Self Identify

We hear a lot today about self Identification

Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 20-23 he self Identifies

He becomes one of the people he wants to convert to Christianity

Mother Teresa self Identified with destitute to be able to minister to them

the most productive missionaries learn the language and the customs of the people they are ministering to

becomes one of them

God self Identified when He was born as a baby

He identified as a human

that is worse than a human Identifying and becoming a cockroach

8 days after He was born He self Identified as a Jew

He also self identified as a human

Read Luke 2 21-24.

Pray

Circumcision

V 21 8 days

8 days the baby’s blood coagulates

8 days the nerve endings don’t form yet in the genitals

circumcision was a sign given to Abraham and his descendants being separate

also it is a sign of removing the flesh

changing the heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh

cleansing was needed to remove the sin that you are born with

the sin that is inherited, and the sin that you do

Even though Jesus did not inherit the sin of Adam

Jesus with His circumcision self identified as a sinner

and also Jesus did not come to abolish the law

but to keep it perfectly

that includes Identifying Himself as a sinner

what a great and precious love that was

When Jesus died on the cross He was able to be the substitute for us because He self Identified as a sinner

because Jesus was circumcised he could become our

Kinsman Redeemer

The Idea was to keep the land and the people in their inheritance

sometimes there was a famine and the people had to leave and they sold their property

and the land became the property of another

until the year of jubilee every 50 years

maybe the the family had a hardship

sickness, death, alcohol, and the bills could not be paid

so the dad sold himself into slavery

or sold a kid into slavery

so either the land is in slavery or the people are in slavery

but maybe there is a rich cousin who wants to help

the redeemer can only be a relative

to keep the land and the people in their inheritance

Leviticus 25 23-28

The Land

V 47-49 a person

the Requirements of a kinsman Redeemer

(1) A near relative or kinsman

(2) One who had the means to bring about the redemption

(3) One who had the desire to accomplish redemption

(4) be willing to risk his riches for another’s gain

1 a kinsman

Philippians 2:6–8 LSB

who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

2 had the means

1 Peter 1:18–19 LSB

knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

3 desire to

John 10:18 LSB

“No one takes it away from Me, but from Myself, I lay it down. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

4 willing to risk

John 3 16 because of love

lets look at these requirements in action in the book of Ruth

A Beautiful Example

Ruth

V 1-5 move and died

because the men died they lost the land

poor, begging, no man to take care of them

V 16-18 move back to a pitiful existence

Ruth is a Moabite but also family

What is needed is a man to redeem the family

also to redeem the land

2-1 a kinsman- Boaz

V 2 it was harvest time and Ruth wanted to go and glean barley

V 3 happened to be in Boaz field

V 5-6 Boaz took a shine to her

rest of the chapter Boaz made sure she was well taken care of

3 1-4 Naomi’s instructions to secure a husband for Ruth

To redeem the family and land

so she lays down at Boaz’s feet

and he wakes up

V 9-13 there is a redeemer closer than I

4-1-6 the other was not willing

9-10 Boaz acquires the Girl of his dreams

(1) A near relative or kinsman

(2) One who had the means to bring about the redemption

(3) One who had the desire to accomplish redemption

(4) be willing to risk his riches for another’s gain

Our Kinsman Redeemer

Jesus -God had to come to earth to

be born

Be circumcised and take on the Identity of a sinner

to become our Kinsman Redeemer

to be one of us

only a human can take the place of a human in judgement

our freedom can only be purchased by a close relative

our freedom was purchased with His precious blood

Jesus because of His great love for us was willing and had the desire to accomplish redemption

because Jesus self Identified with us, He made himself as our Kinsman Redeemer

bought us out of slavery of sin

gave us a new life

gave us a new Family

Dont let another day go by without calling on Jesus for Redemption