Savior

…the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.   (1 John 4:14)

 

Savior

 

We needed a Savior—and received one: Jesus!

 

Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua, which means “the Lord saves.” When Jesus was on the earth, He went about saving people—and He’s still in the saving business today.

 

The Sunday before Jesus was crucified, a crowd gathered to shout His praises, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” In Hebrew, they were shouting, “Save us! Save us! Save us!”

 

Unfortunately, they missed the point of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that day. They were calling upon Him to save them from a bad situation. “Save us from the cruel Roman oppressors!” “Save us from dirty politicians!” “Save us from poverty!” Indeed, a Savior had come, but He didn’t pursue their agenda. He certainly was not the kind of Savior they were expecting. They were looking for salvation from a situation; Jesus was looking to save them from their sins. They sought divine assistance; Jesus called them to seek true repentance and forgiveness.

 

Today, we, too, often find ourselves asking for favors from God without allowing Him to do His work within us. How many of our prayers are “Help me!” rather than “change me”? We may have many needs, but they all boil down to one—the need to be saved.

 

If our greatest need were counseling, God would have sent a psychotherapist.

 

If our greatest need were entertainment, God would have sent a movie star.

 

If our greatest need were information, God would have sent a computer.

 

If our greatest need were inspiration, God would have sent a motivational speaker.

 

But our greatest need is a Savior, so God sent Jesus to save us from our sins

—Mark Wilson