God Sends the Savior

MEMORY SELECTION: “Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” —Matthew 1:21

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Matthew 1:18-25

THE Christmas season is a very special time of year to all those who truly love the Lord. However, many in the religious world celebrate this great event with but little understanding of its wonderful, far-reaching implications for the blessing of all the peoples of the earth, both living and dead.

Jesus’ name is derived from the Greek “Joshua” which signifies Savior. The word “savior” signifies “life-giver.” The baby born to Mary was the perfect Christ child—the transferred life of the Logos, the Son of God, the firstborn of all creation. He came into the world for the express purpose of carrying out the plan of God for the recovery of the human race from sin and death.

But our Lord Jesus did not become the life-giver to the world at the time of his first advent. From other prophecies we learn that the time for the blessing of all the families of the earth is even yet future. His sacrificial death did accomplish the ransom price for Adam and all his children, thus preparing the way for them eventually to have life. Some of the miracles Jesus performed were apt illustrations of the power and authority he will possess when he binds Satan, begins his reign, and turns his attention to the sin-sick world of man.

His power to restore the dead to life, as in the case of Lazarus and others, indicates the scope of the kingdom and its blessings. In “due time” he will begin his kingdom reign and accomplish all the blessings associated with it.

During the intervening centuries between the first and second advents, God has been calling those who would respond to the invitation to share with our resurrected Lord in his future kingdom. The call has thus gone out in the world, and those who hear the call may offer themselves in consecration to Jehovah God. The reward for these who are faithful is high because the qualifications are great. This Gospel Age is an age of self-sacrifice in following Jesus. Faithfulness will eventuate in sharing in the heavenly phase of the kingdom as spiritual beings. Jesus’ faithful footstep followers will participate in restoring man to his original state of perfection.

At present the world is still in the time when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. The great light of truth and blessing is not yet shining on them. As the Apostle Paul explains (Rom. 8:22), “we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” The world is still waiting for that blessing because the call to be fellow-heirs with our Lord in his kingdom has not yet ceased. “For the earnest expectation of the creature [creation] waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”—Rom. 8:19

The time is steadily approaching when the full number who will share with our Lord will have been called, chosen, and found faithful. At that time the Gospel Age will close and earth’s social, political, and religious elements will give way to the ruling authority of the “Prince of Peace.”

There will be much dislocation among earth’s ruling powers before Messiah begins his great reign. The trouble is the inevitable result of fallen man’s attempt to govern himself while alienated from his Creator. The wrong course of sin and selfishness must be turned about, and the power of the “Sun of Righteousness” will accomplish it. The “Prince of Peace” will subdue all enemies of truth and righteousness—all disobedience to the divine will in the kingdom.

The millennial kingdom will be under the direct supervision of our glorified Lord Jesus, together with the faithful members of his bride class. Yet behind the Savior will be the power and authority of the Heavenly Father, Almighty God. God is the author of life, and thus the author of salvation. When the kingdom will have accomplished its objective of restoring man to perfect life, then man will be capable of standing before God on his own merit.

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