Third Sunday after Easter

Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.

1 Peter 1:18-19.

We have been redeemed, yea, redeemed by Christ from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.  Hallelujah!  But how has Christ redeemed us?  Not with gold and silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.  How are we to understand this?  With His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, Christ has rendered satisfaction to God for us, has paid the penalty to God for our guilt, has suffered for us the punishment required by God’s righteousness.  Therefore we are free from the guilt of sin, and God declares us and the whole world guiltless, forgiven. Hence we are free from death, the penalty of sin, and God instead, by His grace, gives us life by bringing us to receive Christ Jesus. Hence we, as believers, are free from the power of the devil.  We are God’s redeemed children. What does Scripture say? It says: “He [God] hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”  And Scripture also says: “Surely, He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed” (II Corinthians 5:21 & Isaiah 53:4-5).  In raising Christ, God declared before heaven and earth and hell that Christ has truly redeemed us, delivered us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.

PRAYER – O my Lord and Savior, let me never forget how dearly it cost Thee to redeem me. But God has accepted the purchase-price and has considered it sufficient, and did raise Thee from the dead to prove His acceptance, O my Savior.  Thanks, thanks be to Thee, Lord Jesus, for Thy holy, precious blood and for Thy innocent suffering and death.  Give to me increased faith that I may rejoice more and more in this wonderful, changeless knowledge from Thy precious Word.  Amen.

Who is this that comes from Edom,

all His raiment stained with blood;

to the captive speaking freedom,

bringing and bestowing good;

glorious in the garb He wears,

glorious in the spoil He bears?

—

Why that blood His raiment staining,

’tis the blood of many slain;

of His foes there’s none remaining,

none the contest to maintain;

fall’n they are, no more to rise;

all their glory prostrate lies.

—

Mighty Victor, reign forever,

wear the crown so dearly won;

never shall Thy people, never,

cease to sing what Thou hast done;

Thou hast fought Thy people’s foes;

Thou hast healed Thy people’s woes

(TLH, 209, st. 1, 3-4).