feb 11
John 4:42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Since the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden, death has reigned. God had told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and if he did he would die. As a consequence of his sin, not only Adam died but death was passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).
There were many ways which God gave to “fallen man” to deal with sin.
There was repentance.
Confession.
and there was offering.
As a result, God being merciful, extended forgiveness for sin when men followed a certain protocol toward God out of obedience.
There is not a more detailed explanation about sin and forgiveness than Ezekiel 18. God showed the value of a man doing what is lawful and right and the consequences of doing the abominable (which is what is hated by God.
To do what is just and right is to live.
But the soul that sinneth shall die.
The chapter also conveys that the Lord God finds no “pleasure in the death of him that dieth” therefore the sinner is urged to “turn” or repent and live.
Men did not need a savior to repent. Repentance or turning from sin and turning toward God has been available to mankind since the original sin.
With the law given to Moses was the “sin offering” and the “atonement” in connection with the worship in the tabernacle. These were God given ways for Israel to escape God’s wrath for their sin.
But these sacrifices which were offered year by year were unable to perfect those who came to worship, according to Hebrews 10:1.
Hebrews 10:4
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Hebrews informs that these sacrifices were merely a “shadow of good things to come.”
The Good things to come, would be the result of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10
“5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
The necessity of a savior, was given by the angel which appeared in a dream to Joseph in Matthew 1, as was stated that he which would be birthed by Mary, would “save his people from their sin.”
John the Baptist proclaimed, this same Jesus to be the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The Apostle Paul testified that he was baptized to wash away his sin (Acts 22:16).
The angelic announcement to the shepherds on the hills of Judea was, “unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And in our verse of the week, those persons in a city of Samaria, after hearing Jesus for themselves, were convinced in his being the Christ, the savior of the world.
The church that Christ said he would build, is unified with a message and experience of salvation that Jesus Christ is the only savior. His very name, Jesus by meaning declares, Jehovah Savior. This certainly fits Christ, for that child born of a virgin, would be Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us (Matthew 1:21-23).
According to the New Testament, the savior, Jesus Christ
crushes the wages of sin, which is death with “the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” - Romans 6:23
Through His spirit he removes the condemnation of sin.
He purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
As savior, he is our high priest.
He is our sacrifice for sin.
He is our redeemer.
He is our mediator.
Jesus announced, “He whom the son sets free is free indeed.”
He continues to set men free from sin in that Hebrews 7:25 declares,
“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
The gospel by which one is saved, is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again according to 1 Corinthians 15:1 - 4.
When we obey that gospel, which is responding to his death, burial and resurrection through faith, repenting of our sins, being baptized in His name for the remission of our sins and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), we become born again making Jesus our personal savior!
So strongly was the conviction of the 1st century church that there was salvation from no source outside of Jesus Christ, that Peter told the council in Acts 4;12
12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved." THE HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE
What a great thing is was for Saul of Tarsus to realize that Jesus is the Lord, and “God our savior.” Ultimately, he could boldly say, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.”
Jesus Christ proclaimed himself to be THE way not A way.
He is THE TRUTH.
He is THE LIFE.
He concludes this declaration in John 14:6 with “NO man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
According to the Apostle Paul in his first epistle to Timothy, It is the will of God our Savior, that all men be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
The Savior wasn’t for one people group, one language group, one skin color but he was offered “once for all.”
The Samaritans received the revelation that all of us must embrace, Jesus is the Christ, the savior of the world.