God Saves

We all love a good rescue story. It’s the plot of countless books and movies. Whether it’s saving a damsel in distress, rescuing a lost dog, a dramatic hostage situation, or the endless ways superheroes swoop in to save people and whole cities from certain disaster. We simply love seeing a hero come into a seemingly hopeless situation and turn things around to save people from calamity—restoring peace, freedom, and hope to all.

All of our favorite rescue stories point to Christmas—the ultimate rescue story of Jesus, who came to save us from our sins. That is what His life and even His name are all about.

The name Jesus is no accident. The angel of the Lord told Joseph why He was to have that name: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The very name of Jesus means the Lord saves. God is a saving God. That’s who He is. That’s why He came. We all know the famous verse of John 3:16, but the verse after is a clear reminder of why Jesus came … “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17).

When you’re tempted to believe that your sin is too great or that a loved one will never come back to the Lord, remember that God saves. Because Christ came to save, your situation is never hopeless.