He is a Restorer of Broken Lives

HE IS A RESTORER OF BROKEN LIVES

Jesus is the consummate Restorer of Broken Lives. His divine craftsmanship is unparalleled, delicately putting back together the shattered fragments of our existence and assembling them into a beautiful masterpiece of redemption and renewal.

The Psalms echo with the assurance of God’s closeness to the brokenhearted. In Psalm 34:18, we find solace, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” This divine proximity marks the genesis of restoration, as Jesus, with profound compassion, draws near to those burdened by the weight of brokenness.

Notice, Jesus draws near to those burdened by the weight of brokenness – so should we. We should seek to draw near to those who are burdened by the weight of brokenness.

God forbid a church add to the brokenness of people, or even cause the brokenness of people.

As Christians, and especially as churches, we are to draw near and minister to those who are burdened by the weight of brokenness.

As a church or a ministry, we should never be the ones that are a source of that brokenness, and may God have mercy on those churches and ministries that are sources of brokenness in people’s lives.

Jesus’ Compassion Moves Him to Action

The Gospel narratives resonate with instances of Jesus mending physical infirmities, casting out demons, and most profoundly, healing the wounds of sin and despair.

Matthew 11:28 encapsulates His invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Here, the Savior beckons, promising not just relief but a restoration that transcends the temporal, rekindling the flame of hope and healing.

In the delicate work of reconstructing lives, Jesus also extends His divine touch to the realm of relationships. Ephesians 4:32 exhorts believers to “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

The forgiveness modeled by God becomes the blueprint for our interactions, fostering the restoration of fractured relationships.

Moreover, the Bible showcases God’s ability to use anyone for His divine purposes. The flawed figures of the Old Testament, from Moses to David, stand as testaments to God’s transformative power.

The New Testament introduces disciples, ordinary individuals whose lives were reshaped by Jesus’ compassion into instruments of extraordinary purpose.

The essence of Jesus as the Restorer of Broken Lives is woven throughout Scripture, portraying Him as the master craftsman of redemption. His touch is not bound by circumstance or limitation, and His ability to use the most unlikely individuals for His divine plan knows no bounds.

As vessels of His grace, we are called to partake in this divine work of restoration, extending the compassion and forgiveness we have received to others, we must put that compassion into action. Our compassion must have hands and feet.

In the hands of the Redeemer:

• broken lives find renewal,
• shattered relationships discover healing,
• and the narrative of redemption continues to unfold, revealing the enduring truth that in Jesus, the Restorer, all things can be made new.

Jesus Specializes in Using & Restoring Broken People

Matthew chapter one highlights this truth in the lives of Jesus’ own family members.

Specifically in our passage, we see this restoration take place in the lives of several people mentioned in the first six verses of Matthew 1. Look with me again at verses 1-6,  “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias.”

In our passage we see the accounts of Judah and Tamar, Rahab the harlot, and Ruth the widowed Moabite, which unveil the remarkable tapestry of God’s redemptive grace, demonstrating the transformative power that surpasses the depths of human sin and that Jesus truly is the great Restorer of broken lives.

First, let’s Look at Judah & Tamar

The account of Judah and Tamar, found in Genesis 38, is a testament to God’s ability to work through very flawed individuals for His divine purposes. Despite the sinful choices made by Judah and Tamar, it is quite the sordid story I won’t go into it now, but God, in His mercy, orchestrated a redemptive plan.

Tamar, through a series of providential events, bore twins—Perez and Zerah of Judah—ultimately becoming part of the genealogy leading to the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:3 – And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram).

Our Next Example is Rahab the Harlot

The life of Rahab, a harlot in Jericho, takes a miraculous turn in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6. Despite her sinful profession and the prevailing sin in the city, Rahab’s heart turned towards the God of Israel. God can save the vilest of sinners and use them for His work and His glory. God can use anyone to do anything for Him!

Rahab turned to God and through her faith, she played a crucial role in the victory of Jericho, and her life underwent a radical transformation.

In the divine tapestry, Rahab became the wife of Salmon, and their union produced Boaz. This former harlot became not only a symbol of God’s redemptive power but also a grandmother in the lineage of our Lord (Matthew 1:5 – And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse).

Now might we greater understand Jesus’ sympathy and grace He extended to the woman caught in adultery? Jesus understands our difficult family situations, our shame, our family trials, and family burdens, He understands, and He gives grace, and He gives forgiveness.

Next, We Have Ruth, the Widowed Moabitess

The story of Ruth, a widowed Moabite, unfolds in the book that bears her name. In her destitution, Ruth found favor in the eyes of Boaz, who, as the Kinsmen Redeemer, played a role that beautifully prefigured Christ’s redemptive work.

Boaz, in obedience to God’s plan, redeemed Ruth, and their union bore Obed, the grandfather of King David and an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus. What a mighty, gracious, loving, and powerfully redeeming God we serve (Matthew 1:5-6 – And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king…).

Our God is Such a Gracious God

These narratives, in Jesus’ own family tree, vividly illustrate the profound truth that no one can out-sin the grace of God.

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).

God’s redemptive plan is not limited by human shortcomings; instead, it triumphs over sin, transforming lives and weaving even the most unlikely characters into the lineage of the Messiah.

It really does seem that our God delights in using those people that the religious crowd would deem the unusable, and the unqualified to do His work for Him.  In contemplating these stories, we stand in awe of a God whose grace transcends the depths of human failure.

Through Judah, Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, God not only restored but elevated them to be partakers in the unfolding drama of redemption, ultimately leading to the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

These narratives echo the resounding proclamation that God’s grace is inexhaustible, reaching into the darkest corners of human experience and bringing forth beauty from ashes.

When life is shattered, and all seems lost,

And you’re left with nothing but pain and cost,

Remember that Jesus is always near,

To wipe away every single tear.

 

He takes the broken pieces of your heart,

And puts them back together, a work of art,

With love and care, He makes you whole,

And fills your life with joy and hope untold.

 

So, when you’re feeling lost and all alone,

Darkness overtaking you, no light is shone

Just remember that Jesus is the way,

The truth, the life, the light of day.

 

So, when you’re lost in solitude, and low,

Engulfed by darkness, no light in tow,

Recall, Jesus the light, the guiding ray,

Illuminating your path, day by day.

 

He’ll restore your soul and make you new,

And give you strength to see it through,

For He is the restorer of broken lives,

And with His loving grace, all things can thrive