4-6-2018

Good Morning All,

            Matthew 1:21; “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

    “Save.”   It was a game saving tackle.  The goalie’s save secured the victory.  Save me a seat will you.  Save on your next purchase.  We use the word save in many fashions but in almost all ways the word “save” means to snatch away.  In the case of athletics; a save keeps your opponent from winning.  In essence, you snatch away their victory and secure it for your own.  Just a few days ago, I was asked to save the seat of the man sitting next to me while he hung up his coat.  Another gentleman came along and I had to tell him the seat was occupied.  I snatched the seat from him and kept it for the first man.  Even to save on your next purchase means to snatch money back from the store.

    Jesus came to save; his name is the purpose for which he came to earth.  Yet I think we miss this part of what is happening.  We grasp the idea that Jesus came and died to forgive our sins.  Forgive, that is to remove the guilt is important but it is just as important that Jesus will save us; that is snatch us from the perils of sins.  He does this by his death on the cross where he pays for our sin, the debt we are obligated to pay.

     In this amazing life-giving event, when Jesus willingly gave his life in order to save yours, Jesus snatched from the jaws of death and the devil.  He brought you into his loving family.  It was not some lucky catch but a carefully planned and executed event.  It was orchestrated in order to bring to us the full benefits of the adoption of sons.  It occurred in order that we might have hope, that we might have comfort; it occurred so that we might have life and have it fully.

     Jesus came to save you from death, despair and the deceitful hatred which the devil spews at us.  He looked at our wretched existence and had compassion on us in order that, by his grace and his grace alone, we might be saved.  This is the wonder of Easter.  This is why we celebrate with the highest gusto.  Since Christ is risen from the grave, we have the certainty of the hope in our salvation, in our resurrection and in our eternal life.  Since Jesus is alive we will live also and all the tortuous lies of the devil will never change that.  We are saved by his great love and mercy.

    This coming Sunday is, statistically, the poorest attended worship date in the church year, the first Sunday after Easter.  I always find that kind of sad; one would hope that the luster of this great promise wouldn’t fade quite that quickly. We should be rejoicing in the streets and shouting from the hills.  Christ is risen and we are saved; taken from the jaws of the devil schemes in order that we might live eternally with Him.

Father of all mercies, keep us in your tender arms that we might be protected from all the evil of this world.  Send your Spirit to strengthen us so that we might boldly proclaim your wondrous love.  Bring all to know your grace and guide us by your Word.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret