I Know My Redeemer Lives

I Know My Redeemer Lives Job 19:23-27

We are well aware of the tragic happenings of the perfect man, Job. We’ve all read how that he had a wonderful relationship to God, but the devil tried to trip him up. He took his money, his luxury, his friends, his health, children, and even his wife. And yet Job held on though perhaps just by a strand at times, but he still held on. Why, because he KNEW his redeemer lived.

Even though it wasn’t easy, even though it was rough, even though it hurt, He KNEW HIS REDEEMER LIVED. Like David, a 2- year old with leukemia, who was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, to see Dr. John Truman who specializes in cases like David’s. Dr. Truman’s prognosis was devastating; “He has a 50-50 chance.” The countless clinic visits, the blood tests, the intravenous drugs, the fear the pain--David never cried in the waiting room, and although his friends in the clinic had to hurt him and stick needles in him, he hustled in ahead of his mother with a smile, sure of the welcome he always got. When he was three, David had to have a spinal tap--a painful procedure at any age. It was explained to him that, because he was sick, Dr. Truman had to do something to make him better. "If it hurts, remember it's because he loves you," Deborah, his mother, said. The procedure was horrendous. It took three nurses to hold David still, while he yelled and sobbed and struggled. When it was almost over, the tiny boy, soaked in sweat and tears, looked up at the doctor and gasped, "Thank you, Dr. Tooman, for my hurting."

Just like David, Job knew that that even though it hurt, even though he didn’t like what was going on, but because HIS REDEEMER LIVED he would come forth as gold.

I’m glad this morning that we celebrate the fact that OUR REDDEMER LIVES. HALLELUJAH. But how do we know he lives? To “KNOW” means - 1. To perceive with certainty; to understand clearly; to have a clear and certain perception of truth, fact, or any thing that actually exists. To know a thing (Webster)

We can know that HE LIVES praise the Lord.

I. Because others testify to it - I’ve heard many many saint’s testify to a living Savior that changed their wants, and desires, that satisfied every longing in their hearts. That met the needs of their heart. I thrill in hearing others proclaim that their Redeemer lives. It just seems to pour more fuel to the fire in my heart, to make me believe just a little more that, My Redeemer Lives.

A. it is wonderful to let others tell you of their belief and knowledge in a Living Redeemer, but sometimes just going by those things is like the extremely weary and thirsty traveler along a trail across Nevada’s Armargosa Desert. He found an old pump with a baking-powder can wired to the handle. Opening it he found this letter,

“This pump is all right as of June 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years. But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed. Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up. There’s enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first. Pour about one-fourth and let her soak to wet the leather. Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You’ll git water. The water has never run dry. Have faith. When you get watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next fellar. (signed) Desert Pete. P.S. Don’t go drinking the water first. Prime the pump with it and you’ll get all you can hold.” You just hope what they say is true, but there is an even greater source,

II. We can know by what the eye witnesses said - I remember how I felt the Lord as I was writing the article for the flaming sword, just thinking about that echo in that empty tomb as the angels told those women, “HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN, WHY SEEK YE THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD?”

A. I’m glad that we have their word to go by, and even though we might not always understand what exactly happened we can know by what they said that he is risen, They left many proofs, and Jesus did as well. (Peter tells us many infallible proofs)

1. You can argue that the disciples just made up the happenings. I would ask you why? What would they gain?

A. They were terribly afraid of the Jews, the Bible tells us that, they had all fled and forsook Jesus out of fear. Why would they suddenly want to take up where Jesus had left off? No they didn’t have anything to gain from making it up, I think that gives a lot of credibility to their testimonies. Then look at the number of testimonies, over 500. That is a lot of sightings to be made up, and made to sound somewhat similar.

B. I think we can safely say we can know by what the disciples say.

I’m glad we can have some certainty, we can believe because the Bible says so and we should, We can believe because everyone else says so, and that’s okay, but what we must have is like Job a PERSONAL EXPERIMENTAL CLEAR REAL ABSOLUTE POSITIVE KNOWLEDGE THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES. How do we get that? The song writer helps us with that “You ask me how I KNOW He lives,”

III. “Because HE LIVES within my heart.”

1. Do you remember the day you seen the cross, and the burden of your heart rolled away, When you glanced in the empty tomb, and shouted “HE LIVES HE LIVES I KNOW HE LIVES” Some are like the traveler in the early days of the west, came to the Mississippi, he discovered there was no bridge. Fortunately it was winter and the great river was sheeted over with ice. But the traveler was afraid to trust himself to it. Not knowing how thick it was. Finally with infinite caution, he crept on his hands and knees and managed to get halfway over. And then he heard--yes he heard signing from behind. Cautiously he turned, and there, out of the dusk , came another traveler driving a four- horse load of coal over the ice, singing as he went!

2. When we know that our Redeemer lives we can go across this iced over cold world singing as we go, “HE arose, He Arose Hallelujah Christ arose.” HALLELUJAH!!!

Some say was Job really talking about Jesus this was written in the Old Testament? Well I don’t know for sure but if you look at the Hebrew language you will find this interesting bit of truth, the word “Redeemer” is from the Hebrew word, “ga’al” (GAW-AL’) it means- to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), I.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow ,etc) Strong.

We can see an example of this in the case of Ruth, Boaz acting as next of kin married Ruth he redeemed her. I like what John Wesley says on this verse, “The word Goel, here used; properly agrees to Jesus Christ: for this word is primarily used of the next kinsman, whose office it was to redeem by a price paid, the sold or mortgaged estate of his deceased kinsman; to revenge his death, and to maintain his name and honour, by raising up seed to him. All which more fitly agrees to Christ, who is our nearest kinsman and brother, as having taken our nature upon him; who hath redeemed that everlasting inheritance which our first parents had utterly lost, by the price of his own blood; and hath revenged the death of mankind upon the great contriver of it, the devil, by destroying him and his kingdom; and hath taken a course to preserve our name, and honour, and persons, to eternity.”

He is My Redeemer and I KNOW MY REDEEMER