediator of the new covenant, as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. The writer begins his or her case by looking back to Melchizedek, the priest of God who blessed Abraham. He was not a Levite but remains “a priest for all time.” Yes, earthly priests will collect a tithe and will offer sacrifices again and again. But they die and don’t continue serving. The Levitical priesthood, part of the old covenant, offered sacrifices that “can’t perfect the conscience.” The guilt and the shame and the power of sin, they remain.

Jesus came as the “guarantee of a better covenant.” High priest forever, Jesus is “holy, innocent, incorrupt, separate from sinners, raised high above the heavens.” He offered himself, “once for all,” providing his own blood as the blood necessary for forgiveness. This initiated the second or new covenant. Quoting from Jeremiah 31, the author of Hebrews declares that God revoked the old covenant (written under the Law) and prepared for a new covenant (written on our hearts) and sealed by the blood of Jesus. Unlike the old covenant, Jesus’ blood will “wash our consciences clean,” freeing us to serve the living God. Jesus himself was “the sacrifice without any flaw.”

The mediator of the new covenant, Jesus Christ, offers all who are called the promise of “eternal inheritance.” Leading the way, “Christ didn’t enter the holy place… made by human hands, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears in God’s presence for us.” In heaven, Jesus mediates for us, standing for us in God’s presence. We await Christ’s second coming, when he will save and redeem us and our broken world. In this advent season, we say, come, Lord Jesus, come.

Prayer: Lord God, we are so grateful for the gifts you gave us through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ. Through his blood we are forgiven and cleansed, sins washed away, made holy in your sight. Christ did what the old covenant never could do. He made a new way, one that opened eternity to all who call on Jesus as Lord and Savior. Thank you for these gifts. Amen.