A glorious, unexplainable Mystery that makes me jump up and down...every time.

Recently, God brought to my mind the term of redeemer and more specifically how it related in the Old Testament. Having heard this term from the book of Ruth, I knew the jist of what a kinsman-redeemer was and why they were important. But the fuller subject of redeemer came as an interesting topic to study.
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I guess 'jist' isn't a word. The correct spelling is 'gist'. Never knew that...
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According to the O.T. law, every Israelite, animal, and crop in Israel belonged to God because he first redeemed them by bringing them out of Egypt and gave them the land of Canaan, which was to be used for His glory. Specific ways of redeeming were prescribed by the Law, which can be viewed in more detail here.

When a family member murdered, assaulted, or robbed, the kinsman-redeemer was charged to bring the criminal to justice, protect the land and its family members.

The kinsman-redeemer must have fulfilled specific requirements:
1) The redeemer must be a near kinsman, hence the name.
2) The redeemer must be able to redeem.
3) The redeemer must be willing to redeem. (In Ruth 4, the first man able to redeem did not want to, see here.
4) The redeemer cannot redeem himself.

Two summers ago, I was charged with presenting the book of Ruth to a group of high school students. I had read Ruth four or five times. I had a study guide, sample questions, etc. Even though I studied this book and knew the story and the parallel of the kinsman-redeemer to Christ, I am still in awe, again, at the perfection in which Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the role of kinsman-redeemer to the world.

Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, born a man, was able to redeem us because he took on humanity.
Jesus, declaring and giving evidence to his identity, the Son of God, was able to redeem through his blood the covenant God made with himself to Abraham in Genesis 15:17.
Jesus, obedient to the will of the Father, was wiling to redeem us, despite the suffering.
This is the kicker, Jesus, the Son, having been obedient to the Cross, did not save himself but entrusted Himself to God, the Father, who, through the sacrifice, redeemed us and then brought glory to the Son by raising Him by the Spirit.

Thoughts like these, make my mind race, my heart pound, and, eventually, my head spin. In the end, I'm left...

COMPLETELY SILENT

...having caught a glimpse of the eternal glory of the triune God.

I can't help but think of a friend enthusiastically exclaiming, or something like it, "The Father loves the Son. The Son glorifies the Father. The Son gives us His Spirit. The Spirit testifies that we are sons and daughters, etc."