“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people’ Luke 1:68.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. Ephesians 1:7-8.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14.

Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those in a land of sin and death, the Light of life has shown.

When I sent My angel Gabriel to Zachariah with the good news that he and Elizabeth would have a son that would open the way and prepare the people for the coming of the Lord, that is, the Messiah, into the world. And I told him that he was to name his son “John.” Do you know what the name John means? Grace. In Hebrew “Yochanan” or “Yehochanan,” meaning the LORD has given grace. For My grace has appeared, bringing salvation to all mankind. Titus 2:11. The Law was given to Moses but grace and truth came through, with, and in the Person of Jesus Christ.

As we continue and end our series on the surpassing riches of grace we are on Life Lesson No. 9: “Grace brings the fullness of redemption.”

Zechariah at first questioned My Word, but I silenced him so he would not speak against it and stop My plans. Elizabeth agreed and rejoiced with My plan. But when John was born, Zechariah agreed with Me and named the boy “John.” Immediately his tongue was loosed and he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people.” Luke 1:68. I would like to stop there a moment before we continue to the rest of he prophecy. He foretold I would visit and accomplish redemption for My people. In fact, he even put it in the past tense for Jesus had already come and had just visited their home in the womb of the virgin Mary.

Do you know what redemption is? And do you know what the fullness of redemption is? For with Me there is unfailing love and with Me there is fullness of redemption. Psalm 130:7. You have it now by My grace which I have lavished on you in Jesus. For in Him you have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of your sins, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF MY GRACE, which I have lavished upon you in Him. Ephesians 1:7-8.

You see then that redemption has to do with paying the price for your sins with the blood of Jesus, that is, paying off the debt you owed Me for the transgression of My laws (My Words), which Adam began, until now. Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all. 1 Timothy 2:6. But there is more to redemption there is the fullness of redemption, and of His fullness you have all received grace on top of grace.

It is very important that you understand the grace I have given you in Jesus. Of first importance, know your sins are forgiven and gone as if you had never done them, 1 Corinthians 15:3, for that debt was taken by Jesus when He took all your sins upon Himself, that is, into His own account by emptying out of your account. You know the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ, how He became poor so you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9. He took your sins and paid divine justice the payment due, which was His eternal blood for the eternal life you murdered in Adam and continued down the ages by the disobedience of sin, which is lawlessness, and that spirit is still at work in the sons of disobedience.

But there is MUCH MORE, for having now been justified by His blood, you shall be SAVED from the wrath through Him. And if while you were enemies you were reconciled to Me through the death of Jesus, MUCH MORE, having been reconciled, you shall be SAVED by His life. Romans 5:9-10. And the word which is translated “saved” there is, in the original language of Greek in which it was written, the Greek word “sózó (σῴζω),” which means to save, heal, preserve, and rescue. sṓzō is from the word, sōs, which means safe, rescued, delivered out of danger and into safety; and sozo is the root of soter, which means “Savior”, and sōtēría, which means “salvation,” and the adjectival form, sōtḗrion means “saved/rescued from destruction and brought into divine safety.”

And Zachariah uses this same word, sōtēría, in the next line of his prophecy at the birth of John: “And [the Lord God] has raised up a horn of SALVATION for us in the house of David His servant—as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—SALVATION from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; to show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him WITHOUT FEAR, IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS before Him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; to give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.” Luke 1:29-75.

Here we continue to look at what Zachariah is explaining about what he introduced in the very opening of his prophecy over John, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people.” Luke 1:68. He is explaining the grace that is coming and has come in the person of Jesus into the world and it all has to do with the fullness of redemption. It includes the forgiveness of sins, making you righteous with My own righteousness, and sanctification to holiness, for I have made Jesus sanctification for you and by the blood of His cross He reconciled you to Me; and although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Me holy and blameless and beyond reproach—if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven. Colossians 1:20-23.

But there is MUCH MORE. He saved you from the wrath, which was the curse of the law as elaborated by Moses in Deuteronomy 28, and after reconciling you to Me, He SAVED you by His life. Romans 5:9-10. Remember that this is the Greek word “sózó (σῴζω),” which means to save, heal, preserve, and rescue.

I am telling you that once Jesus removed all your sins, He removed the punishment due to them, which is the curse of the Law. You must understand that Christ redeemed you from your sins and that includes redemption from the curse of the Law. He became a curse for you—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— and redeemed you from the curse in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to everyone who believes in Him, so that you would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14.

Now if you go back to Deuteronomy 28 where I explained the blessing of Abraham and the curse of the Law to you, you will understand better the fullness of redemption.

What is the curse of the Law? It is a curse for disobedience to My Word, that is, for sin, which is lawlessness, for the wages of sin is death and all that goes with it. And the curse includes all sickness, diseases, pain, disabilities, infirmities, skin disorders, mental and emotional pain and disorders, including insanity and dementia, famine, defeat in war, drought, lack, captivity, depression, oppression, abuse, poverty, destruction, and eternal death. You are redeemed from all that by the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

And what is the Blessing? The opposite of the curse, or you could say the curse is the opposite of the Blessing. Blessing comes from obedience to My Word. The Blessing includes authority, promotion, abundant prosperity, strength and health, protection wherever you go or are, triumph and victory over enemies, freedom from captivity, success to the work of your hands, strong and champion children, rain for your land in season, plenty of food and provision.

But the fullness of redemption is more, it is found in the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the sufferings and death of Jesus: “Surely our SICKNESS He Himself carried away (lifted off, taken), and our PAINS He bore,” Isaiah 53:4, “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being (shalom, that is, wholeness and peace in every area of your life, physical, mental, emotional, financial, and relational) fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” Isaiah 53:5-6. “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to weakness and sickness; rendering Him as as a guilt offering.” Isaiah 53:10. “My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11. “Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12.

Aren’t you glad that I had Him bear not just sickness and disease but also all pains and infirmities? That I included all transgressions, sins, and iniquities? That I included guilt and shame?

And Psalm 103 sums up the benefits of redemption by My grace: forgiven of all your sins, healed of all diseases and ills, redeemed out of the pit of destruction (emotional, financial, physical, and eternal), surrounded with love and compassion, days filled with good, and renewal of your youth.

And how does the prophecy of Zechariah end? “Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78-79.

The prophecy of Malachi fulfilled, “But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings (kanaph: wing, extremity, flowing outer garment, corners of a garment where the tassels were attached, Numbers 15:38) ; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” Malachi 3:20 (Malachi 4:2). Healing in the corners of His garment, “For she was saying, ‘If I just touch His flowing garment, I will be healed (sozo).’” Mark 5:28. My Son rose from the dead with healing in His wings. Redemption includes healing.

And how does the prophecy of Malachi finish? “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 3:23-24 (Malachi 4:5-6). And what did I tell Zechariah about John? “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:16-17. Jesus came to stop the curse, to turn My heart, the heart of your Father, back to the children and make the disobedient righteous. And that is redemption.

I love you. You are redeemed but know what that means for your life. The devil will try to put the curse on you, and if you do not know you have been redeemed, you might be deceived to let it stay.