None Comparable to Him! Jesus Saves a Troubled World

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21 NKJV

Humanity’s Great Search

The year draws to a close with the world in peril. Wars rage in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Israel, Gaza, and other less mentioned places. Disease spreads in Congo. Governments are collapsing in Canada, Germany, and France. Cartels in Mexico carried out 7,500 murders in a single year. Parents in the United States murdered more than 1,000,000 of their own children – a small number compared to the balance of the world. More than 100,000 Americans ended their lives through drug overdoses.

On the spiritual front, few Americans are giving their attention to the Lord. Scarcely 40% of adults read the Bible quarterly.[1] About 1/3 of the U.S. population describes itself as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular.[2] How will mankind solve the growing problems of the modern era?

110 years ago in August, World War 1 began with Germany invading Belgium. Both sides claimed the war would be over by Christmas. When the armies suffered more than 1,000,000 casualties in the first month it became clear that the conflict would be protracted and devastating. People comforted themselves by saying the war had to be bad so that it would, “be the war to end all wars.” Only a generation later, contrary to the promises of Prime Minister Chamberlain, an even bloodier war ravaged the world.

The United Nations was established and the nuclear bomb stockpiled as deterrents for future wars. Nevertheless, wars in Korea and Vietnam left millions of casualties – the former is currently on a 71-year armistice pause. Mao set up communism at a cost to China of more than 50,000,000 lives. In more recent history, scientists so called told us that vaccines, social distancing, and masks were going to keep people from getting sick. The National Covid Memorial Wall in London tells a different story.[3] The Russia-Ukraine war may cross 1,000,000 casualties this month.[4]

History is full of charismatic leaders who make charismatic promises that eager populations hopefully embrace. Men look to other men to solve their problems. Nevertheless, the problems remain. New problems arise. Humanity looks for new leaders. New leaders disappoint humanity. War, violence, sin, and evil abound. 11,300 Americans will die again tomorrow. The year draws to a close with the world in peril.

God’s Great Provision

Why so many perils? Why so much sorrow, sickness, and suffering? Long ago sin entered the world by one man Adam. Death followed sin. Evil multiplied. Idolatry, adultery, murder, covetousness, and the list of sins goes on. The Lord looked for a man to stand in the gap as His judgment was coming but He found no one! The flood destroyed all but eight souls. Still sin abounded in the generations that followed. Heroes came and delivered for a time, but death took them all away. 150 years after the Maccabees freed Jerusalem from Syrian-Greek rule, Jerusalem was under the control of the Roman empire. If 6,000+ years of history teach anything, it is that men cannot solve humanity’s problems.

God came to mankind with the solution to man’s problem of sin and death. He did not promise a mere man, but promised the divine man. God called Him the “seed of the woman” in Genesis 3. Isaiah revealed His name as Immanuel.[5] He was called, “wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”[6] The prophets referred to Him as the Redeemer. By the time of the New Testament, people knew Him as the Messiah, the Christ.[7] In signs, types, and prophecies, God reminded ancient peoples of His promised provision. The divine Son of God would come to rescue the perishing. For thousands of years mankind waited. But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son. The virgin Mary and her husband Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ was born.

Christ’s Great Name

When Joseph learned his fiancé was pregnant, he decided to put her away quietly so as not to bring her added shame. While Joseph thought on those things the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him not to put away his wife for the child in her womb was of the Lord. The angel gave two descriptions concerning the child: His name and His work.

The angel said, “You shall call His name Jesus…” Jesus means “Savior.” What greater name is there in all the Earth? Consider the realities of Christ’s name. His name is known by the vast majority of the world’s inhabitants. For the Christian there is no greater name than His. The prophets looked forward to His coming. The wise men travelled from a great distance to see Him. The angels sang of His birth. The shepherds abandoned their flocks in order that they might worship Him. Rulers trembled at Him. Wise Christians looked for Him. We count each new year from the time of Christ’s birth (“the year of our Lord”). We cannot say too much of the great name of Jesus. But we must not stop at His name.

That the child born of the virgin was called Jesus is a historical fact. Few unbelievers deny that Jesus lived. A person is not a Christian merely because he believes that a child named Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Christian’s must believe that, but Christianity does not stop with that. The question that matters as much as His name is related to His work: What did He do?

Christ’s Great Work

I recently spoke with an unbeliever who accurately noted that his studies led him to understand that the primary difference between Christianity and other religions was in relation to who Jesus was. To those still in their sin today they may look at Christ and see a mere man. They may see a mere example. They may see a great teacher, a prophet, a king even. But they stop here, they do not go further. When the angel told of Christ’s great name, he immediately went on to tell of what Christ will do. “You shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sin.” The great divide between faith and folly is in this question of Jesus’s work. Did He save sinners or did He do something less?

Christian’s worship Jesus because of who He is – the divine Son of God. But our worship does not end there. “Hark the herald angels sing!” Why? “God and sinners [are] reconciled!” How? He saved His people from their sins. Christian’s worship Jesus because of who He is and because of the great work that He has done.

Notice first, He came to save. “He will save His people…” There is no one else that did the work of saving, it is entirely Jesus’s work. He is the exclusive Savior. “He has by Himself purged our sins.”[8] Jesus lived a perfect life on Earth. Jesus alone laid down His life for the sins of His children. He alone went to the cross and died. He alone was buried in the tomb. He alone rose from the dead the third day. I did not save. You did not save. Jesus saved His people. Salvation is entirely the free gift and grace of God. Therefore, may all mankind worship Christ as Savior.

Second, He came to save a particular people. “He will save His people…” He didn’t come for every individual in the world. He didn’t come for a single nation, language, or tongue. He came to save His chosen people from every nation, every language, every tongue, and every generation. He came to save His church collectively. He came to save His children individually. He came to save men and women, boys and girls, strong and weak, sick and healthy, wise and unwise. He is the personal Savior of a particular people. Therefore, may all mankind worship Christ as Lord.

Third, He came to save from sin. “He will save His people from their sins.” What do we bring to the equation of salvation? We bring sin. We bring guilt. We bring an unbearable debt. Christ’s name is Jesus for He saves us from our sin and guilt by paying the debt we owed. The debt for sin is death itself and the pains of hell forever. Jesus was born – that is history. Jesus was born to save His people from their sins – that is the gospel. Therefore, may all mankind believe the gospel!

Fourth, He saved through payment. The only way for sin to be removed is through the payment for sin. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.[9] Jesus was born in order that He might die. When Christ died, He made payment for all the sin of all His people. Their debt was removed. The chains were broken. The prisoner was set free. Therefore, may all mankind follow Christ!

God’s Great Gift

In a few days millions of families will open gifts together. Imagine receiving a gift that pays all your debts. No more mortgage, car loans, student debt, or credit card bills. If your debts are much like mine, the probability of all your debt paid off on Christmas is minimal. And yet, God gave a far greater gift when He sent His only begotten Son into the world. Someday you might pay off your mortgage, car, and any other debt you may have. You will never pay your debt for your sin. Jesus came to the world to pay the debt you never will. [10]

Many will read of Christ this season and scoff at His salvation. They will listen to hymns, sing along, and not believe a word. They will look out at a world in peril and search for another man to solve the problems. Do not be counted among them. As another year closes with the world on the brink of disaster, look to the One who stands in the gap. Look to Him and be saved all ends of the Earth. Repent of your sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. For all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved! I have received no greater gift than Jesus. He alone has forgiven me of my sins. He is freely offered to you.

His name shall be the Prince of peace,
forevermore adored,
the Wonderful, the Counselor,
the great and mighty Lord,
the Wonderful, the Counselor,
the great and mighty Lord.[11]

 

 

 

 

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[1] J. Fulks, A. Mann, R. Petersen, John Plake, State of the Bible USA 2024 (Research from the American Bible Society, 22), 2024.

[2] Pew Research Center, About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated, 2021.  https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/12/14/about-three-in-ten-u-s-adults-are-now-religiously-unaffiliated/

[3] https://www.nationalcovidmemorialwall.org

[4] V. Melkozerova, Kyiv Reveals Total Ukraine Casualties in Putin’s War for First Time, (Politico, December 2024). https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy-announces-its-total-military-casualties-first-time/

[5] Isaiah 7:14

[6] Isaiah 9:6

[7] Matthew 18:16

[8] Hebrews 1:3

[9] Hebrews 9:22

[10] 2 Corinthians 5:21

[11] https://hymnary.org/text/to_us_a_child_of_hope_is_born