Lord’s Day, Vol. 9 No. 47
Jesus Christ – The Only Saviour of the World
What is the remedy for human sin? God’s provision for sinful man to come back to God is through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. The phrase “only begotten” means “not created” explains the Deity of Jesus Christ. He is uniquely the eternal Son of God.
John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus is God. He exists in the beginning of no beginning and will continue in His existence and at the end of no ends. In other words, He is the self-existing God.
John 1:1-2 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:1-2 revealed the truth that Jesus Christ, known here as “the Word” is the eternally the Son of God.
Jesus, the Self-existing One is also the Creator, by Him, all things were created.
John 1:3 (KJV) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
He is also the One who gives life to men and sustains men’s life.
John 1:4 (KJV) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Jesus entered human history at the pivotal climax of human history, B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. Anno Domini (The Year of the Lord). Jesus is fully God and fully man in one Person.
John 1:14 (KJV) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The name Jesus means “Saviour”, “for he shall save his people from their sins”. Matthew 1:21 (KJV)
Jesus Christ is introduced so that we may receive Him as our personal Lord and Saviour for whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16b).
John 1:5 (KJV) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:9 (KJV) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 1:10-13 (KJV) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- His Virgin Birth
The Deity of Christ is attested by His virgin birth. Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20). Mary knew no man before the birth of the Holy Child.
Matthew 1:20-21 (KJV) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Jesus is born the seed of a woman fulfilling the promise of God in Genesis 3:15.
Genesis 3:15 (KJV) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
He Is the Christ
The Old Testament Scriptures traced the coming of the Saviour of the world. He is called the Christ. The word “Christ” is the Hebrew word “Messiah” which means “the Anointed One”. He is the One foretold in the Old Testament Scriptures that will come to save Israel. Jesus is of the direct lineage of Abraham and David (Matthew 1) tracing to Joseph, His adopted father. And the direct lineage from Mary traced to Nathan (Luke 3), another the son of David, back to Adam. Jesus is truly man and of the kingly lineage of David. His greater mission is to be the Saviour of the world.
- His Miraculous Works
Jesus has the power to heal all diseases – the lame walked, the blind saw, the deaf heard, the leper healed, the dead raised to life. There was no need of a hospital when Jesus walked in the land of Israel. All who came to Him were healed.
Jesus has power over the weather. He calmed the raging storm and stilled the wind.
Jesus also has the power to cast out demons possessing men. He overcame all the temptations of Satan, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of lie.
Jesus authenticated His Deity by His miraculous works. Truly, Jesus is God.
- His Sinless Life
Most of all, Jesus lived a sinless life fulfilling all the commandments of God perfectly on our behalf. As such, Jesus alone qualified to be our sin-bearer.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Romans 3:19-20 (KJV) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
By the law is the knowledge of sin. All men sinned and come short of the glory of God.
The remedy to man’s sin is the obedience of Christ to all of God’s law perfectly. As the sinless Son of God, He bore the sins of man through His perfect life and through His death on the Roman cross.
- His Death on the Cross
Jesus’ suffering for sin on our behalf is recorded by the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:4-7 (KJV) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
By His suffering unto death on the cross, Jesus became our Substitute for sin. He died on the cross, on our behalf, so that we may be delivered from eternal death. He defeated sin and death by paying the penalty for our sins. What is the remedy for man’s sin? Man can be saved from his sin by Christ’s perfect life obeying all the commandments and by His finished work on the cross for our salvation. We are redeemed by Christ through His life and His death and His resurrection from the dead.
Romans 3:22-23, 25 (KJV) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Salvation comes freely to man by the grace or the unmerited favour of God. By faith in the Person of Christ, His Word and His Works, we are saved.
- His Word
Jesus is the final revelation of God to mankind. He is the only Saviour of the world. Jesus preached to call sinners to repentance, to forsake our sin.
Matthew 4:17 (KJV) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 9:35-36 (KJV) And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
While Jesus was on earth, He went about preaching the gospel calling men to repent of their sins. He had compassion for the lost. Today, Jesus has entrusted this work of preaching the gospel to His church. Let the church arise to fulfill her mission for God’s glory. Amen,
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee