GRIZ BEAR COMMENTS: 'I know that my Redeemer lives....'

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

In the midst of his suffering, Job - an Old Testament character who lived in the land of Uz (thought to be in modern-day Syria) and who was likely a contemporary with the Old Testament patriarchs - expressed his confidence in the resurrection and second coming of his Savior and Redeemer.

In chapter 19 of the Biblical book of Job, he said: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (v. 25-27).

What a beautiful confession of the truth Christians celebrate each Easter - the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and the certainty that this same crucified and risen Christ will come again and stand upon the earth to judge the living and the dead!

Job, even though he suffered greatly and looked for relief in death, knew that His Redeemer lives and would one day stand upon the dust of this earth and raise all the dead. He had confidence that, even though his flesh would decay and return to dust, he would be raised up from death and see his Redeemer with his own eyes. And he longed for that day!

You and I, even as we face death and the grave, can have that same confidence as Job. We can be certain that our Redeemer lives and that we will see Him on the Last Day with our very own eyes - after all, the Bible tells us “every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7).

We can face suffering and death knowing that our Redeemer lives. And, as Samuel Medley wrote in his much-cherished hymn, “What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my ever living Head.”

Because Christ Jesus took our sin and the sin of all mankind upon Himself and suffered our punishment when He died upon the cross, and because He truly did rise again from the dead - bodily - on the third day, we can take comfort even in death. Why? Because our Savior and Redeemer, the same Jesus Christ who so loved us that He suffered and died for us on the cross and paid in full the just punishment for our sins, lives and will stand upon this earth on the Last Day. Even if we have died and our bodies have decayed by that Great Day, we will be raised up and see Jesus our Redeemer with our own eyes.

And will He condemn us? Though those who have rejected His mercy and grace and turned from Him stand condemned already for not believing in the name of the only begotten Son of God, all who place their hope and confidence in Jesus and His blood shed upon the cross will not be condemned but have everlasting life (John 3:18,36).

We can rejoice because Jesus overcame sin, death and the grave for us. He lives and is coming again! The same Christ who died for our sins, rose again and is now interceding for us at the right hand of God will be our judge on the Last Day (Rom. 8:34). He comes to raise up all who trust in Him to life everlasting in His eternal kingdom!

Because Jesus died for my sins and rose again, with Job I can say: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (v. 25-27).

Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer and can be reached by email at rmoll@ nwaonline.com. Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 03/27/2013