Sermon #112             Series: Isaiah

 

Title:      "Thy Redeemer"

 

Text:      Isaiah 41:14

 

Subject:        Christ our Redeemer

 

Date:      Sunday Evening - April 19, 1992

 

Introduction:

 

Last week I read a statement by a gospel preacher which is now in glory, that gripped my heart.  I do not know him.  I do not know anything about him except from a small book of sermons I have by him.  They are plain, simple sermons, full of Christ and full of grace.  The preacher’s name was Harm Rust.  He went to glory in 1954.  The statement he made, which gripped my heart was this- “Recently, I was quite a little rebuked when, during a very congenial visit with a brother in Christ, he said, ‘Please talk to me about Christ.’  I wondered if I had spent too much time talking about other matters.”

 

How I fear, and loathe the thought of, talking to you too much about other matters!  Long ago I made this solemn resolve before God- I am determined to know nothing among men, save Jesus Christ and him crucified!  And I pray that God will give me grace to be obedient to that determination.

“E’er since by faith I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme

And shall be till I die!”

 

“Christ crucified” is the message of the Bible.  “Christ crucified” is the message I am sent of God to preach.  Everything else is wood, hay, and stubble.  The sooner it is learned, the better.  “Christ crucified” is what you need to hear.  No other message will be blessed of God.  No other message will be of benefit to your soul.  No other message will be of any consequence in eternity.  Christ crucified is the message…

 

 

If my name is remembered when I am dead and gone, let it be remembered only as the name of a man who talked to you about Christ.  Better yet, forget me altogether, and remember only the Christ I preach to you.

 

Tonight, I am going to talk to you about Christ, nothing else.  May the Spirit of God show each of us our Redeemer as we open the Scriptures.  We will look at seven texts of Holy Scripture, all of them in the Book of Isaiah, beginning with Isaiah 41:14.  The title of my message is “Thy Redeemer”.  How I love those two words.  Seven times in the Book of Isaiah the Lord God speaks to chosen, ransomed, called men and women, to people who have been granted faith and life in Christ, and says that Jesus Christ, the Son of God is “Thy Redeemer!”  Imagine that - Christ is “Thy Redeemer!”

 

Notice:  Our texts do not say that Christ is “A Redeemer,” as though there were other redeemers besides him, or even co-redeemers with him.  There is only one Redeemer for guilty sinners; and that one Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ- (Acts 4:11-12).

 

Notice Also:  Our texts do not call Christ “the redeemer” and say “The redeemer is thine.”  That would be something else altogether.  Had the texts said, “the redeemer is thine.” The comforts, admonition, instructions, and promises of these texts would have been empty, meaningless words.  To say that Christ is “the redeemer” might imply that he is “the redeemer” of all men, even of those that perish at last!  That is the doctrine of apostate, man-centered religion.  But that is not the doctrine of the Bible.  If Christ is the redeemer of all men, and some whom he has “redeemed” are lost, then he is a useless redeemer.  If his blood is shed in vain, then his promises are vain.  What comfort is there in having him as a redeemer?  The theory of universal redemption is a theory of useless redemption!  It robs Christ of the glory of redemption and robs sinners of the comfort and hope of redemption.

 

In every text we shall look at tonight, the Lord of Glory, the Son of God speaks to chosen sinners, saved by almighty grace and given faith in him, and calls himself “Thy Redeemer!”  He is “Thy Redeemer” because he has redeemed you particularly, he has purchased you and redeemed you “Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9).  The texts do not say, “He is willing to be, or he wants to be, or he might be thy redeemer.”  The texts declare that Christ is “Thy Redeemer!”

 

 

If you are a believer, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your only, all-sufficient Savior and Redeemer, he is “Thy Redeemer” in three ways.  Christ is Thy Redeemer by…

 

  1. Special, Blood “Atonement (I Pet. 1:18-21; 3:18).
  2. Almighty, Effectual Grace (Neh. 1:10; Eph. 2:1-4).
  3. Sovereign, Resurrection Power (Eph. 1:14; Rom. 8:23).

 

Now, I want you to look with me at these seven texts in Isaiah and here what “Thy Redeemer” has to say to you about himself.

 

I.  Isaiah 41:14 - Thy Redeemer is Thy Helper!

 

God is here speaking to his troubled, fearful saints, promising “I will help thee.”  Therefore he bids us “fear not.”  The assurance of his promise and the basis of our comfort in it is to be found in the One who gave it- The Triune God!  The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are each personally involved in the salvation of God’s elect (Eph. 1:3-14).

 

 

And all three of the Divine Persons say to us, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee.”

 

 

What more can we want than the help of the Omnipotent Trinity?  Helpless worms we are.  But we have God our Redeemer to help us!  Why should we fear?

 

II.  Isaiah 44:22-24- Thy Redeemer Is The Almighty, Sovereign God!

 

A.  He who redeemed you will never forget you, or forget to be gracious to you- (v. 21).

B.  He who, by his blood, your Redeemer, is the Almighty God.

 

  1. Redemption is his work alone (vv. 22-23) “The Lord hath done it!
  2. God’s glory is wrapped up in the redemption of his people (vv. 23).
  3. He is the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth (v. 24).
  4. He is the Sovereign Ruler of Men. (vv. 25, 28).
  5. He is the Omnipotent Savior of His Redeemed Ones (vv. 26-27).

 

 

III.  Isaiah 48:17- Thy Redeemer is Thy Teacher!

 

When he says, “I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit,” he is not telling us that he will teach us how to make a profit in business!  Our Redeemer is telling us that he will effectually teach his people profitable things- (John 6:44-45; Tit. 2:11-12).

 

 

IV.  Isaiah 49:24-26- Thy Redeemer is Thy Protector!

 

Look what your Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ promises in these three verses.

 

A.  He will set the captives free (vv. 24-25).

 

B.  He will contend with those who contend with you.  “The battle is the Lord’s!”  (See what he did to satan!)

 

C.  He will save the children of Israel.  His Elect (Rom. 11:26).

 

D.  He will be identified with you as, “Thy Savior and Thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”

 

V.  Isaiah 54:4-5- Thy Redeemer is Thy Husband!

 

A.  Christ is a Husband to You- (Eph. 5:25-27).

 

B.  He will never allow you to be put to shame.

 

 

C.  He will cause you to forget the shame of your youth!

 

D.  He called you when you were refused.  (I Cor. 1:26).

 

VI.  Isaiah 54:7-10- Thy Redeemer Will Never Forsake Thee!

 

Though he sometimes hides his face to chasten us “for a small moment, in a little wrath,”   his everlasting kindness and covenant mercy are sure.

 

 

VII.  Isaiah 60:16- Thy Redeemer Shall Be Known in All His Saving Goodness and Glory!

 

A.  All nations shall soon bow before the church of God (v. 14).

B.  Christ will make us an eternal excellency (Eph. 2:7) (v. 15).

C.  Christ shall be perfectly known (v. 16).

D.  Christ shall reward his afflicted people with everlasting salvation and praise- (vv. 17-20).

E.  Every chosen, redeemed sinner shall be completely saved by the work of his hands- (v. 21).

 

 

Application:  Is this great God, the Lord Jesus Christ, “Thy Redeemer?”