““And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.” (Isaiah 59:20 ESV)
This verse is just POWERFUL! A “redeemer” will come to Zion, to Jerusalem. The redeemer in Hebrew is go’el, from the verb ga’al.
The Hebrew concept of a redeemer is actually a kinsman-redeemer: a family member who has the legal right to buy back a piece of land that has been sold off, but once was family property. A kinsman-redeemer can also buy back a family member that has become a slave because of unfortunate circumstances. You can find a great example in the story of Ruth: Boaz was the kinsman-redeemer of Naomi.
The go’el in Isaiah is YHWH himself, who came in the flesh in the person of Jesus. The original Hebrew of that name is Yeshua, which means “YHWH saves.”
Jesus became our kinsman-redeemer because he took on human flesh. He is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters (Heb.2:11). We are his family, so he is the one with the legal right to buy us back (=to redeem us).
Because of our sins and our rebellion we were sold as slaves to the enemy of our souls, Satan, but our kinsman-redeemer suffered and died on the cross to buy us back our freedom – true freedom!
When Jesus comes back, he will come back as the kinsman-redeemer to Zion, to Israel, to his own people. Even though the Jews failed to recognize him when he came the first time, they will now “look upon whom they have pierced” (Zech.12:10; John 19:37) and realize what they have done, and turn from their transgression, as our verse in Isaiah said.
Let’s keep praying for the salvation of Jesus’ own people, the people of Israel, that they will turn to their Savior, to their Lord and to their own Jewish King! Jesus the Messiah is good news for every single human being; but let’s not forget he first came for the Jew and also for the gentile (Rom.1:26)!
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