The Saviour

by James Robertson | Category: The Lord Jesus Christ: His Person And Work | May 1953

That man is a sinner by nature and by practice in the sight of God, and that he needs a Saviour, are facts to which the Scriptures bear abundant testimony.

The disobedience and fall of man in the garden of Eden, as recorded in Genesis 3., resulted in the sentence of death falling upon him death both spiritual and physical-as God had foretold in Genesis 2.17. Adam lost the place he had occupied in innocency in the garden, the place of communion with his Creator, and was driven outside, with no possibility of approach to God so far as his own merits were concerned. It was in the place of distance from God that Cain and Abel were born, as, indeed, all the human race since (Psalm 51. 5; 58.3; John 3.6).

The mercy of God is seen in the divine announcement of Genesis 3.15, heralding the coming, in due time, of a Saviour, in "the Seed of the woman." It is also seen in the clothing of Adam and Eve with coats of skin, thus covering their nakedness. God thus foreshadowed how the need of fallen man could be met only by a covering provided through the death of the divinely-appointed Substitute, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

We also learn of the provision God made in that early day, whereby man bad a way of approach opened to him through the death of an accepted sacrifice, another pointer to the Lord's death on Calvary's Cross. Thus Abel, although a sinner by nature, had the joy and assurance of finding acceptance with God:

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous" (Hebrews 11.4).

Alas, how different it was with Cain! (Genesis 4.7). He knew no forgiveness of sins; instead, sin was manifest in his life and seen in his slaying his brother Abel. See 1 John 3.12.

Departure from God characterized Adam's descendants, who, in spite of divine warning, perished in the Flood. It is sad, indeed, to reflect that "the way of Cain" is still being trodden by men to-day. See Jude 11. We are reminded of the words of Isaiah 64. 6:

"For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us await."

God was a loser as well as man in the Fall. His purpose for man in Eden was marred by Adam's act. God could not hold communion with, nor rejoice in, the creature of His hand, as He had done before the entrance of sin. But Christ, by His victory on the cross, restored that which He took not away (Psalm 69.4), and His work in the New Creation can never be marred as was the Adamic creation in Eden.

The Lord's exposition to the men on the road to Emmaus binds together the testimony of the Scriptures.

"And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself " (Luke 24. 27).

These men afterwards testified how their hearts burned within them as the Lord spoke to them in the way, while He opened to them the Scriptures. It was no less so in the experience of the prophets, who through "the Spirit of Christ which was in them," penned their testimony concerning Him, as the apostle Peter tells us (1 Peter 1. 10-12).

At the appointed time (Galatians 4.4) the long-promised Saviour came the Seed of the woman, the Son of the Virgin, according to Isaiah 7.14. Like the rest of Adam's race He became a sharer in blood and flesh, but unlike all others of the sons of men, He was born sinless. This was revealed to Mary by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1.85), and it was witnessed of Him,

"That which is to be born shall be called Holy, the Son of God."

"And all His life was right

And holy in God's sight;

No sin He ever knew,

The Son of God so true;

But Man of Sorrows was His name,

When to this world of woe He came."

It was this, indeed, that fitted Him to become the Sinbearer and Saviour.

"And thou shalt call His name Jesus (i.e., "Jehovah the Saviour") for it is He that shall save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1.21).

Such was the divinely-given message to Joseph.

Again the angelic message came to the shepherds at Bethlehem:

"There is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2.11).

This Saviour was to be identified as the Babe which they would find wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.

Early in His public ministry, we read of the Lord in the synagogue of Nazareth. He read the opening verses of Isaiah 61., and claimed their fulfilment in His Own Person. Alas! the men of Nazareth saw in Him only the Son of Joseph (Luke 4.22). They knew not the day of their visitation, the acceptable year of the Lord which He proclaimed; the year which the jubilee year of old foreshadowed was nothing to them.

"For He saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, and in a day of salvation did I succour thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6.2).

The men of Nazareth rejected the Lord and His message (Luke 4. 29), but others gladly embraced the opportunity graciously extended to them, as is witnessed by the message the Lord sent to John in the prison:

"Go your way and tell John the things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in Me" (Matthew 11.4, 5,6).

True were the words of Simeon concerning Him,

"Mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation" (Luke 2.80);

and also the testimony of Peter,

"In none other is there Salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven that is given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 4.12).

In due time for all who are saved by grace the time of weeping and death, mourning, crying and pain shall have passed away for ever. The glory of God shall lighten the fair scene of Revelation 22., and the Lamp thereof is the Lamb.

Whether asleep through Jesus or among those who are alive and that are left unto the coming of the Lord, we shall hear His shout, and shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (See 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18.) Sweet and blessed thought! We shall see Him "face to face"! (1 Corinthians 13.12). "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him even as He is" (1 John 3.2).

It is for this Saviour that we wait.

Who is This who comes to meet me

On the desert way,

As the Morning Star foretelling

God's unclouded day?

He it is who came to save me,

On the cross of shame

In His glory well I know Him,

Evermore the same.

Oh the blessed joy of meeting

All the desert past

Oh the wondrous word of greeting