Our Redeemer

“But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.” – Isaiah 63:16

In the book “Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing”, Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice share the true story of Billy Neal Moore, who would both find Jesus in prison and ultimately find his victim’s parents to be his greatest advocate:

“When Billy Neal Moore was in jail, awaiting the trial in which he would be sentenced to death, a minister shared with him the good news that Jesus loved him and wanted to forgive his sins.

Moore learned that no one is beyond redemption. From prison, he wrote to his victim’s family and asked their forgiveness.

Astoundingly, they immediately wrote back to say that they also were Christians and that they forgave him. Then the family decided to petition the Georgia parole board to commute Moore’s death sentence.

In 1991, Moore was paroled from prison, transformed by the grace of God and the forgiveness of the victim’s family members.

“When I was released, they embraced me like a brother,” Moore said of Stapleton’s family.

He has been preaching the gospel of forgiveness to schoolchildren and church groups ever since.”

God our Redeemer didn’t take upon himself the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham, so that, in human nature, that is, in the nature which sinned he might make the expiation required.

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” – Isaiah 44:6