Fri.-Sabbath, 2/17-19/17 Devotion

Hip, hip, hooray—it is almost Sunday. We *get* to go back to church again, on The Lord's Day. In order to help us get ready, here is Thomas Watson, from his, "A Body of Divinity" book. . . .

"Jesus Christ is the glorious purchaser of our redemption. The doctrine of re-demption by Jesus Christ is a glorious doctrine; it is the marrow and quintes-sence of the gospel, in which all a Christian’s comfort lies. Great was the work of creation, but greater the work of redemption. It cost more to redeem us than to make us; in the one there was but the speaking of a word, in the other the shedding of blood. The creation was but the work of God’s fingers, (Psa 8:3); redemption is the work of His arm, (Luke 1:51). 'Having obtained eternal redemption for us,’ (Heb 9:12).

"Christ's purchasing redemption for us implies that our sins mortgaged and sold us. Had there not been some kind of mortgaging there had been no need of redemption. When we were thus mortgaged, and sold by sin, Christ pur-chased our redemption. He had the best right to redeem us, for He is our kinsman. The Hebrew word for Redeemer, 'Goel,' signifies a kinsman, one that is near in blood. In the old law the nearest kinsman was to redeem his brother’s land, (Ruth 4:4). Thus Christ being near akin to us, 'Flesh of our flesh,’ is the fittest to redeem us."