Jesus Christ – Our Kinsman Redeemer [2Cor 5:1-9]

Jesus is referred to as our Kinsman Redeemer. Why is this? Let’s begin with the book of Ruth. The theme of Ruth is – Hope in a Kinsman Redeemer. Kinsman means – relative. The word redeem means to buy, buy back, recover, pay off, or exchange something for something else. According to the Torah (Old Testament teaching and Law), there were two main responsibilities that a ‘kinsman redeemer’ had – to “redeem” the property that once belonged to a particular family member and to marry a widow who was childless and to raise their children in the name of her husband who had died. 

Our hearts can be touched by the beautiful love story of Ruth and Boaz, but a closer look will reveal how The Spirit of God wants us to cherish and enjoy the benefits we, too, have in and from our own Kinsman Redeemer. One of the greatest benefits we can enjoy is a confidence (hope) – not in ourselves or our own abilities and accomplishments, but a confidence in Christ and His abilities and accomplishments.

Many place their confidence in material things – their possessions and keeping up with the Jones’. Yet, as “heirs with Christ” our confidence is to be in Christ’s redemption for us. We have been redeemed and we are now His! As a result, we now possess all the benefits of being His. Do you see yourself through the eyes of your Kinsman Redeemer? Ruth learned that real hope was connected to a real Redeemer. 

The Apostle Paul also wants us to understand this same principle. He explains that when and as we allow our faith to be activated, a confidence (hope) in our Relative Redeemer can then spring forth. Let’s break this thought down into two sections--

First, what does the word ‘allow’ communicate? It conveys a responsibility we have – to be willing. Paul details this in 2Cor 5:7 – for we walk by faith, not by sight. The opposite of allow is to resist – to be unwillingly. Walking by faith and not by sight is a choice we make.

Second, what does the word ‘activate’ communicate? A better question to ask is – Who does the activating? In vss 1-4 of 2Cor 5, Paul contrasts our earthly bodies with our future heavenly ones. In vs5, he references how we who are in Christ have been given The Spirit as a pledge (down payment). Then in vs6, he reveals how we are to ‘act’ now that we are being controlled by The Spirit – Therefore, being always of good courage. This word for good courage simply means confident. John uses a form of this word in Jn 16:33 – take heart. According to these two passages, courage and confidence go hand-in-hand. It takes courage to be confident and when one is confident, one is more apt to act courageously. 

But where does this confidence come from? Can we manufacture our own confidence…in ourselves? Paul gives the answer to this back in vs5 when he states – The One who prepared us. Who prepared us? The Psalmist tells us in Ps 71:5 – For You are my hope. O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth. Since this is inspired Scripture, we know that it is true. But just knowing it’s true doesn’t mean we are living it. How can we ‘act’ confidently in our Kinsman Redeemer? That’s what vs7 is all about. This verse has been inspirational to so many through the years. But do we fully understand what Paul is telling us? Not unless, we know its context. 

Here is a literal translation of 2Cor 5:7 – For through (by way of) faith we are walking (continuously), not through (by way of) sight. As you look at the literal translation, is there anything you notice that you didn’t notice before? Putting our faith in our Kinsman Redeemer, is proven by the activation of His Spirit which causes us to continuously walk in confidence. Vs8 echoes this – Now we are confident, yet we prefer rather to be absent from the body and at home with The Lord.

Paul first mentions ‘at home’ in the body in vs6 and now in vs8, he says – ‘at home’ with The Lord. This phrase ‘at home’ can also be translated – to be in one’s own country. How might this better help us to understand the point that The Spirit is making through Paul? Well, do you feel more ‘at home’ in the body or in The Lord? We who have truly been redeemed by our Relative Redeemer long to be at home with Him and no longer feel ‘at home’ in our flesh. In fact, we feel more and more uncomfortable when our flesh is controlling us instead of The Spirit of our Redeemer. Paul reminds us to do all that we can in order to remain close to our Relative Redeemer. This is what Naomi tells Ruth, her daughter-in-law, to do in the beginning of chap 3 of Ruth. 

In vs9 of 2Cor 5, Paul sums up what our newly redeemed desire is to be now that we are at home in The Spirit of our Kinsman Redeemer – FOR THIS VERY REASON, we also have as our ambition (aspire to, make it our goal) whether we are at home (in heaven) whether we are absent (here on earth) to be well-pleasing to Him. This is not just what we must seek to do in order to walk by faith. This is what we are seeking to do when we ARE walking by faith (and not by sight). We are confidently walking by faith in our Relative Redeemer – in who He is, in what He is doing, and even in what He is allowing. 

There is more to our redemption than just the future promise of heaven. There are the ongoing benefits of NOW being His possession – all the riches in Christ Jesus [Eph 3:8; Php 4:19]. We, who are fellow heirs with Jesus, are to know and fully receive this. When we do, there is a confidence that is activated…a confidence that gives us hope in our Kinsman Redeemer – in who HE is, what HE has done, and all that HE has promised to us. 

[Isa 43:1] But now, thus says The Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are Mine.”