The Savior Sent From God

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born into the world, God spoke to the prophet Isaiah and told him that one day a miracle child would be born.

Isaiah wrote:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given . . .and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God." Isaiah 9:6

God gave a special sign concerning the coming of His Son. He would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14)

One day an angel appeared to a pure, young woman named Mary and told her that she would be the mother of the promised Savior. The angel said, "You shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Jesus was born of a virgin just as the prophet had said. When Jesus was a tiny baby, Joseph and Mary took Him to the temple. At the temple there was a holy man of God named Simeon. God had revealed to Simeon that, before he died, he would see the promised Savior.

When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, he took Him in his arms and said, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word: for my eyes have seen Your salvation." Luke 2:29, 30

What does this tell us?

It tells us that God's salvation is a person!

The Lord Jesus Himself is our salvation.

JESUS LIVED A SINLESS LIFE

When He was thirty years of age, Jesus began His public ministry. The people were amazed at His wisdom. They said that they had never heard a man speak like this man.

Jesus Christ is different from any person who ever lived on the earth in that He was sinless. Even His enemies were never able to point to any sin in His life.

Jesus was tempted in the same ways in which we are tempted, but He never sinned.

The Bible says of Him:

"[He] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15

One of the remarkable things about Jesus Christ is that He claimed to be God. Three times the religious leaders tried to kill Jesus. Why? Because He claimed to be God.

Jesus Christ boldly declared,

"I and My Father are one," (John 10:30) and

"He that has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)

JESUS SHOWED THAT HE WAS GOD

Jesus not only claimed to be God, but He showed that He was God by His mighty works. He had power over the wind and waves, over all evil spirits, over all sickness and disease, and over death itself.

* Jesus had power over the wind and waves.

On one occasion, Jesus was in a boat with His disciples. While He was sleeping, a great storm arose. The disciples were terrified at the wind and the waves. They woke Jesus saying, "Lord, save us: we perish." 

Jesus spoke to the wind and the sea saying: "Peace, be still." The wind and the waves obeyed His voice and became calm.

The disciples were amazed and said:

"What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!" Matthew 8:27

* Jesus had power over evil spirits.

Evil spirits are servants of Satan. Often they enter people and cause them to do terrible things. The evil spirits recognized Jesus as the Son of God. When He commanded, they obeyed Him. When people saw this, they marveled and said, "What a word is this! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." Luke 4:36

* Jesus had power over all sickness and disease.

The Lord Jesus healed many people. He restored sight to the blind; He caused the deaf to hear; He made the lame to walk again; He healed all manner of diseases. The Bible says, "All they that had any sick . . . brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them." Luke 4:40

* Jesus had power over death.

The Lord Jesus raised three people from the dead. On one occasion, a funeral procession passed by Jesus. All the people were crying. The only son of a widow had died and they were going to bury him. This poor mother had no husband and now her only son had died.

When Jesus saw the woman crying, He had pity on her and told her not to cry. Then He spoke to her son who was dead, "Young man, I say to you, Arise!"

The moment Jesus spoke these words, the young man sat up and began to speak. The people were overcome with joy. They praised God saying, "God has visited His people." Luke 7:16

Christ performed these mighty miracles so that people would believe that He was the Son of God. 

WHY DID JESUS COME?

Let us consider this very important question: Why did the Son of God come into the world?

* Jesus came to reveal the Father.

The Lord Jesus came into the world to tell us and show us what God is like. The Bible says,

"No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (shown Him forth)." John 1:18

How wonderful this is! We do not have to imagine what God is like. He has revealed Himself to us in His Son. The Bible says, "God was manifest in the flesh." I Timothy 3:16

Jesus made it very plain that to see Him was to see God. He said, "He that has seen Me has seen the Father." John 14:9

God was so delighted with His Son that He spoke from Heaven on two occasions, saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22 and Matthew 17:5)

* Jesus came to be our Savior.

The Bible says that "the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." (I John 4:14) It was the Father's will that the Lord Jesus die on the cross for our sins and rise again from the grave on the third day. 

WE ARE TO BELIEVE
IN JESUS

As we study the words and teachings of Jesus, we discover one central thing that He emphasized over and over.

What is it?

It is this: that we believe on Him. Jesus said, "You believe in God, believe also in Me." (John 14:1)

When people came to Jesus and asked, "What shall we do that we might work the works of God?," Jesus replied, "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent." (John 6:29)

To those who did not believe on Him, Jesus said, "If you believe not that I am He (the promised Savior), you shall die in your sins." (John 8:24)

What are we to believe about Jesus? We are to believe that He is the Son of God - "God manifest in the flesh."

Jesus is called "the God-Man." This is a very good name for Him because He is truly God and truly Man. Jesus said, "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me." (John 14:11) 

We are to believe that Jesus is the promised Savior. He is the One who died on the cross for our sins and rose again to be our living Savior.

What you believe about Jesus Christ is all-important. It will determine your future destiny. The Bible says, "He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)

Jesus' disciples were those who knew Him best. What did they say about Him?

John said, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

Peter said to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" (Matthew 16:16)

At first Thomas doubted that Jesus had risen from the grave. But when he saw the glorious risen Christ, Thomas fell at His feet and said, "My Lord and My God!" (John 20:28) 

Dear Friend, what about you? What do you say about Jesus? I trust that you will say, "He is the Son of God, and He is my Savior!"