Jesus Christ: Our Kinsman-Redeemer
- kingdomcitizensinc
- Jan 20
- 7 min read
The rescue Story We All Need
Welcome to the kingdom citizens blog!
A story of rescue, relationship, and redemption.
Before diving into Scripture, consider these questions:
Have you ever experienced someone stepping in to help you when you couldn’t help yourself? How did that make you feel?
What does it feel like to be rescued—to realize someone paid a price to set you free?
In the ancient world, if you lost everything—your land, your freedom, your name—who would you want to come to your rescue, and why?
Why do you think Jesus chose to become one of us—fully human—when He could have redeemed us from heaven?
What does it mean that God not only redeems us but does so as our relative—as One who became like us?
What comes to mind when you hear the word redeem—and how would it feel if the one who redeemed you wasn’t a stranger, but family?
These questions awaken gratitude, wonder, and personal connection. They help us emotionally grasp what “redemption” means before unpacking the doctrine—and they naturally lead us into the biblical foundation of the go’el, the kinsman-redeemer.
Introduction
The concept of the kinsman-redeemer (goel) in the Old Testament provides one of the most profound anticipations of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Rooted in the legal and familial framework of ancient Israel, the goel functioned as a relative responsible for restoring what had been lost through poverty, death, or injustice. This article explores the theological continuity between the Old Testament institution of the goel and the New Testament fulfillment of that role in Jesus Christ, who, by His incarnation and sacrificial death, became the true and final Redeemer of humanity.
The language of redemption is woven throughout the biblical narrative, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The title “Kinsman-Redeemer” encapsulates both the incarnational and atoning dimensions of Christ’s mission: He became one of us (kin) in order to redeem us (redeemer). The Old Testament institution of the goel—the near relative charged with redeeming family property, persons, or lineage—finds its typological fulfillment in the redemptive work of Christ. Through this lens, the narrative of redemption is seen not merely as a legal transaction but as a deeply relational act rooted in covenant love.
The Role of the Go'el
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the term go’el (גֹּאֵל, translated “redeemer”) derived from the verb gaʾal meaning “to redeem” or “to act as a redeemer,” referred to a close male relative who bore the responsibility of protecting and restoring the rights, property, and well-being of his family. According to Mosaic Law, the kinsman-redeemer acted in several key ways:
He could redeem a relative sold into slavery due to debt (Leviticus 25:25–28; 47–55).
He could redeem land that had been sold outside the family, ensuring that inheritance remained within the tribe.
He could avenge the blood of a slain relative, ensuring justice was carried out (Numbers 35:19).
He could preserve the family line through levirate marriage, marrying a deceased relative’s widow to produce offspring in his name (Deuteronomy 25:5–10).
From these laws, the kinsman-redeemer emerges as a figure of mercy, justice, and restoration. He had to be fit, willing, and able to redeem. In such cases, the redeemer functioned as a protector of the clan’s moral and legal integrity and also paid the purchase price to restore the relative’s freedom, symbolizing deliverance from bondage. These actions reflected not only economic compassion but also theological truth: the land ultimately belonged to Yahweh, and Israel’s social structure was to mirror God’s covenant faithfulness. This combination of relationship, willingness, and ability forms the foundation of the redemptive work later fulfilled by Christ.
Boaz & Ruth: A Living Parable of Redemption
The most vivid Old Testament example of a kinsman-redeemer appears in the story of Boaz and Ruth. Ruth, a Moabite widow, returned with her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem after great loss. Having no husband or inheritance, Ruth faced destitution. Boaz, a wealthy relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, stepped forward as her go’el (Ruth 3:9; 4:1–12). He was a near kinsman, willing to redeem, and able to pay the price to reclaim the land and take Ruth as his wife.
In redeeming Ruth, Boaz not only restored her security and future but also became part of God’s redemptive plan—through their lineage came King David, and ultimately, Jesus Christ. Boaz thus prefigures the Redeemer who would one day come to rescue all humanity from spiritual poverty and loss. Extending beyond legal obligation—Boaz’s redemption of Ruth demonstrates covenantal kindness (ḥesed), a theme central to God’s redemptive character. Through Boaz, Scripture portrays a human redeemer whose compassion and covenant loyalty foreshadow the incarnate Redeemer.
Jesus: Our Kinsman Who Became Flesh
For Jesus to redeem us, He first had to become one of us. Redemption could not come from a place of obscurity; it required kinship. Hebrews 2:14 explains, “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil.”
Through His incarnation, Jesus fulfilled the first requirement of a kinsman-redeemer: He became our near relative. Born of a woman (Galatians 4:4), He entered fully into the human condition. He experienced hunger, pain, sorrow, and temptation—yet He lived His entire human existence without sin (Hebrews 4:15). By taking on flesh, the eternal Son of God became qualified to represent us before the Father. In becoming our Brother, He made Himself our rightful go’el.
Proximity of kinship matters. Christ’s incarnation was a necessary transformation that permitted Him access to the totality of our human experience. Jesus fulfilled Proverbs 18:24 universally in becoming that, “friend who sticks closer than a brother” when ruin comes knocking on our door and our other “many companions” flee or fail to pick us up. Christ’s participation in our humanity was not symbolic but literal.
As Athanasius argued, “He became what we are that He might make us what He is” (On the Incarnation, 54). His kinship was essential; without becoming man, He could not redeem man. By identifying fully with the human condition—experiencing temptation, suffering, and mortality—Jesus became our true Brother (Rom. 8:29) and representative before the Father. This act of intimacy contributed to the price Christ paid to adopt us into Himself again.
Jesus: Our Redeemer Who Paid the Price
The second and third qualifications of a kinsman-redeemer are that he must be willing and able to redeem. In Jesus, both are perfectly fulfilled.
Jesus was willing to redeem us. He was not compelled or coerced but freely chose to give His life. “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus affirmed His voluntary sacrifice, saying, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). His willingness flowed from divine love—the love that sought the lost and paid the ultimate price to restore them.
The cross, therefore, is not a tragedy of coercion but an act of self-giving love. We don’t underestimate or downplay His crucifixion. This was a horrible instance of inhumane torture. However, we focus our attention and affection on Christ’s acceptance of this cup of wrath that was reserved for each one of us. This willingness of Christ contrasts with the reluctance of the unnamed redeemer in Ruth 4:6, who refused to act for fear of endangering his inheritance. Jesus, by contrast, risked and gave everything to redeem His people. That’s love!
Jesus was also able to redeem. Unlike every other human, He was without sin, making Him the only one qualified to pay the debt of humanity’s transgression. The apostle Peter writes, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19). Only the sinless Savior could offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice. Being both fully God and fully man, Jesus possessed the infinite worth necessary to pay the debt of human sin; and so He did.
Finally, Jesus completed the work of redemption. On the cross, He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30), signifying that the debt of sin had been fully paid. His resurrection three days later confirmed that redemption was accomplished and that all who trust in Him are free from sin’s bondage and death’s grip. Christ not only redeems from slavery to sin but also restores humanity’s inheritance in God’s kingdom.
*Athanasius. On the Incarnation. Translated by John Behr. Yonkers, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011.
Make sure to stay tuned in for this next blog post so you don't miss out on your word of instruction and encouragement. The next blog will reveal what freedom and restoration look like in Christ. In the meantime, be blessed. Thank you and Godspeed!
Scripture of Emphasis:
Romans 8:28-30 (NASB)
"28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
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