Vintage Jesus - Week 2 - Jesus as Our Redeemer

If you have a Bible, and I hope you do, I invite you to open with me to Ruth chapter 2. This is the second week of our four-week journey through what I believe is the ultimate Old Testament love story - one that puts every romance novel and movie in our culture to absolute shame. Because this is real. This is authentic. And more than that, it's showing us something about God's heart for redemption, right in the old testament and before Jesus as the Word in the flesh shows up in John's gospel.

So, before we read chapter 2, let me set the stage by recapping chapter 1 for us. The story starts with a woman named Naomi, and it opens in Bethlehem - which, ironically, means "house of bread." But there's no bread in the house of bread. Right? There's a famine. And Naomi's husband, Elimelech, gets this idea and makes this decision that will change everything - he leads his family to Moab.

So know this… the relationship between Israel and Moab wasn't good. The Moabites' story began when Lot had an incestual relationship with his daughter, so, not a very proud past. There's this one story, generations later after the story off Lot, with Moses and the Israelites in the book of Numbers where the Moabite women had seduced Israelite men into sexual immorality and idolatry, then God brought judgment upon the people of Israel. And so, 24,000 people were killed as a result of what Moabite women and the Israelite men had done. So, these people had a really rough history. And yet, again, generations later here in the book of ruth, here's Elimelech, leading his family to, of all places, Moab. Now when they get there, unexpectedly, all of a sudden, Elimelech dies and Naomi is left with her two sons who end up marrying two Moabite daughters-in-law. And I can imagine Naomi sitting there, and thinking, this is not working out the way I had planned for my life to work out. And to top that off... as if it can't get any worse, after around 10 childless years where neither of her sons and their wives have children, her sons unexpectedly die as well and she is now left alone, a widow, childless with two Moabite daughters-in-law, who are also now widows, and childless as well. But then what happens? Well, she hears news that the famine is over, the house of bread now has bread - and there's now food back in Judah. So she begins a journey back to Bethlehem with these two daughters-in-law in tow. By the time we get to verse 7, Naomi tries to discourage Orpah and Ruth from going with her. And you know what? I understand this. In my years of ministry, some of the most heart-felt and heart-breaking moments I've experienced have been shepherding widows. Because I've seen this pattern play out over and over with people who have deep hurt in their hearts. You see, Naomi does what every one of us do when we hurt - we push others away. It's one of the great paradoxes of human pain, isn't it? In the moments when we most need connection, when we most need people to sit with us in our grief, something in us wants to retreat. To isolate. To push away the very people who want to help. And It’s hard for us to witness pain and separation, and still expect others to sit in our pain with us. Maybe you've been there. Maybe you're there right now. Maybe you understand exactly what Naomi is feeling when she says to these young women, "Go back. Leave me alone in my bitterness.” But here's where the story takes a remarkable turn. Because while Orpah does what Naomi asks - she turns back - Ruth refuses to leave. Ruth, in my opinion does the most Jesus thing ever… she refuses to leave Naomi alone. She stays present with her mother in-law. We see a picture of someone willing to sit in the pain with another person, even when that person is trying to push them away. And I cant help, right from the very first chapter… I think to myself while reading this story… Isn’t this exactly what Jesus does with us? How many times have we tried to push Jesus away in our pain? How many times have we said, "Leave me alone in my bitterness"? And yet, like Ruth with Naomi, Jesus refuses to abandon us. He pursues us. He stays with us in our pain. Do you know what blows me away about moments like this in the Old Testament? We know Jesus is both fully God and fully human. And what's amazing is that Ruth was related to Jesus - she was the great-grandmother of King David on his father's side. To which we know, that Jesus comes from the line of David. It's like... you know how you look at your kids sometimes and you see yourself in them? You see your same reactions, your same tendencies, your same ways of thinking just passed down to them? Well, when I read this story, I see this incredible DNA of redemption and commitment and care for others weaving through Ruth's life, and then watching how it reveals itself in the tapestry of the life of Jesus... it just amazes me. I mean do you grasp what I’m saying? Have you ever noticed the characteristics in the people of the Old testament revealed in the life of Jesus. Like David Being a man after God’s own heart.. thats Jesus… Jesus’s life was to please the father. Right here in the OT… we’re already witnessing the character and the image of God within his people. I would say, that means theres hope. If that means there’s hope for them, then there must be hope for us when we too are, like Naomi feeling bitter and disconnected. Because of the Holy Spirit that is within us, We too carry the same Christlikeness to the next generation. And then, we see some of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture: it comes from chapter 1, and verse 16 and 17.. listen to what Ruth says to Naomi… This is so christlike…. "Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. Doesn't that sound familiar? Can you imagine Jesus in your pain, in your hurt saying this to you? Because I belive, this is exactly what Jesus does say to us? He leaves His home. He comes to where we are. He makes our people His people - remember John 1:14? "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." He commits Himself to the Fathers plan to make a way for salvation, all the way to death, and burial. This isn't just a coincidence. This is part of God's amazing story of redemption being worked out through generations. Ruth's DNA of sacrificial love, of refusing to abandon those who are hurting, of crossing cultural boundaries to find redemption - it finds its ultimate expression in, in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So when we see Ruth refusing to leave Naomi in her bitterness, we're seeing a glimpse of what Jesus would later do on an even grander scale.

Now, I say all of this because we pick up the story as they arrive in Bethlehem. Lets read together Ruth, chapter 2 verses 1-20 together… (Read Ruth 2:1-20) Now, there are three truth I want us to recognize this morning as we see Jesus as our redeemer. And the first part begins in.. verse 3.. it says, 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. 4 While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. Let's talk about this phrase: "As it happened." When we look at this in the Hebrew Language, it means “by chance." The author is almost winking at us. "Oh, Ruth just happened to end up in this field. She just happened to choose the field belonging to Boaz. And Boaz just happened to show up right then. But watch what happens next. Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”" Notice - Ruth isn't looking for Boaz. She's just looking for food. She's just trying to survive. But Boaz? Boaz sees her first. He seeks her out. He initiates the relationship. This is exactly what Jesus does with us. We think we're just going about our lives, making our own choices, when actually, our Redeemer is seeking us. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 19:10? "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Think about it: Ruth wasn't looking for a redeemer - but her redeemer saw her. Ruth wasn't trying to find family - but family found her. Ruth wasn't seeking blessing - but blessing found her. And that's your story too. Whatever brought you here today, whatever choices you think led you to this moment - Good or bad… just like Ruth's "as it happened" - it's actually Jesus, our Redeemer seeking you, where you are.. perhaps gleaning yourself in a field of life choices. Paul reminds us in Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Before we were looking for Him, He was looking for us. Before we knew we needed redemption, He was already our Redeemer. Before we ever thought of salvation, and needing a savior, God sent his Son, Jesus. Just look at how Boaz approaches Ruth. He doesn't wait for her to come to him. He: Notices her (v.5) Learns about her (v.7) Goes to her (v.8) Provides for her (v.9) Protects her (v.9) Welcomes her (v.14) Sound familiar? This is exactly what the characteristics of what a redeemer is. He notices us in our need. He knows everything about us. He comes to us. He provides for us. He protects us. He welcomes us to His table. And then one day…. You’re eyes are open and you see Jesus, not just a s ticket to heaven, but as your beloved redeemer. And when that happens… when we notice Jesus in that way.. everything changes. Here's what this means for us today: You didn't find God - He found you. Your salvation story didn't start with your seeking - it started with His. Just like Ruth's "coincidence" was actually God's providence, your presence here today isn't an accident. The point is this.. Our Redeemer notices and Seeks Us First.

So, right after Boaz seeks Ruth out, watch what he does next. Look at verses 8-9: "So Boaz said to Ruth, 'My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.’" Did you catch that? In one breath, Boaz offers both protection and provision. "Stay in my field" - that's provision. "I have told the men not to touch you" - that's protection. So, not only does a redeemer seek first, but Our Redeemer Provides Protection and Provision And he doesn't stop there. Look at verse 14: "At mealtime Boaz said to her, 'Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.' When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.” He's not just throwing a few scraps her way. He's inviting her to his table. He's serving her himself. And the text specifically says "she ate all she wanted and had some left over." This is abundance, not just survival. Then in verses 15-16, Boaz goes even further. He tells his men, Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.” This is exactly what Jesus does for us. Remember His words in John 10:10? "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” He doesn't just save us - He sustains us. He doesn't just protect us - He provides for us. He doesn't just give us enough - He gives us abundance. Think about it: Ruth asked for permission to glean leftovers - she got invited to the table She hoped for a few scraps - she got more than just scraps. She looked for bare survival - she found generous provision And the beauty of this story is that this isn't just about physical provision. Look back at verse 12, Boaz says something that helps us recognize that its not just about provision.: "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” "Under whose wings" - do you know what it means to be under the wings of something… its a picture of both protection and provision. You know, my imagination runs wild when I read the Bible... it really does. When I read the Bible, I sometimes like to imagine the story in all kinds of different ways... and in this moment, this is what I'm imagining… Can you picture it with me? Little shepherd David, perhaps 5 or 6 years old, sitting on Obed's lap - his grandfather. And remember, Obed is Ruth and Boaz's son. So this is a grandfather telling his grandson about God's faithfulness to their family. I can almost hear Obed saying, “now, David, do you see that eagle up there? See how it flies high, watching over everything below? That's like God's presence watching over us. Protecting us. You know, your great-grandmother Ruth came here as a foreigner, but God took her under His wings though your great grandfather Boaz. He protected her. Provided for her. Just like that eagle protects its young. And then years later, perhaps after Obed has passed on, when David has faced all kinds of troubles and hardships and had sinned, maybe that image comes back to him of sitting on grandpa beds lap. . And he writes these beautiful words in Psalm 36:7: "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Now, I don't know if any of this is true - that's just how my imagination works when I read the Bible. But here's what I do know: This is who our Redeemer is. Jesus doesn't just seek us out - He takes us under His wing. He doesn't just save us - He shelters us. He doesn't just provide the minimum - He pours out abundance. The same God who covered Ruth with His wings through the life of Boaz, who could have inspired David to write about taking refuge under those wings, is the same Jesus who looks at Jerusalem and says, "How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" (Matthew 23:37). This is our Redeemer - always seeking, always protecting, always providing. Our Redeemer Provides Protection and Provision

This brings us to our third truth. And to see this, I want you to notice something fascinating in our text - watch how Ruth is described throughout this chapter. In verse 6, when the foreman first identifies her to Boaz, what does he say? "She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi." That's her identity - the foreigner, the outsider, the Moabite. Now, naturally that should have drawn a heart of indifference towards her. In that culture, calling someone "the Moabite" wasn't just describing where they were from - it was loading them down with generations of prejudice and assumptions. Right? Theres history there. And you know what? We do the same thing today. Have you ever noticed sometimes, in our words and speech, we put others down without even knowing it? Think about it: ”Oh, that's the divorced person” "You know, the person from that part of town” “That person has a troubled past” Or even when we say things like… ”Those people” We might not mean to, but our labels can become little boxes we put people in. We take one aspect of their story and make it their whole identity. One mistake becomes their defining characteristic. One circumstance becomes their whole story. But look at what Boaz does. When he hears "the Moabite," he doesn't see her as a label - he sees a person. He doesn't see her past - he sees her present faithfulness. He doesn't see where she's from - he sees her for who she's can become. And look at what he says to her… “My daughter, listen to me” He calls her daughter… In one word, he completely transforms her identity. This foreign woman, this Moabite, this outsider - he calls her "daughter." It's the first time in the entire story that anyone has given Ruth a title of belonging rather than a label of exclusion. You see, redemption isn't just about changing our circumstances - it's about transforming our identity. When Jesus redeems us, He doesn't just give us a new label - He gives us a new relationship. He doesn't just change our status - He changes our family name. Isn't this exactly what Jesus does for us? When others might say "the sinner," "the failure," "the outcast, the nobody,” Jesus says, “thats my child." When the world wants to define us by our worst moments, Jesus stops and defines us by His love for us.

But watch what happens. Look at verse 10. Watch how Ruth responds to Boaz, "At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" She still sees herself as the outsider. You know, I think of all the people who have had a salvation moment... who still struggle in faith because they're defining their life by their past. I know thats true because that is what I did for so many years. I struggled for years seeing myself as redeemed. A lot of that was because I didn’t want to give up my life. The way I lived was what I loved. I didn’t want to change. I didn’t think it was possible for so many years. But like I said a few weeks ago, have you not noticed that every time someone comes into contact with Jesus, they never leave the same. Listen, church… holiness takes time. Its a transformation. And that transformation is depended upon whether or not we repent, and surrender our lives. Maybe you're here today, and that's you. Can I just say, theres hope. You've received Christ, but you still see yourself as "the addict” You've been forgiven, but you still define yourself as "the failure” You've been made new, but you still think of yourself as "the outsider” 'It's like you're living in two worlds - you know Jesus has redeemed you, but part of you is still living with that old identity. You're like Ruth - experiencing grace but still introducing yourself as "the foreigner.” But watch how Boaz responds in verse 11. He doesn't reinforce her identity as a foreigner. Instead, he says, "I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. He's not looking at where she came from - he's looking at where she's going. Not at what she was - but at who she's becoming. This is what Jesus does. When we say: "I'm just a sinner" - He says, “but yet, You’re my beloved” "I'm broken" - He says, "I've made you whole” "I'm an outsider" - He says, "You're my family” 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" The question isn't whether this is true - it's whether we'll believe it and live from the truth that we are his redeemed people. You see, church, Our Redeemer Transforms Our Identity Through Relationship. You’re loved. More than you know right now.. theres more love that you have yet to witness… and God wants to lavish his love on you. In first John, the Bible tells us, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Your idienty isn’t in your past.. it’s in a redeemer. Who saved you….from your past.

As Peter comes up… I want to conclude by asking, So what does this mean to us… Well, it all comes down to this simple truth: Our lives are not our own. We have been bought with a price. We’re indebted… To be redeemed means we’re indebted to the redeemer. You see, at the end of Ruth chapter 2, we see Ruth return home to Naomi with an abundance of grain. And Naomi asks her, "Where did you glean today?" She wants to know who's responsible for this incredible provision. And when Ruth says "Boaz," Naomi immediately recognizes something Ruth doesn't yet understand. She says, "That man is one of our kingsman-redeemers." In other words, this isn't just about food - this is about family. This isn't just about provision - this is about belonging. The same is true for us. Each of us will give our lives to something or someone. There's always going to be something that has authority over you: Maybe it's success Maybe it's approval Maybe it's comfort Maybe it's control But true freedom - real life - comes when we realize that Jesus Christ has already purchased us with His blood. He paid a price we couldn't pay to give us an identity that we didn't deserve. Look at verse 12 one more time. Boaz says to Ruth, "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. That's the invitation before us today. Will you come under His wings? Will you let your Redeemer be your refuge? Because here's what I know: Just like Ruth's "as it happened" moment wasn't really an accident, you being here today isn't an accident either. Your Redeemer has been seeking you. He's offering you protection and provision. He wants to transform your identity. The question is: Will you let Jesus be your redeemer?

May you go forth knowing that "you are not your own, for you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20). And "may you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge" (Ruth 2:12). For "if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. *