Our Kinsman Redeemer

by Kim Larsen

Matthew 20:28 says, ”Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

There is a term used frequently throughout the Bible that describes who Jesus is and what He has done for us. It describes Christ in a wonderful way, in that He is our Kinsman-Redeemer.

There are four prerequisites to this title.

1. The kinsman Redeemer must be related by blood to those he redeems.
2. He must be able to pay the price of redemption.
3. He must be willing to redeem.
4. He must be free himself.

A great example of this type of “Kinsman Redeemer” is in the book of Ruth.

Through the sacrificial service Christ was to lifted up before the nations.  Then all who look unto Him should live and by faith accepted His Sacrifice would live.  All those who turned from idolatry to the worship of the true God would unite themselves with God’s people.  This is the example we see with Ruth the Moabite who turned from idolatry to the worship of the true God. As these people united with Israel, Israel increased in size.  Their borders were to enlarge until their kingdom should embrace the world.

Ruth left her country, her religion and her parents to follow Naomi, her mother in law back to Israel after the death of Naomi’s husband and sons. Ruth was a virtuous woman and God blessed her faithfulness to her mother in law.  As a result, she met Boaz who turned out to be a near kinsman of Naomi. He met all four of the requirements to redeem her. Although he wasn’t the first in line of kin he met with the

elders and the nearest of kin and they agreed that he was able to redeem her. By buying Back the land of Naomi, as well as marrying Ruth and fathering a son to keep the family line alive,

Boaz acts as a Redeemer. From their marriage a son was born. His name, Obed, who became the father of Jesse who became the father of David through whom Jesus Christ was born.

So the work of redeeming us and our inheritance, lost because of sin, fell upon Him who is “near of kin” unto us. It was to redeem us that he became our kinsman. Closer than father, mother, brother, friend or lover is the Lord Our Saviour. “Fear not.” He says, “For I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1