“The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).
It is a well-known truth that God is the Savior of His people. In the exodus from Egypt we see how God brought about “the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13). And this caring and saving love of God, who time and again delivered Israel from the hands of their enemies, can be traced throughout the history of God’s chosen people. It is particularly in the book of Isaiah that God is called the Savior of His people (Isaiah 43:3,11; 45:15,21; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8).
God is also the Savior who delivers from far greater hostile powers that are threatening man, namely Satan, sin, and death. He saves His people from all their uncleanness (Ezekiel 36:29). He opens the wells of salvation for them, and clothes them with the garments of salvation (Isaiah 12:3; 61:10). It is obvious that in these Scriptures the word salvation has a deep spiritual meaning, and implies much more than a temporary deliverance.
The New Testament fits in with this, as is obvious from Matthew’s explanation of the meaning of the name Jesus: “Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The name Jesus means “the Lord is salvation.” Here the evangelist clearly links the meaning of this name with the salvation of God’s people from their sins. Christ was the promised Savior, who was born in the city of David (Luke 2:11). And Zechariah prophesied about His entry into the city: “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation” (Zec. 9:9).
But He is more than just the Savior of the Jews: He is also the Savior of the world—as the Samaritans rightly acknowledged (John 4:42). All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But there is also free grace for all through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. He gave Himself for us, to redeem us from our sins. Because of who He is, the sacrificial death He accomplished on the cross, and His glorious resurrection, Jesus is truly “the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). In Him alone we can find full salvation, purification of our sins, and deliverance from the power of sin.
In Him the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11). Salvation is to be found in Him alone: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We can rightly say that He is our Savior and our Redeemer, if we confess our sins and believe in Him. “Every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40).
As Christians we are looking forward to Christ’s second coming. The apostle Paul makes this clear in his letter to Titus. We are “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:13,14).
