Jesus’ Work of Salvation

GOLDEN TEXT: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”—Luke 19:10

THE Scriptures tell us many wonderful things about Jesus! Whether we view him from the standpoint of the many sterling qualities of his perfect character, or whether we think of him in his relationship to the work of God which the Creator entrusted to him, we are lost in admiration, and mere words fail adequately to express the praise which is due his holy name. Perhaps this is the reason that one of the titles assigned to him by the prophet is that of “Wonderful.” (Isa. 9:6) Certainly Jesus IS wonderful no matter how we view him.

And one of the most wonderful things concerning Jesus and the high position he occupies in the divine plan of human redemption and salvation is that expressed in our Golden Text, that he came to “seek and to save that which was lost.” The human race lost divine favor, the privilege of living, and an earthly home and dominion.

In God’s favor is life, wrote the Psalmist. (Psalm 30:5) When man sinned God turned his back upon him, and a long dark night of weeping and death settled down upon the race. But with the coming of Jesus, those who sat in darkness saw a great light. Not many as yet have appreciated him, but eventually he will be revealed to the eyes of all the nations, and “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isa. 52:10) The “salvation of our God” is the restoration of “that which was lost,” and it was for this purpose that Jesus came.

Matthew associates our Golden Text with the Parable of the Lost Sheep. (Matt. 18:11-14) In this parable the “lost sheep” pictures the entire human race, while the ninety and nine which did not go astray represent the other orders of God’s creatures who remained loyal to him and to the divine principles of righteousness.

ISAIAH 53:4-6—“All we like sheep have gone astray,” wrote the prophet. The “all we” of this prophecy are the entire human race, the “lost sheep” of Jesus’ parable, and Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” bore all the necessary hardship and privation and danger in order to find and rescue us. He was “wounded for our transgressions,” and “bruised for our iniquities,” and “the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Here, then, is further important knowledge concerning Jesus. He was “a man of sorrows,” not because he had any inherent cause for sorrow, nor because he was not blessed with the smile of his Father’s countenance, but because of his sympathy for the sufferings of those whom he came to redeem. When he stood beside the tomb of Lazarus he was overwhelmed with the sorrow which surrounded him, and he broke down and wept.—John 11:35

MATTHEW 1:21—Another fundamental truth concerning Jesus is that, while he was born of a woman, he was not a member of the sinful, fallen race, for he was the “Logos” made flesh. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” (John 1:14; Heb. 7:26) It was essential that he should thus be perfect, else he could not have redeemed Adam and his race. Adam was perfect before he sinned, and God’s program of redemption called for an exact substitute; so Jesus was “made flesh”—perfect flesh—“for the suffering of death … that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”—Heb. 2:9

MATTHEW 5:17—It is very important to realize that the coming of Jesus into the world was not for the purpose of establishing a new religion, but to carry on with and fulfill that which had been inaugurated through the Law and the prophets. While the Israelites failed to obtain the blessings which might have been theirs, the Law and the prophets did not fail.

The Law foreshadowed the need for a Redeemer, and the basis upon which redemption for the race would be attained, that is, through sacrifice. The sacrificial services of the tabernacle pointed forward to the offering to be made by Jesus when he gave his “flesh” “for the sins of the whole world.” (John 6:51; I John 2:2) The prophets had foretold the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, the One whom God would send to save the world. The prophets also foretold the world-wide blessings which are yet to be showered upon the people as a result of Jesus’ coming and work.

MATTHEW 20:26-28—Jesus was the greatest man who ever trod this earth. He was truly “Wonderful”! And one of the crowning features of his character which contributed toward making him “Wonderful” was his humility. He was not proud and pompous and arrogant, but “meek and lowly in heart.” (Matt. 11:29) He was destined to be a King, the greatest of all kings who had ever ruled on this earth, yet he rejoiced to be a servant, the servant of all.

And his was a service rendered at great cost to himself. To begin with, he was rich. He occupied a position of favor and trust close to his Heavenly Father, and high above all others. But this he gave up, humbling himself to become a man. And then, as a man, he humbled himself still further by dying the ignominious death of the cross. Besides all this, he served his disciples and those who believed on him in many ways during the three and one-half years between Jordan and the cross. And the greatest of all the service he rendered was the laying down of his life as a ransom for “many”—for “every man.”—Heb. 2:9

HEBREWS 4:15, 16—The Scriptures ascribe many titles to Jesus, each one of which reflects one or more of the glorious qualities of this One whom the Creator has made “heir of all things.” (Heb. 1:2) He is the great King, the “Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6) He will be the “Mediator between God and man,” and is now the “Advocate’’ of the church. (I Tim. 2:5; I John 2:1) He is the “Good Shepherd,” the “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” the “slain lamb,” the “Bridegroom,” and the “arm of the Lord.”—John 10:14; Gen. 49:9; Rev. 5:5,6; 13:8; Matt. 9:15; 25:1; Isa. 53:1

In addition to these and other titles ascribed to Jesus, he is also our great “High Priest.” But he is not a High Priest who serves in a mechanical or perfunctory manner. Rather, he serves sympathetically, because, as the apostle explains, he was “touched with a feeling of our infirmities” This does not mean that Jesus partook of our infirmities, but rather, that through observation, and through contact with the fallen race, he learned to understand the weaknesses against which they struggle, hence is able to deal with us in a sympathetic manner. Also, in the sense that in the healing of some long-standing diseases, “virtue” or vitality is said to have “gone out of him.”—Mark 5:30; Luke 6:19

The apostle explains further that Jesus was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” The expression, “like as we are” refers to Christians as “new creatures” in Christ Jesus.

Jesus said that he overcame the world, which means that the influence of the world had been brought to bear upon him. We know that his flesh shrank from the sacrifice on the cross, for he prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.”—Matt. 26:39

Jesus was tempted also by Satan. The Adversary launched a special assault against him at the beginning of his ministry, bringing pressure to bear along three lines—the turning of stones into bread; casting himself down from the pinnacle of the temple; and bowing down to worship Satan in order to obtain the kingdoms of this world.

As followers of the Master we too are tempted by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Knowing that Jesus was similarly tempted, and knowing that he overcame—that he did not in any instance yield—we can confidently look to him for succor and strength, and, when needed, for forgiveness.

QUESTIONS:

What was “lost,” and how did Jesus “seek” and “save” it?

Why was Jesus a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”?

Why was it necessary that Jesus be “separate from sinners”?

Was the Gospel of Christ a new religion?

What was one of the outstanding qualities of Jesus’ character?

How was Jesus tempted in all points like as we are?

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