Job 19:25 (NLT)
25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he
will stand upon the earth at last.
There is a Redeemer provided for fallen man, and Jesus
Christ is that Redeemer. The word is Goël which is used for the next of kin, to
whom, by the law of Moses, the right of redeeming a mortgaged estate did belong,
Lev. 25:25. Our heavenly inheritance was mortgaged by sin; we are ourselves
utterly unable to redeem it; Christ is near of kin to us, the next kinsman that
is able to redeem; he has paid our debt, satisfied God's justice for sin, and
so has taken off the mortgage and made a new settlement of the inheritance.
[Matthew Henry Commentary]
In January 2000, leaders of Charlotte, North Carolina,
invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon. Billy initially
hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's
disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don't expect a major address.
Just come and let us honor you." So he agreed.
After wonderful things were said about him, Graham
stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, "I'm reminded today
of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time
magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton
on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each
passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He
couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket. It wasn't there,
so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat
by him. He couldn't find it. The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you
are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about
it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively.
"The conductor continued down the aisle punching
tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the
great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his
ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't
worry. I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you
bought one.' Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too know who I am.
What I don't know is where I'm going.'"
Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I'm wearing?
It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling
me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more
fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more
occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be
buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember
the suit I'm wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am, I
also know where I'm going." [John Huffman, "Who Are You, and Where
Are You Going?" Preaching Conference 2002]
If you want peace of mind, the Scriptures are very clear
on that: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). In 1 John 5:13 The Bible tells us, “I write these
things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know
that you have eternal life.” With faith in Christ we have confidence in knowing
where we are going.
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