For a long, long time, the Jewish people had been waiting for the kingdom of God. When it arrived, the Lord would bless His people and vanquish their Gentile rulers and foes. He would set everything right.
Israel wanted a Savior.
The Old Testament proclaims the Lord God to be the Savior of His people. Take the confidence of David as an example:
“They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior.” – Psalm 24:5
And Hosea reports the word of the Lord as follows:
“But I have been the LORD your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but Me, no Savior except Me.” – Hosea 13:4
The New Testament holds to this belief, too. In her song, Mary declares,
“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior” – Luke 1:47
But the New Testament describes both God and Jesus as Savior. Here’s Luke’s report of a comment in one of Paul’s sermons:
“From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.” – Acts 13:23
In this verse, God kept His promise to Israel by sending Jesus the Savior.
But elsewhere, Paul refers to God, not Jesus, as the Savior. Paul uses this language in his first letter to Timothy:
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” – 1 Timothy 1:1
So is Jesus our Savior or isn’t He?
We can attach another question, too. Is Jesus God or not?
Yes to both!
“While we wait for the blessed hope–the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” – Titus 2:13
“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours” – 2 Peter 1:1
The apostles Paul and Peter treated Jesus the same way the Old Testament prophets regarded the Lord. He was God and Savior.
The Scriptures declare the divinity of the Son.
“Thomas said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” – John 20:28
“Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” – Romans 9:5
But Jesus didn’t come to this world to impress people or put on a miracle show.
He came to save.
In Christ, God gave the Israelites they’d been waiting for. And in Him, the Father offers to everyone what they need.
Because Jesus is God and Savior.
Recent Comments