Sermon snippet – Messianic Meditations – Part II
INTRODUCTION – Leading up to Christmas, we are considering why Jesus, God the Son, was born. Luke 1:68 proclaims that the Messiah would redeem His people, that He would set them free by the payment of a price.
- WE ARE SET FREE FROM THE LAW
Galatians 4:4-6 – certainly there is nothing wrong with God’s Law, but there is something wrong with us – sin! We cannot keep God’s commands; we need to be set free from that impossibility. Because we are redeemed from the Law by Jesus, we no longer have to sacrifice to approach God; imagine having to slay a lamb on the front porch each Sunday just to get into church! Furthermore, we no longer have to have the hopeless certainty that we are not good enough; our hope instead is in our Redeemer. Moreover, we are set free to belong – to belong to the family of God. Note the strong Trinitarian teaching in these verses; our redemption is full.
- WE ARE SET FREE FROM THE CURSE
Galatians 3:13-14 – The “curse of the law” encompasses all of the evil effects of sin, including – and culminating in – death. To be set free from the curse is thus to move from death to life. II Corinthians 3:6 reminds us that “the Spirit giveth life.” Verse 17 clarifies that this life is a redeemed one, for “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
- WE ARE SET FREE FROM SIN
Titus 2:14 assures us that through faith in Jesus we are redeemed “from all iniquity.” The price for this sin was paid by Jesus on the Cross. Romans 8:2 well summarizes all three main points of this message: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” We all need this redemption and this Redeemer. As Romans 3:23-24 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” We all must trust in this Savior.
CONCLUSION – Because Jesus came the first time to redeem us, we are told to look for His second advent of “redemption” (Luke 21:27-28). Because of Jesus’ payment for our sin, we are now set free to worship Him and to wait for Him, for the certain return of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.