“With His own blood–not the blood of goats and calves–He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever” (Hebrews 9:12 NLT).
Many consumers are undoubtedly familiar with the various redemption plans offered by retailers and others. These programs typically furnish discounts, free products, and/or priority shipping incentives for those who enroll in them. In a similar manner, the idea of “redemption” represents a key Biblical concept, but one that is quite dissimilar to the redemption plans we may encounter today.
You see, the redemption plans offered by merchants, financial institutions, and business organizations generally center around the idea of an “exchange.” For instance, a consumer may agree to use a merchant’s preferred form of payment in exchange for a product or service discount. In this example, the buyer gives something, and the seller gives something back.
However, the Biblical concept of redemption referenced here in Hebrews 9:12 conveys something very different. Here, the word “redemption” is associated with the idea of deliverance, especially from the penalty of sin. (1) With this in mind, we can say that Jesus’ sacrificial death secured our redemption in the sense that He delivered us from the eternal death penalty that accompanies sin. As we’re told in the Biblical book of Galatians…
“But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God’s children” (Galatians 4:4-5 GNT).
In the words of another source, “The [Old Testament] High Priest obtained annual redemption; Christ obtained eternal redemption.” (2)
From another perspective, we can say that Jesus also fulfills the Biblical role of a “kinsman-redeemer.” A kinsman-redeemer was a family member who possessed the ability to redeem property, liberate a relative from servitude, continue the lineage of a deceased relative, or enforce the law upon those who killed or injured another family member.
A kinsman-redeemer had to meet three prerequisites to serve in that role:
- He had to be related to the person in question.
- He had to possess the ability to act.
- He had to be willing to do so.
Thus, it is easy to apply this concept to Christ. First, Jesus serves as our kinsman-redeemer in the sense that He is related to us through our common humanity. Next, His death on the cross redeemed us from our state of separation from God. Finally, Jesus willingly paid the price necessary to secure our deliverance.
(1) G3085 Lutrosis https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3085/kjv/tr/0-1/
(2) Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook, Hebrews Chapter 9:1-14. Christ and the Tabernacle [pg. 653] Copyright © 2000, 2007 by Halley’s Bible Handbook, Inc.