I Know that My Redeemer Lives, 9 April 2023
09 04 23 Filed in: Sermons | Handel's Messiah
I Know that My Redeemer Lives
Handel's Messiah
Job 19:25-27; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Series Big Idea: Handel’s Messiah may be the greatest work of music ever created, bringing praise and glory to the Creator.
Big Idea: The resurrection is at the heart of our faith, a wonderful miracle with countless effects.
Welcome to Resurrection Sunday! Welcome to Easter! This is the greatest day of the year and begins what should be a season of great joy and a celebration of life. The life of Jesus. Abundant life. Eternal life.
This past Advent, we began a sermon series examining the songs and lyrics of Handel’s Messiah. The first part of the magnificent work of music speaks of the Incarnation, the events of Christmastime. We will complete our study over the next four Sundays incorporating the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Messiah and glimpses of the future.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
The book of Job may seem like an odd place to go for our Easter text. It might be the oldest book in the library we call the Bible. It’s the story of a righteous man whose faith is tested by a variety of tragedies and pain, from physical suffering to the loss of his children. In the midst of recorded dialogue with God…
Then Job replied:
“How long will you torment me and crush me with words? Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. (Job 19:1-2)
Have you ever felt like God is against you? Have you ever felt crushed by the storms of life? One of the most important messages from the book of Job is the difference between testing and punishment. Sometimes our suffering is the result of sin…ours or that of others. For example, if you fail to pay your taxes and end up in prison, don’t blame God. Pay your taxes (which are due next week!).
Sometimes our suffering is the result of strengthening…a testing of our faith.
Jesus’ half brother, James, wrote,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3, NIV)
Athletes understand this well. They endure great pain in practice so they can finish well in the race or game. There is a testing that takes place, pushing sometimes beyond what is even thought possible. The old expression “no pain, no gain” often applies to an intentional workout.
Perhaps the most common spiritual question people ask is, “Why does God allow suffering?” It’s a valid question, one I think every human has considered. Why did God allow that hurricane to destroy, those children to die, that saint to develop cancer, that family to get hit by the drunk driver’s car, …
One of my dearest friends and mentors, our District Superintendent Rev. Thomas George, says, “Don’t ask ‘why,’ but ask, ‘What are you up to, LORD?’”
We all understand suffering, whether it’s the result of sin or strengthening. Perhaps when written, nobody understood suffering like Job. In a short period of time, he experienced financial loss (1:14-15), the loss of his children (1:18-19), physical anguish (2:7-8), loneliness (19:13-19), loss of his reputation (12:4), and even his wife was challenging his faith (2:9). Returning to Job chapter 19…
He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness. (Job 19:8)
He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. (Job 19:9)
He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree. (Job 19:10)
His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies. (Job 19:11)
Job is honest about his suffering and how he feels about God’s testing. There’s more…
My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own family. (Job 19:17)
Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me. (Job 19:18)
All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. (Job 19:19)
I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth. (Job 19:20)
“Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. (Job 19:21)
Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? (Job 19:22)
Have you ever felt like that?
Then a few verses later after expressing all of his anguish, he declares,
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:26-27)
I know that my redeemer lives.
Redeemer is one of those church, biblical words you rarely hear in our culture, but it’s incredible.
To redeem is to exchange. When I was a kid, I remember collecting cereal box tops and redeemed them for prizes in the mail. More recently, I have redeemed gift cards, entered redemption codes…one definition of “redeem” is to turn in and receive something in exchange.
Another meaning of redeem is to pay off, like a debt or promissory note. A few years ago I had a friend who had clothes at the dry cleaner’s, but he didn’t have twelve dollars to get them. I told him I would pay the debt—the bill—and he was able to retrieve his items.
Is there anyone perfect here? You’ve never told a white lie, cheated, lusted, coveted, driven over the speed limit…!!! We’ve all sinned, and according to God we must be penalized. That’s only fair, right? Justice means restitution must be made for evil, making good for damage, loss, or injury. A simple example would be paying a parking ticket or a speeding ticket.
Imagine you received a ticket from God for every sin you committed, every bad deed, every failure to love well, every evil thought. That would be an expensive ticket, right?! How would you feel about paying it?
Now imagine God comes along and says, “I’ll pay it.” How would that make you feel?
That’s redemption. That’s a redeemer. That’s grace…unmerited favor.
Job wrote centuries before Jesus walked the earth. While we can view his words as somewhat prophetic, he had no knowledge of the Messiah’s death and resurrection. He was not only on the other side of Easter, Job was on the other side of Christmas! But even in his agony, he had faith to believe the God would eventually intervene, that he would be vindicated, that whether in life or death, he would see God.
I know that my redeemer lives.
Job wrote those words hundreds of years before the first arrival of the redeemer, Jesus the Messiah, to our world.
At First Alliance, we’re passionate about Jesus…because Jesus is passionate about us! He know none of our good works could ever be good enough to pay for our sins. God doesn’t grade on a curve. A perfect God demands perfection, and only Jesus lived a perfect life. Then he died…willingly, purposefully, to offer payment, redemption for those who follow him. This is the reason Good Friday is good…for us.
But if Jesus remained dead, there would be no reason for faith. We would have no hope. Death would win.
But he is risen! He is risen indeed!
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:20, NLT)
Job’s words, “I know that my redeemer lives,” were prophetic. They were a vision of the resurrection.
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:26-27)
Someday we’re all going to die. It might be today. It might be decades from now, but the odds of your death are…one hundred percent! What happens after we die is worth considering.
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, NLT)
Death entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned. But because Jesus was raised from the dead, so also his followers will be given new life…eternal life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NLT)
You and I can have eternal life because Jesus is alive. Do you know that the Redeemer lives? Is Jesus your redeemer?
The resurrection is at the heart of our faith, a wonderful miracle with countless effects. The Christian faith rises and falls with it. If Jesus is dead, we have no hope. If Jesus is not your redeemer, your savior, your LORD, you have no hope.
Paul wrote to the church in Rome,
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
He didn’t deny the present, the pain, the sufferings, but put them into perspective…an eternal perspective. Perhaps you’re in the middle of a trial that feels like death, like Good Friday. As author Tony Campolo famously said, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!” If you know Jesus, there is always hope. Jesus knows suffering. Jesus knows pain and death. But
He is risen. He is risen indeed!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Handel's Messiah
Job 19:25-27; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Series Big Idea: Handel’s Messiah may be the greatest work of music ever created, bringing praise and glory to the Creator.
Big Idea: The resurrection is at the heart of our faith, a wonderful miracle with countless effects.
Welcome to Resurrection Sunday! Welcome to Easter! This is the greatest day of the year and begins what should be a season of great joy and a celebration of life. The life of Jesus. Abundant life. Eternal life.
This past Advent, we began a sermon series examining the songs and lyrics of Handel’s Messiah. The first part of the magnificent work of music speaks of the Incarnation, the events of Christmastime. We will complete our study over the next four Sundays incorporating the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Messiah and glimpses of the future.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
The book of Job may seem like an odd place to go for our Easter text. It might be the oldest book in the library we call the Bible. It’s the story of a righteous man whose faith is tested by a variety of tragedies and pain, from physical suffering to the loss of his children. In the midst of recorded dialogue with God…
Then Job replied:
“How long will you torment me and crush me with words? Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. (Job 19:1-2)
Have you ever felt like God is against you? Have you ever felt crushed by the storms of life? One of the most important messages from the book of Job is the difference between testing and punishment. Sometimes our suffering is the result of sin…ours or that of others. For example, if you fail to pay your taxes and end up in prison, don’t blame God. Pay your taxes (which are due next week!).
Sometimes our suffering is the result of strengthening…a testing of our faith.
Jesus’ half brother, James, wrote,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3, NIV)
Athletes understand this well. They endure great pain in practice so they can finish well in the race or game. There is a testing that takes place, pushing sometimes beyond what is even thought possible. The old expression “no pain, no gain” often applies to an intentional workout.
Perhaps the most common spiritual question people ask is, “Why does God allow suffering?” It’s a valid question, one I think every human has considered. Why did God allow that hurricane to destroy, those children to die, that saint to develop cancer, that family to get hit by the drunk driver’s car, …
One of my dearest friends and mentors, our District Superintendent Rev. Thomas George, says, “Don’t ask ‘why,’ but ask, ‘What are you up to, LORD?’”
We all understand suffering, whether it’s the result of sin or strengthening. Perhaps when written, nobody understood suffering like Job. In a short period of time, he experienced financial loss (1:14-15), the loss of his children (1:18-19), physical anguish (2:7-8), loneliness (19:13-19), loss of his reputation (12:4), and even his wife was challenging his faith (2:9). Returning to Job chapter 19…
He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness. (Job 19:8)
He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. (Job 19:9)
He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree. (Job 19:10)
His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies. (Job 19:11)
Job is honest about his suffering and how he feels about God’s testing. There’s more…
My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own family. (Job 19:17)
Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me. (Job 19:18)
All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. (Job 19:19)
I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth. (Job 19:20)
“Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. (Job 19:21)
Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? (Job 19:22)
Have you ever felt like that?
Then a few verses later after expressing all of his anguish, he declares,
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:26-27)
I know that my redeemer lives.
Redeemer is one of those church, biblical words you rarely hear in our culture, but it’s incredible.
To redeem is to exchange. When I was a kid, I remember collecting cereal box tops and redeemed them for prizes in the mail. More recently, I have redeemed gift cards, entered redemption codes…one definition of “redeem” is to turn in and receive something in exchange.
Another meaning of redeem is to pay off, like a debt or promissory note. A few years ago I had a friend who had clothes at the dry cleaner’s, but he didn’t have twelve dollars to get them. I told him I would pay the debt—the bill—and he was able to retrieve his items.
Is there anyone perfect here? You’ve never told a white lie, cheated, lusted, coveted, driven over the speed limit…!!! We’ve all sinned, and according to God we must be penalized. That’s only fair, right? Justice means restitution must be made for evil, making good for damage, loss, or injury. A simple example would be paying a parking ticket or a speeding ticket.
Imagine you received a ticket from God for every sin you committed, every bad deed, every failure to love well, every evil thought. That would be an expensive ticket, right?! How would you feel about paying it?
Now imagine God comes along and says, “I’ll pay it.” How would that make you feel?
That’s redemption. That’s a redeemer. That’s grace…unmerited favor.
Job wrote centuries before Jesus walked the earth. While we can view his words as somewhat prophetic, he had no knowledge of the Messiah’s death and resurrection. He was not only on the other side of Easter, Job was on the other side of Christmas! But even in his agony, he had faith to believe the God would eventually intervene, that he would be vindicated, that whether in life or death, he would see God.
I know that my redeemer lives.
Job wrote those words hundreds of years before the first arrival of the redeemer, Jesus the Messiah, to our world.
At First Alliance, we’re passionate about Jesus…because Jesus is passionate about us! He know none of our good works could ever be good enough to pay for our sins. God doesn’t grade on a curve. A perfect God demands perfection, and only Jesus lived a perfect life. Then he died…willingly, purposefully, to offer payment, redemption for those who follow him. This is the reason Good Friday is good…for us.
But if Jesus remained dead, there would be no reason for faith. We would have no hope. Death would win.
But he is risen! He is risen indeed!
But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:20, NLT)
Job’s words, “I know that my redeemer lives,” were prophetic. They were a vision of the resurrection.
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:26-27)
Someday we’re all going to die. It might be today. It might be decades from now, but the odds of your death are…one hundred percent! What happens after we die is worth considering.
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, NLT)
Death entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned. But because Jesus was raised from the dead, so also his followers will be given new life…eternal life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NLT)
You and I can have eternal life because Jesus is alive. Do you know that the Redeemer lives? Is Jesus your redeemer?
The resurrection is at the heart of our faith, a wonderful miracle with countless effects. The Christian faith rises and falls with it. If Jesus is dead, we have no hope. If Jesus is not your redeemer, your savior, your LORD, you have no hope.
Paul wrote to the church in Rome,
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
He didn’t deny the present, the pain, the sufferings, but put them into perspective…an eternal perspective. Perhaps you’re in the middle of a trial that feels like death, like Good Friday. As author Tony Campolo famously said, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!” If you know Jesus, there is always hope. Jesus knows suffering. Jesus knows pain and death. But
He is risen. He is risen indeed!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.