1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,740 Well good morning everyone, John, a privilege to be back in the pulpit 2 00:00:03,740 –> 00:00:07,920 today for us to be worshiping the Lord together and beginning our preparation 3 00:00:07,920 –> 00:00:13,980 of Christmas during this Advent season Last year during Advent we began a 4 00:00:13,980 –> 00:00:19,500 series called Bearing Witness to Jesus We noted that the birth of Christ was 5 00:00:19,500 –> 00:00:25,740 announced from heaven, the Angel Gabriel appeared speaking directly to Mary with 6 00:00:25,760 –> 00:00:30,020 the extraordinary announcement, you will conceive in your womb, you will bear a 7 00:00:30,020 –> 00:00:35,439 son and you will call his name Jesus Being a virgin Mary asked the question 8 00:00:35,439 –> 00:00:41,939 How will this be? and the extraordinary answer revealed from heaven 9 00:00:41,939 –> 00:00:47,299 The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The power of the Most High will overshadow you 10 00:00:47,299 –> 00:00:53,580 Therefore the child to be born will be called wholly the Son of God 11 00:00:54,419 –> 00:01:01,160 And what we saw last year was that this announcement from heaven was subsequently 12 00:01:01,160 –> 00:01:07,760 confirmed on earth by various people who were moved by God to affirm to Mary the 13 00:01:07,760 –> 00:01:10,940 unique glory of the child that she bore 14 00:01:10,940 –> 00:01:15,320 Last year we looked at the story of Elizabeth, the Shepherds and Simeon and 15 00:01:15,320 –> 00:01:18,059 we discovered that in speaking about Jesus 16 00:01:19,059 –> 00:01:26,540 bore witness to a particular aspect of His glory. So Elizabeth particularly 17 00:01:26,540 –> 00:01:33,620 focused on Jesus as Lord he’s the Lord why is it that the mother of my Lord she 18 00:01:33,620 –> 00:01:38,440 says would come and visit me The Shepherds who were reporting the words 19 00:01:38,440 –> 00:01:43,419 that have been spoken to them by the angel focused on the word Savior Jesus 20 00:01:43,540 –> 00:01:47,519 Lord he’s savior today in the city of David 21 00:01:47,519 –> 00:01:53,620 a Savior is born to you Simeon had spent all of his life waiting for the birth of 22 00:01:53,620 –> 00:01:58,599 the Christ and that’s the particular truth about Jesus to which he bears 23 00:01:58,599 –> 00:02:04,059 witness and we were picking up on these themes and we’re gonna continue to do it 24 00:02:04,059 –> 00:02:09,419 this year because nothing is more important when it comes to Christmas 25 00:02:09,740 –> 00:02:12,880 than that we know clearly who Jesus Christ is 26 00:02:13,759 –> 00:02:21,259 when you know who Jesus is then you will grasp why he came and when you know 27 00:02:21,259 –> 00:02:26,199 why he came, you will know what he is able to do for you and for everyone who 28 00:02:26,199 –> 00:02:30,639 will come to him and so the plan for this year in advent is that we will 29 00:02:30,639 –> 00:02:37,119 continue and complete this series on the people who bore witness to Jesus and I 30 00:02:37,119 –> 00:02:41,240 invite you therefore to turn to Luke chapter 2 and we’re going to look at 31 00:02:41,240 –> 00:02:48,500 this marvelous story of Anna, who in a special way bore witness to Jesus as the 32 00:02:48,500 –> 00:02:49,559 redeemer 33 00:02:49,559 –> 00:02:55,479 Jesus is the redeemer, now if you have your Bible open at Luke in chapter 2 34 00:02:55,479 –> 00:03:01,380 you’ll see in verse 36 these words, there was a prophetess Anna the daughter 35 00:03:01,460 –> 00:03:10,100 of Phanell of the tribe of Assur, now this lady must have had a fascinating 36 00:03:10,100 –> 00:03:16,119 family history if they had had ancestry.com in those days I would 37 00:03:16,119 –> 00:03:20,580 definitely wanted to trace her family history and go after a leaf that might 38 00:03:20,580 –> 00:03:24,899 have been offered in that regard here’s why it’s interesting you remember that 39 00:03:24,899 –> 00:03:30,339 there were twelve tribes descended from the 12 to sons of Jacob and that when 40 00:03:30,520 –> 00:03:35,220 God’s people came into the land of Israel each of the tribes was a portion part of 41 00:03:35,220 –> 00:03:40,660 the land of Canaan and we’re told here that Anna belong to the tribe of Asur 42 00:03:40,660 –> 00:03:46,979 now the tribe of Asur was one of the 10 northern tribes that were driven out 43 00:03:46,979 –> 00:03:53,779 of the land 700 years before the birth of Christ sometimes these are referred 44 00:03:53,779 –> 00:04:02,820 to as quote the 10 lost tribes because these people were scattered but they 45 00:04:02,820 –> 00:04:08,419 could not all have been lost because right here in this verse we have Anna 46 00:04:08,419 –> 00:04:13,919 who’s descended from and off the tribe of Asur and where is she she’s living in 47 00:04:13,919 –> 00:04:18,899 Jerusalem so quite clearly her family had found their way back and if that was 48 00:04:18,899 –> 00:04:23,100 true for them it must have been true for many others as well which reminds us of 49 00:04:23,619 –> 00:04:31,140 this wonderful truth God never loses his own and we’re told this verse 36 that 50 00:04:31,140 –> 00:04:38,040 she was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when 51 00:04:38,040 –> 00:04:46,880 she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84 and so this lady Anna 52 00:04:46,880 –> 00:04:52,500 had been married no doubt she looked back from time to time in her life 53 00:04:52,519 –> 00:04:58,019 remembering the great day of her wedding all the joy and all the hopes and all of 54 00:04:58,019 –> 00:05:04,920 the dreams of the extended Asher family all gathered together as Fannowell the 55 00:05:04,920 –> 00:05:09,480 father threw the great party wrote the biggest checks of his life and all that 56 00:05:09,480 –> 00:05:14,480 kind of thing to celebrate the marriage of his daughter and not a single person 57 00:05:14,480 –> 00:05:20,160 at the wedding on that happy happy day could have imagined that just in a few 58 00:05:20,279 –> 00:05:28,880 years this lady Anna would be a widow her husband died after just seven years 59 00:05:28,880 –> 00:05:33,820 of marriage there’s no record of any children all that we know is that after 60 00:05:33,820 –> 00:05:38,339 these seven short years that must have passed so very very quickly that this 61 00:05:38,339 –> 00:05:44,940 lady Anna lived the rest of her years right up to the age of 84 as a widow 62 00:05:44,940 –> 00:05:50,079 and I want you to notice what we’re told about the way that anna lived her life 63 00:05:50,079 –> 00:05:58,820 she did not depart verse 37 from the temple what a great statement that the 64 00:05:58,820 –> 00:06:07,940 place of worship was the center of gravity for this godly woman’s life it 65 00:06:07,940 –> 00:06:12,500 seemed like she was always there you might feel that in regards to the church 66 00:06:12,559 –> 00:06:15,459 it seems like we’re always here that’s a wonderful thing 67 00:06:15,459 –> 00:06:23,299 she had a zeal for the house of God she had a love for God’s people and God’s 68 00:06:23,299 –> 00:06:31,059 house was the center of gravity for her life she gave herself we’re told here to 69 00:06:31,059 –> 00:06:38,260 worshipping and fasting and prayer in other words worship was not a duty for 70 00:06:38,579 –> 00:06:41,859 that had to be fitted in with all the other demands of life 71 00:06:43,619 –> 00:06:48,899 no for her God came first God’s people were the center of gravity for her life 72 00:06:48,899 –> 00:06:54,660 the question for Anna was how are we going to fit other things around the first commitment 73 00:06:54,660 –> 00:07:00,179 of life which is to worship and to seek the face of God that’s how a godly person thinks 74 00:07:00,739 –> 00:07:09,380 now that raises an obvious question could it be said of you and of your family if you have a family 75 00:07:09,380 –> 00:07:17,380 that the house of god is the center of gravity of your life the center of gravity for your family 76 00:07:17,380 –> 00:07:22,980 that’s the mark of this godly woman that’s the kind of life that she pursued other things had 77 00:07:22,980 –> 00:07:28,579 to be fitted around this this was the thing of first importance why because she worshipped 78 00:07:29,380 –> 00:07:37,779 god she loved him and she sought his face to worship god is the first commandment and it 79 00:07:37,779 –> 00:07:45,459 is the first commitment of those who truly love him and Anna gave herself to seek the face of 80 00:07:45,459 –> 00:07:56,739 god Worship prayer fasting what what she lacked with intimacy with a husband she gained in intimacy 81 00:07:56,739 –> 00:08:03,859 with god and this is recorded for us in scripture because here is a wonderful snapshot of what a 82 00:08:03,859 –> 00:08:11,619 godly life actually looks like for a person whether you be single widowed married or whatever 83 00:08:12,339 –> 00:08:17,859 i noticed and i did this day and night many times while other people were eating anna was fasting 84 00:08:18,420 –> 00:08:23,859 many times while others were asleep ana was praying many times while others were playing 85 00:08:24,500 –> 00:08:31,540 she was giving herself to the worship of god and we’re told here that she had a remarkable 86 00:08:31,540 –> 00:08:40,659 gift that god had given to her verse 36 she was a prophet and a prophet in old testament times 87 00:08:40,659 –> 00:08:49,219 was one who received direct revelation from god and god gave this special gift of prophecy 88 00:08:50,140 –> 00:08:57,940 no doubt this was cultivated through the closeness of her own walk with god from day to day and year 89 00:08:57,940 –> 00:09:05,539 to year but from time to time what this meant was that there were special promptings that were given 90 00:09:05,539 –> 00:09:14,020 to her by the spirit of god that enabled her to discern the truth and speak it into the lives 91 00:09:14,580 –> 00:09:22,820 of others so there’s a little cameo of this godly woman who lives this faithful life 92 00:09:23,700 –> 00:09:31,940 that in so many ways is an example to us and speaks of the path of godliness for us 93 00:09:33,059 –> 00:09:38,580 now i want you to notice verse 38 as we come to her distinctive witness to jesus what happened 94 00:09:39,299 –> 00:09:48,979 that she came up at that very hour and began to give thanks to god in other words anna arrived 95 00:09:48,979 –> 00:09:53,859 at the temple as she did day after day center of gravity of her life and here she comes on 96 00:09:53,859 –> 00:10:02,739 this particular day at the very hour where mary and joseph had come with the infant jesus 97 00:10:03,700 –> 00:10:09,140 and it’s fascinating to me that when jesus is presented at the temple of course that 98 00:10:09,140 –> 00:10:15,380 is when he would have been circumcised and that would have been done by one of the priests 99 00:10:16,419 –> 00:10:20,900 and think of the temple and all of its grandeur and all of these professional 100 00:10:20,900 –> 00:10:26,500 priests are doing their ministry there every day not one of them can discern that this is 101 00:10:27,140 –> 00:10:34,020 the son of god the professionals in religion. It completely bypasses them they’re not 102 00:10:34,020 –> 00:10:38,900 walking with god in a way that gives them this kind of discernment it falls to simeon 103 00:10:39,859 –> 00:10:46,419 who is described as simply a man in jerusalem who was righteous just an ordinary person who 104 00:10:46,419 –> 00:10:52,020 walked with god and he’s the one who discerns that jesus is the christ and now here there’s a woman 105 00:10:52,900 –> 00:10:58,979 and she walks with god and the spirit of god is upon her and she is the one who announces that 106 00:10:58,979 –> 00:11:06,500 he is indeed the redeemer and so here she arrives and she sees what all of the 107 00:11:07,219 –> 00:11:14,179 priests in the temple have missed and she’s the one who begins to give thanks we’re told and she 108 00:11:14,179 –> 00:11:20,900 lifts her voice in praise and adoration towards god and as she does so there’s one word that 109 00:11:20,900 –> 00:11:27,059 presses into her mind more than any other and it is her distinctive witness to Jesus. 110 00:11:28,979 –> 00:11:36,419 Elizabeth proclaimed him as lord, the shepherds a savior, Simeon as the Christ 111 00:11:37,780 –> 00:11:43,219 and Anna proclaims him notice verse 38 as the redeemer that’s how she speaks 112 00:11:43,859 –> 00:11:52,979 about Jesus she began verse 38 to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting 113 00:11:52,979 –> 00:12:06,099 for here’s the word the redemption the redemption of Jerusalem now friends redemption is a great 114 00:12:06,099 –> 00:12:12,979 bible word that every christian should know and be able to explain to anyone else who doesn’t 115 00:12:13,219 –> 00:12:19,140 know and so if it’s not clear in your mind it will be by the end of this morning let me give it to 116 00:12:19,140 –> 00:12:27,780 you very simply to redeem is to buy back through the payment of a price that’s what it is to buy 117 00:12:28,500 –> 00:12:36,340 through the payment of a price that’s what to redeem is a redeemer is therefore one who pays 118 00:12:37,059 –> 00:12:46,239 in order to make a purchase that’s what a redeemer is the redeemed the redeemed are those who are 119 00:12:46,239 –> 00:12:52,919 purchased who are bought with a great price and redeemed is used in the Bible of land land could 120 00:12:52,919 –> 00:12:58,239 be redeemed even animals could be redeemed and people could be redeemed in fact the whole Bible 121 00:12:58,239 –> 00:13:07,200 story is telling us about how God obtains a people for himself and does it by the payment of 122 00:13:07,200 –> 00:13:15,880 an amazing price that is only revealed to us in the New Testament scriptures now there is so much 123 00:13:15,880 –> 00:13:23,320 that is said about redemption Redeemer redeeming in the New Testament in Christ we have redemption 124 00:13:23,619 –> 00:13:29,840 through his blood but of course Anna did not have the New Testament what she had was the Old 125 00:13:29,840 –> 00:13:36,239 Testament and as a devout woman who had walked with God for many many years she would have known 126 00:13:36,239 –> 00:13:42,799 our Old Testament scriptures well and so what I want to do here today is simply to draw from the 127 00:13:42,799 –> 00:13:48,140 Old Testament scriptures that would have been familiar to her three observations that will 128 00:13:48,140 –> 00:13:54,679 help to press home the significance of this great truth to which Anna bore witness that 129 00:13:54,679 –> 00:14:02,539 Jesus Christ is the Redeemer that he is the one who has come for the redemption of his people. 130 00:14:02,539 –> 00:14:09,400 The first of this observation is simply this, this word redeemed is a wonderfully 131 00:14:09,580 –> 00:14:19,580 clarifying statement of our calling and of our purpose. If you are a Christian this word 132 00:14:19,580 –> 00:14:26,140 redeemed, the fact that you are redeemed, it reminds you of your calling as a Christian, 133 00:14:26,140 –> 00:14:31,179 who you are. That you are bought with a price, that you belong to this Lord and Savior who 134 00:14:31,179 –> 00:14:37,700 has purchased you. It reminds you, therefore, of whose you are, and who you serve. You 135 00:14:37,700 –> 00:14:44,599 are not your own. You are bought with a price. Jesus died that those who live should no longer 136 00:14:44,599 –> 00:14:53,599 live for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again. That is redemption language. 137 00:14:53,599 –> 00:14:58,280 Now this theme of God obtaining a people for himself runs all the way through the entire 138 00:14:58,280 –> 00:15:05,700 Bible. Right back in the Exodus God says to Moses, I am the Lord, I will redeem you with 139 00:15:05,700 –> 00:15:11,179 an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. That is what he did in bringing 140 00:15:11,179 –> 00:15:17,599 the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. And why did he do this? Why does he redeem 141 00:15:17,599 –> 00:15:23,700 people for himself? God says to Moses, say this to Pharaoh. Let me people go that they 142 00:15:23,700 –> 00:15:29,780 may worship me, that they may serve me. God is redeeming a people that we may be for his 143 00:15:29,780 –> 00:15:35,619 praise and for his glory, that we may be his own special people and that we may live for 144 00:15:35,659 –> 00:15:43,599 him. And God began in this redeeming plan and purpose with just one person, Abraham. 145 00:15:43,599 –> 00:15:49,640 And from Abraham, one nation, Israel. And through this nation, the Redeemer comes into 146 00:15:49,640 –> 00:15:55,400 the world, so that people from every tribe and nation and language, should be brought 147 00:15:55,400 –> 00:16:01,979 into this great community of people who will live our lives and give ourselves to, as Anna 148 00:16:01,979 –> 00:16:08,780 did, the declaration of the praise of God and living for his glory. 149 00:16:08,780 –> 00:16:14,780 Now Anna knows all of this and that’s why day after day she goes to the Temple. She’s 150 00:16:14,780 –> 00:16:20,059 in Jerusalem, the city where God has put his name. She goes to the Temple, which is the 151 00:16:20,059 –> 00:16:26,239 place where God will meet with his people. But when she goes to the Temple, what does 152 00:16:26,239 –> 00:16:34,359 she see? Well, she sees the same things as 30 years later, our Lord Jesus saw when he 153 00:16:34,359 –> 00:16:46,599 came to the Temple. What was that? The commercialization of faith as the Temple has been overrun by 154 00:16:47,119 –> 00:16:56,520 traders plying their wares to make a buck, the deadness of so much traditional religion, 155 00:16:56,520 –> 00:17:00,739 think about it, all these priests in the Temple and not one of them has enough of the Holy 156 00:17:00,739 –> 00:17:09,359 Spirit upon them to discern that Jesus is the Christ. The self righteousness of so much 157 00:17:09,359 –> 00:17:15,040 that goes on in the Temple, people strutting around with a kind of arrogant bearing, people 158 00:17:15,119 –> 00:17:19,619 who think highly of themselves, trying to impress others because they are there in the 159 00:17:19,619 –> 00:17:26,619 Temple demanding from God what they think he should do and Jesus saw all of that in 160 00:17:26,619 –> 00:17:31,680 the Temple and you remember what he said about it, These people said Jesus, they honour me 161 00:17:31,680 –> 00:17:42,400 with their lips, they come and they say all the right things, but their hearts are far 162 00:17:43,199 –> 00:17:50,199 from me and that’s how it was for crowds and crowds in the Temple in Annas day and her 163 00:17:51,119 –> 00:17:56,640 heart must of ached as she went there and as she prayed and as she fasted oh that the 164 00:17:56,640 –> 00:18:03,640 Redeemer would come and change this. All of these people showing up for worship how many 165 00:18:05,300 –> 00:18:12,280 of them even know how to pray. Could it really be said of them that they love God with all 166 00:18:12,280 –> 00:18:16,599 of their heart? How many of them loved God more than they love themselves and more than 167 00:18:16,599 –> 00:18:23,599 they love their own families? How she longed for the day when the Temple would be filled 168 00:18:24,300 –> 00:18:30,060 with people who really loved God and who saw it as the first commitment of their lives 169 00:18:30,060 –> 00:18:37,060 to serve him and to live for his glory. And there were some who felt like that and Anna 170 00:18:37,920 –> 00:18:44,920 herself was one of them. And over the years she’d got to know, as you do, others who shared 171 00:18:45,099 –> 00:18:51,140 a similar heart and a similar longing. They were waiting, verse 38, for the redemption 172 00:18:51,140 –> 00:18:56,560 of Jerusalem. Longing for the day when the promised redeemer would come. Waiting for 173 00:18:56,560 –> 00:19:02,660 the day when God’s city would be filled with God’s praise and that it would really arise 174 00:19:02,680 –> 00:19:09,660 from the hearts of God’s people. See, if you are a Christian today, redemption 175 00:19:12,459 –> 00:19:19,459 speaks to you of the purpose and calling of your life. If you are a Christian today, you 176 00:19:21,260 –> 00:19:28,260 need to say to yourself in a fresh way, I am not my own. I was bought with a price. 177 00:19:33,660 –> 00:19:40,660 I’m not here to live for myself. Christ died that in him we should no longer live for ourselves. 178 00:19:43,400 –> 00:19:49,199 You’re not your own, you are bought with a price so glorify God with your body. That’s 179 00:19:49,199 –> 00:19:53,380 redemption language. That’s 1 Corinthians chapter six and verse twenty. In other words, 180 00:19:53,380 –> 00:20:00,140 when you see that you are purchased by Christ to be his own, that’s what will give you fresh 181 00:20:00,900 –> 00:20:05,859 in the pursuit of holiness. That’s what’s going to drive you forward in the battle against 182 00:20:05,859 –> 00:20:12,099 sin. That’s what’s going to make you say today, I can’t accommodate what I know to be wrong 183 00:20:12,099 –> 00:20:19,099 because I live for the glory of one who has purchased me. Knowing who you are in Christ 184 00:20:19,239 –> 00:20:25,319 and that he is your Redeemer is the greatest incentive in the New Testament for pursuing 185 00:20:25,500 –> 00:20:32,520 a holy and a godly life. That’s the first observation. 186 00:20:32,520 –> 00:20:39,280 Second is simply this, that this word Redeemer and the fact that we have a Redeemer speaks 187 00:20:39,280 –> 00:20:50,300 to us of an amazing and personal act of love. Now there’s one story in the Old Testament 188 00:20:51,060 –> 00:20:52,699 that more than any other 189 00:20:52,699 –> 00:20:59,260 speaks to us about the Redeemer and I think it would have been very special to 190 00:20:59,260 –> 00:21:07,000 Anna because it’s the story of a widow and it is of course the story of Ruth. 191 00:21:07,000 –> 00:21:12,180 Let me remind you of it. It’s the story essentially of two women, one an older 192 00:21:12,180 –> 00:21:18,140 woman Naomi, who was married to a man called Alimilech, and a younger woman 193 00:21:18,359 –> 00:21:25,859 Ruth, who married their son. In a short space of time and so rather like Anna’s 194 00:21:25,859 –> 00:21:33,500 own story both Alimilech, the father, and his son Ruth’s husband 195 00:21:33,500 –> 00:21:40,280 died, leaving Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth as widows. So 196 00:21:40,280 –> 00:21:44,900 here’s a story in the Old Testament that quite clearly speaks right into Anna’s 197 00:21:44,900 –> 00:21:52,479 personal experience of her husband dying after just seven years. Now you can read 198 00:21:52,479 –> 00:21:55,859 the story of Ruth in the Old Testament. It’s a short book. It’s a beautiful story. 199 00:21:55,859 –> 00:22:00,339 There are two laws in the Old Testament that you need to know to understand this 200 00:22:00,339 –> 00:22:06,780 story. The first was the law of redemption, which said that if a person 201 00:22:06,780 –> 00:22:12,280 became poor and had to sell their land, the right to buy that land would go 202 00:22:12,280 –> 00:22:17,680 first to the nearest relative, and the purpose of that law that you’ll find in 203 00:22:17,680 –> 00:22:25,160 Leviticus chapter 25, was of course to keep land in the near-family circle if 204 00:22:25,160 –> 00:22:29,319 it was at all possible for that to happen. That’s the law of redemption, 205 00:22:29,319 –> 00:22:34,900 Leviticus 25. It’s the nearest relative who has the first right to buy the land 206 00:22:34,900 –> 00:22:40,959 if it needs to be sold. The second law was the law of leviot marriage, which 207 00:22:41,040 –> 00:22:47,339 said that if a man died without leaving children, then again his nearest relative, 208 00:22:47,339 –> 00:22:51,839 so notice the common theme, was the one who should take responsibility for the 209 00:22:51,839 –> 00:22:57,239 dead man’s widow. And the purpose of this law was of course to provide for the 210 00:22:57,239 –> 00:23:04,839 young widow, but also to continue the family line. Now the question at the 211 00:23:04,839 –> 00:23:08,900 heart of the story of Ruth in the Old Testament that would have been so 212 00:23:08,900 –> 00:23:16,739 familiar to Anna is simply this, would there be a redeemer who was willing to 213 00:23:16,739 –> 00:23:20,920 pay the price for the land that had to be sold, 214 00:23:20,920 –> 00:23:29,660 and who was ready to provide a home and a future for Ruth the young widow? Who 215 00:23:29,660 –> 00:23:34,619 would do such a thing? It would involve not only the payment of a price, it would 216 00:23:34,959 –> 00:23:39,599 involve a lifelong commitment. And would there be anyone in the family circle 217 00:23:39,599 –> 00:23:45,859 who would say sure I’ll be a redeemer it’s a costly business. Now those of you 218 00:23:45,859 –> 00:23:51,359 who know the story know that there was such a man. And his name was Boaz. 219 00:23:51,359 –> 00:23:57,939 The problem was that there was a nearer relative to Ruth and to Naomi who had 220 00:23:57,939 –> 00:24:03,439 the first right to redeem and so Boaz went and met with this nearer relative 221 00:24:03,520 –> 00:24:07,680 at the city gate in front of witnesses and he said something like this. 222 00:24:07,680 –> 00:24:14,880 Now look he said Naomi is selling the family field and because you’re the 223 00:24:14,880 –> 00:24:21,260 nearest relative you have the first right to buy it. Well the man like that 224 00:24:21,260 –> 00:24:27,060 he said nice fields, knock down price, plant, raise some harvest make some 225 00:24:27,060 –> 00:24:32,140 money it’s gonna be a good deal for me and yeah yeah I’d like to buy the field. 226 00:24:32,920 –> 00:24:40,099 Then Boaz said of course when you buy the field you will also be taking 227 00:24:40,099 –> 00:24:44,520 responsibility for the support of two widows and particularly for the line to 228 00:24:44,520 –> 00:24:50,359 be raised up on behalf of the younger one. Because there are two laws to meet 229 00:24:50,359 –> 00:24:54,680 here of course my friend one gives you the right to buy the land and the other 230 00:24:54,680 –> 00:24:58,800 gives you the responsibility for supporting the widows and being a man of 231 00:24:58,800 –> 00:25:02,599 honour, obviously you would not claim the privileges of the one and then deny 232 00:25:02,599 –> 00:25:09,000 the responsibilities of the other. It’s a masterpiece of negotiation, I would have 233 00:25:09,000 –> 00:25:14,660 loved to have seen the nearer relative’s face which must have fallen a mile when 234 00:25:14,660 –> 00:25:18,780 he realized you know this isn’t gonna be a nice little earner of buying a cheap 235 00:25:18,780 –> 00:25:23,280 field, this is gonna be a lifelong commitment, I’m not up for this at all. 236 00:25:23,900 –> 00:25:28,699 And so in Ruth chapter 4 and verse 6 the Redeemer said. 237 00:25:28,699 –> 00:25:35,560 I cannot redeem it for myself lest I impair my own inheritance. 238 00:25:35,560 –> 00:25:38,420 You see what he’s saying? I gotta think about myself 239 00:25:38,420 –> 00:25:43,140 and what you’re proposing is gonna be way too costly for me. 240 00:25:43,140 –> 00:25:50,300 So he defers the right and he says to Boaz, well if you want to do this, you go ahead. 241 00:25:50,300 –> 00:25:53,219 And Boaz did. Why? 242 00:25:53,459 –> 00:25:58,939 Because he loved Ruth, he loved her. 243 00:25:58,939 –> 00:26:06,300 And he was ready to do whatever it would take to make her his own. 244 00:26:06,300 –> 00:26:09,420 And this story is in the Old Testament Scriptures, why? 245 00:26:09,420 –> 00:26:15,160 To tell us about Christ and to explain for us what it is to be a Redeemer. 246 00:26:15,579 –> 00:26:21,920 And to say look within the human family where people are all about themselves. 247 00:26:22,160 –> 00:26:24,400 This kind of thing just doesn’t happen. 248 00:26:24,400 –> 00:26:27,520 So thank God that there’s a Redeemer who comes from Heaven. 249 00:26:27,520 –> 00:26:30,260 And He becomes our nearest relative. 250 00:26:30,260 –> 00:26:32,540 That’s the point of Him taking flesh, isn’t it? 251 00:26:32,540 –> 00:26:34,219 That’s what Christmas is all about. 252 00:26:34,219 –> 00:26:36,199 He becomes our brother. 253 00:26:36,199 –> 00:26:38,319 He becomes the one who stands next to us. 254 00:26:38,319 –> 00:26:39,319 Why? 255 00:26:39,319 –> 00:26:40,939 So that He can be the Redeemer. 256 00:26:41,500 –> 00:26:42,660 And what’s it going to cost? 257 00:26:42,660 –> 00:26:48,579 It’s going to cost the paying of an unfathomable price in His death on the cross, and in all 258 00:26:48,579 –> 00:26:49,939 that He suffered there. 259 00:26:49,979 –> 00:26:55,260 And it’s going to be a lifelong commitment in which He binds himself to His bride, who 260 00:26:55,280 –> 00:26:59,300 He loves, a bride that often is unresponsive. 261 00:26:59,300 –> 00:27:03,800 A bride that often is very selfish. 262 00:27:03,800 –> 00:27:07,680 A bride that too often is very disloyal. 263 00:27:07,680 –> 00:27:14,040 A bride that is not particularly attractive in ourselves, but He loves us. 264 00:27:14,040 –> 00:27:18,739 And that’s what this great theme of the Redeemer points us to. 265 00:27:18,819 –> 00:27:20,680 You have a Redeemer that tells you who you 266 00:27:20,680 –> 00:27:23,579 are, and it tells you what the purpose of your life is. 267 00:27:23,579 –> 00:27:30,739 You have a Redeemer that tells you you are loved with an everlasting love. 268 00:27:30,739 –> 00:27:39,420 What it is to be part of the Church of God, which He, scripture says, obtained with His 269 00:27:39,420 –> 00:27:44,060 own blood. 270 00:27:44,060 –> 00:27:54,939 From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride. 271 00:27:54,939 –> 00:28:01,280 With His own blood, He bought her. 272 00:28:01,280 –> 00:28:07,319 And for her life, He died. 273 00:28:07,319 –> 00:28:10,020 That’s the love of a Redeemer. 274 00:28:10,020 –> 00:28:16,719 Jesus Christ, says the Apostle Paul, He’s the Son of God, and He loved me. 275 00:28:16,719 –> 00:28:20,319 And He gave Himself for me. 276 00:28:20,319 –> 00:28:26,719 If you ever have questions about who you are as a Christian, or what your purpose is 277 00:28:26,719 –> 00:28:27,760 in life, you remember this. 278 00:28:27,760 –> 00:28:28,760 You’re redeemed. 279 00:28:28,760 –> 00:28:30,819 You’re not your own. 280 00:28:30,819 –> 00:28:33,180 You live for Christ because He purchased you. 281 00:28:33,180 –> 00:28:38,119 If you ever have one of these times where you say, does anybody really care, you remember 282 00:28:38,280 –> 00:28:45,199 you have a redeemer and He has paid this unspeakable price, and He’s made it the commitment of 283 00:28:45,199 –> 00:28:51,800 His life that you should enter into all the good that comes to you from being bound to 284 00:28:51,800 –> 00:28:52,800 Him. 285 00:28:52,800 –> 00:28:56,140 And then there’s one more thing here, and that is that this word redemption speaks to 286 00:28:56,140 –> 00:28:59,180 us of an enduring gift 287 00:28:59,180 –> 00:29:02,599 of hope, an enduring gift of hope. 288 00:29:02,599 –> 00:29:07,880 And here I want just to remind you of what I think is the greatest statement of all about 289 00:29:07,959 –> 00:29:09,939 the Redeemer in the Old Testament. 290 00:29:09,939 –> 00:29:13,239 And many of you know it, well, comes from the lips of Job. 291 00:29:13,920 –> 00:29:22,900 You remember what he said, I know that my Redeemer lives and at the last he will 292 00:29:22,900 –> 00:29:27,199 stand upon the earth and after my skin has thus been destroyed. 293 00:29:27,479 –> 00:29:30,119 Yet in my flesh shall I see God. 294 00:29:30,119 –> 00:29:31,939 I know my Redeemer lives. 295 00:29:31,939 –> 00:29:34,119 That’s what Job said in the Old Testament. 296 00:29:34,119 –> 00:29:37,420 And Anna would have known that so very well. 297 00:29:37,640 –> 00:29:40,579 I think it would have meant a great deal to her for this reason. 298 00:29:41,900 –> 00:29:44,180 She was 84 years old. 299 00:29:45,500 –> 00:29:48,219 I mean, she’d been waiting for the Redeemer for a long time. 300 00:29:49,339 –> 00:29:51,619 She was able to welcome the infant Jesus. 301 00:29:51,619 –> 00:29:55,739 She wasn’t going to live another 30 years and then see his public ministry, 302 00:29:55,859 –> 00:29:57,939 hear his parables or see his miracles. 303 00:29:58,079 –> 00:30:00,500 No, she was 84 years old. 304 00:30:02,739 –> 00:30:03,500 And you know what? 305 00:30:04,420 –> 00:30:11,939 The world when Anna died would have looked pretty much like the world was when she was born. 306 00:30:14,900 –> 00:30:23,540 Disease, disaster, death, wars, violence, greed. 307 00:30:24,420 –> 00:30:25,619 People grabbing power. 308 00:30:25,619 –> 00:30:30,420 Those of you who are older, when was the time when it was not so? 309 00:30:30,420 –> 00:30:38,180 The world was like this, the world when Anna died, pretty much the same as it was when 310 00:30:38,180 –> 00:30:39,939 Anna was born. 311 00:30:39,939 –> 00:30:44,380 And that’s where the great truth of Job is so important. 312 00:30:44,380 –> 00:30:49,219 The work of the Redeemer, you see, stretches beyond this life. 313 00:30:49,219 –> 00:30:53,859 He’s come to us, it begins here, as we’re brought into this relationship with him through 314 00:30:53,859 –> 00:30:59,219 repentance and through faith, but the work of the Redeemer goes beyond this world and 315 00:30:59,780 –> 00:31:03,400 beyond this life. 316 00:31:03,400 –> 00:31:10,359 There’s a part of our redemption that believers begin to enjoy now, but the largest part of 317 00:31:10,359 –> 00:31:18,199 what Jesus Christ has purchased for us is yet to come. 318 00:31:18,199 –> 00:31:20,660 I was thinking about this in relation to Black Friday. 319 00:31:20,660 –> 00:31:28,079 You know, we’ve just been back from, we go, Karen and I to visit both sides of the family, 320 00:31:28,079 –> 00:31:30,000 particularly in November. 321 00:31:30,000 –> 00:31:38,119 I find that one of the patterns with the extended family circle is that I am often, it seems, 322 00:31:38,119 –> 00:31:44,939 blamed personally for things that come from American culture that British people don’t 323 00:31:44,939 –> 00:31:47,020 like. 324 00:31:47,020 –> 00:31:53,819 The latest of these that is just taking off in the UK now is Black Friday. 325 00:31:53,819 –> 00:32:01,500 I was getting this, why have you sent us Black Friday as if it was personally kind of delivered 326 00:32:01,500 –> 00:32:08,319 from yours truly, but think about this remarkable tradition that has evolved in our time and 327 00:32:08,319 –> 00:32:17,920 all that was purchased on Friday and what happened to the vast majority of what was 328 00:32:17,959 –> 00:32:23,359 purchased on Friday? I’ll tell you, it was wrapped up, put away and hidden somewhere 329 00:32:23,359 –> 00:32:35,040 under a bed. Why? Because it was purchased awaiting a greater day that is yet to come. 330 00:32:35,040 –> 00:32:41,839 And you see that is exactly true of our redemption in Jesus Christ, you think of all that Jesus 331 00:32:41,839 –> 00:32:46,000 Christ has purchased, please remember this for all the blessings that you know in Jesus 332 00:32:46,239 –> 00:32:51,920 Christ as a Christian believer in this world the vast majority of what he has purchased 333 00:32:51,920 –> 00:32:58,560 has been wrapped up, put away, and awaits a better day. That’s why Paul, in Romans chapter 334 00:32:58,560 –> 00:33:03,280 eight says we have the first fruits of the Spirit, we’ve just got a little sort of pre-Christmas gift 335 00:33:04,400 –> 00:33:07,680 but we’re still groaning inwardly, why? Because we’re eagerly awaiting 336 00:33:07,680 –> 00:33:13,760 our adoption of sons which is what? The redemption of our bodies. 337 00:33:16,640 –> 00:33:22,239 Not only your soul or your heart being changed, your body being adapted and transformed with 338 00:33:22,239 –> 00:33:28,000 energy and life for all eternity and not only your soul and body being completely redeemed 339 00:33:28,000 –> 00:33:33,520 but even the world in which you live, itself being transformed liberated from its bondage 340 00:33:33,520 –> 00:33:39,920 to decay so that there will be a new heaven and a new earth that will be the home of righteousness, 341 00:33:39,920 –> 00:33:49,280 no violence, no racism, no disputing as to who is god, no tears, no pain, no hatred, 342 00:33:49,280 –> 00:33:55,040 no war and no death. Shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ has made a great purchase and 343 00:33:55,040 –> 00:34:02,160 by far the largest part of it is yet hidden, yet to be revealed, yet to be given to you 344 00:34:02,160 –> 00:34:08,879 as a believer in Jesus Christ. That’s why redemption always speaks to us of our glorious 345 00:34:08,879 –> 00:34:14,159 hope and everything that yet lies ahead of us in Jesus Christ our Lord. That’s why the 346 00:34:14,159 –> 00:34:20,560 writer to the Hebrews in chapter 9 speaks about the eternal redemption, because this 347 00:34:20,560 –> 00:34:26,239 sight of death, you only see the beginning of it. The vast majority is in store and 348 00:34:26,239 –> 00:34:28,959 awaits a greater day. 349 00:34:28,959 –> 00:34:40,939 There is a Redeemer. Aren’t you thankful for that? And he’s Jesus, God’s own Son. 350 00:34:40,939 –> 00:34:47,679 He’s the Precious Lamb of God, he’s the Messiah and he’s the Holy One. And brothers 351 00:34:47,679 –> 00:34:53,159 and sisters in Christ, when we stand in glory then we shall see his 352 00:34:53,239 –> 00:35:05,520 face and then we’ll serve our King forever in that holy place. 353 00:35:05,520 –> 00:35:14,760 Thank you. Oh our Father, for giving us your son and leaving your Spirit until the work 354 00:35:14,760 –> 00:35:20,459 on earth is done. We worship you, not only as Lord and Saviour and as Christ, but today 355 00:35:20,500 –> 00:35:32,699 especially we worship you as our Redeemer. We thank you that you, in unfathomable love, 356 00:35:32,699 –> 00:35:40,719 went to the very depth of suffering, giving your whole self in order to make us your own 357 00:35:40,719 –> 00:35:48,379 and to bring us out of our destitute situation and to make us with you, the inheritors of 358 00:35:48,600 –> 00:35:55,600 your glory. We ask that knowing that we are redeemed may urge us this week in the pursuit 359 00:35:56,540 –> 00:36:03,419 of a holy life, a life in which you are at the centre as our Lord and our God, and other 360 00:36:03,419 –> 00:36:08,780 things are fitted around that which is so very central to us, which is to live for your 361 00:36:08,780 –> 00:36:15,439 glory our all consuming purpose. Grandfather, that when the pressures and difficulties and 362 00:36:15,439 –> 00:36:21,979 sometimes the sadnesses of this world press in upon us, that especially in this Advent 363 00:36:21,979 –> 00:36:29,739 season you will help us to live with that freshness of hope that the vast part of all 364 00:36:29,739 –> 00:36:36,580 that you have purchased is yet wrapped up and yet to be reveale on the day when the 365 00:36:36,580 –> 00:36:42,739 Son of God will come in power and in glory and all of the family will be gathered together.