Christ the Savior
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” cried a blind beggar sitting along a hot dusty roadside, near first-century Jericho, when he learned that a well known healer was passing by (Luke 18:35-43.)
Many decades ago, in my youth, I worked part-time as a lifeguard at a municipal swimming pool. The day-to-day challenges of that job were more likely to resemble those of a babysitter than they would a rescuer of lives, but from time to time (especially later in life) the physical skills attained to meet the requirements of that job were put to good use.
So, what is the connection between a blind man who lived two thousand years ago, a young girl being dunked by a bully in a 20th century public swimming pool, and an accountant having to be pulled from a lake after a canoe accident? They were all in need of someone or something beyond themselves to rescue them from their situation. In each case, the individual’s own strength and resources were not enough to lift that individual from his or her circumstance—they all needed a savior!
As human beings we are, because of our sin, alienated from our Creator, but unlike the blind beggar or folks struggling in the water, our condition (separated from God) would—without some kind of intervention—be eternal. There is nothing that we can do in our own strength to remedy this hopeless condition. We cannot pull ourselves up by our own spiritual bootstraps. We need a Savior! This Easter season, as our minds turn to Jesus’ suffering, His death on the cross, and subsequently the celebration of His resurrection, let there be no ceasing in the expression of our gratefulness for God’s provision of a Savior, a Savior who has rescued us from the consequences of our sin.
Tim Hess - Deacon
Additional Resources:
Your Great Name - Natalie Grant
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
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