Looking for Redemption

Advent Day #18

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:
and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1

And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. Luke 2:38-39

Four hundred years after Malachi’s prophecy, Simeon and Anna were still waiting for God to fulfill His promise to send the Lord suddenly to His temple. Anna pointed Him out to those she knew who looked with her. Did they know He would come in the form of an eight-day-old baby whose parents were fulfilling the Law of Moses? Neither Simeon nor Anna seemed phased by God’s plan for redemption.

Redemption means a ransom from slavery or deliverance from prison. God’s people were enslaved to follow every part of the Law if they had any hope of a relationship with God. The Law of Moses contained six hundred and thirteen laws concerning sacrifices, relationships, traditions, justice, and morality. To break even the smallest one meant the whole law was broken. It was a never-ending cycle of sin and sacrifice to maintain even a semblance of righteousness before God.

Even though Jesus was the only human born without sin, He still submitted to fulfill every part of the Law of God. By fulfilling all six hundred and thirteen Laws, Jesus was the only One who could then become the sacrifice for sin for the whole world. His death on the cross would be the last innocent sacrifice necessary. The Apostle Paul described it this way:

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Romans 10:1-4

Sadly, many still scurried about the Temple in Anna’s day and beyond, seeking to fulfill their own righteousness. Their slavery to the Law remained, while the means of redemption was within their grasp. How sad that many in the world today remain enslaved to traditions and works, when the means of their Redemption lies as a gift at their feet. Jesus died and rose again to redeem all who would accept His gift of Redemption. There is no mass, no baptism, no amount of church attendance, no charitable gifts, and no works done for God that can fulfill the whole Law of God or gain His approval. Only those who cry out for His mercy and salvation can gain acceptance with God.

If you are still working to gain God’s righteousness, my prayer is that today you will accept His redemption by calling upon the name of Jesus. If you have called upon the name of Jesus already, I pray that you will stop trying to work for His approval, but rest in His fulfillment of the Law.

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7