J e s u s, SAVIOR
S U N D A Y 4 | 7 | 1 9
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
It doesn’t take a long reading of the Old Testament to see a common theme. Adam “lived 903 years, and he died” (Genesis 5:5). Noah lived 950 years and “he died” (Genesis 9:29). Abraham was blessed by greatly by God but died at the age of 175 (Genesis 25:7). The patriarchs of the faith all had this in common. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon, all who dominate the pages of the Old Testament have this in common... they all died. The Old Testament ends with a question looming in the background. “Who will deliver us?” Moses had failed. David failed. Solomon with all his wealth and wisdom failed. Who will deliver humanity from the throws of death?
This longing for deliverance is met with the cry of a baby born to a carpenter and his wife in a messy animal shelter. From the looks of it, this was nothing extraordinary. How would this child be the deliverer of all humanity? He didn’t have the trappings of royalty or the family pedigree to spark a worldwide revolution. This boy, from the looks of it, was strikingly ordinary. How could the Savior be born to this family, in this town, in this mess?
This was not an ordinary child! This was not an ordinary birth. Instead, this marked the beginning of death’s defeat. Like his birth, Jesus’ mission was misunderstood by many. A king sought to destroy Jesus when he was a child because he feared Jesus would overthrow his empire. Those in Jerusalem expected his coming to mark the beginning of the end of Roman rule. Even Jesus’ closest disciples confused his mission. Peter took up his sword thinking it was time to take Jesus’ kingdom by force; Jesus remained focused. He knew what he came to do. He “set [his] face like flint” (Isaiah 50:7) toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51).
Jesus never flinched. He stayed true to his mission. He knew how to take his enemy. Though many didn’t understand what he came to do, he did. He wouldn’t waver. Even in a moment of extreme grief, he remained true (Matthew 26:36-46). Jesus would once and for all take the sting out of sin and death. The road wouldn’t be easy. He would carry our pain, our sickness, and our punishment (Isaiah 53:4-6). But he was up to it. He alone was able to conquer death.
By his wounds and through his death, we have been healed. Death no longer reigns. Jesus is risen. Death does not have the final word (Romans 5:12-21). Even though we may battle sin and shame, fear and failure, disease and death, our hope is secure in the only one who put death to death—Jesus our Savior.