I’ve Been Redeemed
Anyone mature aka old enough to remember S&H Green Stamps? They were distributed as bonus rewards for shoppers based on the dollar amount of their purchases at various check-out counters of supermarkets, department stores and gasoline stations.
It was a thrill to put those stamps in savings booklets (lots of lickin’ goin’ on), then take the filled booklets to the redemption store, REDEEM those books and purchase housewares and other items from the Green Stamps store or catalog. Such fond memories of those books and the excitement of FREE gifts!
REDEEM: to buy back, to get or win back, to free from captivity by payment of a ransom, to release from debt, to remove the obligation of payment, to exchange for something of value. (Source, Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
That redemption story pales in comparison to THE Redemption story of all stories. In this season of Advent and Christmas, we sing carols, we see nativity scenes, lights on trees – inside and outside, attend Advent and Christmas programs and candlelight services.
Why decorate? Why celebrate? Why all the hustle and bustle? It is because of the unparallelled REDEMPTION Story. There is a reason behind all the carols (we sang several of them at church last Sunday) and the feeling of awe and wonder about a baby being born in a manager. It is that Jesus Christ, Son of God, humbled Himself and became a baby – to REDEEM YOU and ME!
He became a man so that He could redeem us from our mistakes and the messes we make of our lives. He came to redeem us from our sins. Jesus paid the price for our salvation.
I remember an old chorus that went like this: “He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to take my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace. Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”
That is the good news that we celebrate this month and all year long. That is the debt we could never pay. God did it through His Son Jesus Christ coming to this earth to take our sins upon Himself. And He did that, when He died on the cross for you and me.
Doesn’t that give us a sigh of relief? IT IS FINISHED. From the Manger to the Cross — he paid the ultimate price for you and me! He REDEEMED us. Doesn’t that make you feel that you’re worth a million?