My Redeemer Lives — Part 3: April 3, 2024

Broadcast

                      My Redeemer Lives - Part 3
                             Job 19:23-27
                              04/03/2024


        23   Oh that my words were written!  Oh that they were
             inscribed in a book!
        24   Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were
             engraved in the rock forever!
        25   For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last
             he will stand upon the earth.
        26   And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in
             my flesh I shall see God,
        27   whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall
             behold, and not another.  My heart faints within
             me!  (ESV)

        The Old Testament lesson which many heard on Easter Sunday
   came from the book of Job.  From the depths of despair and pain,
   Job looked for someone to relieve his distress.  He confessed
   that only God could declare him righteous, in spite of the
   problems he faced.

        God's Word, the hope of God's grace, love, and mercy,
   endures forever.  Job desired to engrave the confession of his
   hope and comfort on a rock so that it would last for all
   generations.  In effect, that is what happened.  For almost four
   millenia these words uttered by Job have brought hope to
   countless people.

        Oh that my words were written!  Oh that they were
        inscribed in a book!  Oh that with an iron pen and lead
        they were engraved in the rock forever!  For I know
        that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand
        upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus
        destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I
        shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not
        another.  My heart faints within me!


        Jesus' tomb is empty, for He defeated death.  We have the
   tangible proof that we are joined to Jesus in His death and
   resurrection as explained by Saint Paul:
        Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized
        into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We
        were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,
        in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
        by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in
        newness of life.


        With Job, therefore, and with Paul, we also confess that we
   will come forth from our graves.  Our Redeemer has purchased and
   won us from eternal death by His victory on Easter morning.
   There is no greater comfort than this.

        He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!  Amen.