Redemption

Redemption


In Luke 24: 18-21, the disciples were hoping that Yeshua would bring redemption. What sort of redemption? National redemption not the individualized redemption that we were and are being taught. However we all know the story. He was crucified and buried. Their hopes were dashed. Perhaps they thought they were mistaken and had to wait somemore for the Messiah.

Why did they think of the Messiah in the context of a national redemption? Because the scriptures of Yeshua and His disciples (and Paul) the Tanakh (OT)spoke of the Messiah in a nationalistic way.

See Ezekiel 37: 21-22:

"Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone and will gather them from all around and bring them to their own land. And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. and one king shall be king over them all and they shall be no longer two nations and no longer divided into two kingdoms"

This king that shall rule over Israel is the Messiah. The idea was that God will gather all the scattered Israelites from the nations back to the holy land and Messiah will rule.

Then in Ezekiel 37: 26-29

" I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore"

He will dwell in the Holy Land as He rules.

The disciples expected this Messiah, the King who will gather and rule at Jerusalem.

Indeed Yeshua the Messiah has come. His death and resurrection saved us personally by freeing us from the bondage of sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are spiritually redeemed(Leviticus 25: 25. Slaves became slaves because they could not pay their debt. A redeemer comes along and pays off the debt. He redeems, buys back the slave's freedom or looking at it another way, we were once of God's and the redeemer now reacquires what was His at the start - Leviticus 25:24 (reacquiring land)).

However  physical redemption has not taken place. The Israelites are being gathered back to one land, no doubt it is happening now. But Yeshua is yet to be physically in Jerusalem ruling as king. The Holy land is yet to be a house of prayer for all nations. Yeshua is in exile. Israel and we ourselves are in exile for so long as this has not occurred (See 1 Peter 1: 17-19 -"And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without blemish or spot").

So redemption is not just personal redemption from sins, the bondage of sin but also physical redemption of the Jewish people through Yeshua the Messiah. It is significant to realize this as soldiers of His kingdom.