The One Who Saves Us
The One Who Saves Us
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” – 1 Timothy 2:5-6
When we think on the identity of Jesus Christ, we find a mystery that surpasses our human understanding—He is fully God and fully man. This truth from scripture is hard to wrap our minds around. Some believe the idea of a union between God and man is merely a theological point to be debated; some don’t believe at all.
For the Christian, God joining with us in our suffering is the foundation of our salvation and the true reason we celebrate Christmas.
He is Truly Fully Man
Jesus' humanity means He shares in every aspect of our human experience, except sin. The Holy Spirit inspired the writer of Hebrews to tell us:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
Through supernatural conception (Matthew 1:18-20),
Jesus was born to a virgin, taking on flesh and blood, experiencing hunger, thirst, sorrow, and pain. He lived the perfect life we could never live, fulfilling the law of God in every thought, word, and deed. His humanity allows Him to represent us, standing in our place as the second Adam. Where the first Adam failed, bringing sin and death into the world, Jesus succeeded, bringing righteousness and life.
And Truly Fully God
Christ being “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:3) reveals to us His power and authority to save. Only He could bear the full weight of God’s wrath against sin. No mere human, no matter how righteous, could endure such punishment and rise victorious. His divine nature ensured that His sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all who will believe in Him, and His resurrection demonstrates His victory over sin, death, and hell.
The Perfect Mediator
As both God and man, Jesus bridges the gap that sin created between us and God. Paul describes Him as the “one mediator” because only He can fully represent both parties—God in His holiness and humanity in our frailty. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins and endured the punishment we deserved. In exchange, He offers His righteousness to all who believe in Him.
The Only Way to Salvation
In John 14:6, Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Because He is both fully man and fully God, there is no other who can do what He has done. Only Jesus can reconcile us to the Father, for only He is qualified to be both the perfect sacrifice and the perfect Savior.
A Christmas Reflection
I hope you will take time this Christmas to reflect on the birth of Jesus. Announced by angels to shepherds in the field who came to see Him as a baby lying in a feeding trough. Later worshipped and presented with gifts by wise men from the East. This humble entrance into the world inaugurated a redemption story that has been told to every generation for over 20 centuries.
A story unlike no other for it brought us Immanuel – God with us! - as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 hundreds of years before.
I’m going to be reading Luke 1:26 through 2:20 with my family this Christmas. I encourage you to do the same. Read it with your children, share it with your friends and marvel over the wonder of the Saviors birth – Jesus – God and man - the One who Saves.
Merry Christmas and Joy to the World!
Credit: Ron Kelley
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” – 1 Timothy 2:5-6
When we think on the identity of Jesus Christ, we find a mystery that surpasses our human understanding—He is fully God and fully man. This truth from scripture is hard to wrap our minds around. Some believe the idea of a union between God and man is merely a theological point to be debated; some don’t believe at all.
For the Christian, God joining with us in our suffering is the foundation of our salvation and the true reason we celebrate Christmas.
He is Truly Fully Man
Jesus' humanity means He shares in every aspect of our human experience, except sin. The Holy Spirit inspired the writer of Hebrews to tell us:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
Through supernatural conception (Matthew 1:18-20),
Jesus was born to a virgin, taking on flesh and blood, experiencing hunger, thirst, sorrow, and pain. He lived the perfect life we could never live, fulfilling the law of God in every thought, word, and deed. His humanity allows Him to represent us, standing in our place as the second Adam. Where the first Adam failed, bringing sin and death into the world, Jesus succeeded, bringing righteousness and life.
And Truly Fully God
Christ being “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:3) reveals to us His power and authority to save. Only He could bear the full weight of God’s wrath against sin. No mere human, no matter how righteous, could endure such punishment and rise victorious. His divine nature ensured that His sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all who will believe in Him, and His resurrection demonstrates His victory over sin, death, and hell.
The Perfect Mediator
As both God and man, Jesus bridges the gap that sin created between us and God. Paul describes Him as the “one mediator” because only He can fully represent both parties—God in His holiness and humanity in our frailty. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins and endured the punishment we deserved. In exchange, He offers His righteousness to all who believe in Him.
The Only Way to Salvation
In John 14:6, Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Because He is both fully man and fully God, there is no other who can do what He has done. Only Jesus can reconcile us to the Father, for only He is qualified to be both the perfect sacrifice and the perfect Savior.
A Christmas Reflection
I hope you will take time this Christmas to reflect on the birth of Jesus. Announced by angels to shepherds in the field who came to see Him as a baby lying in a feeding trough. Later worshipped and presented with gifts by wise men from the East. This humble entrance into the world inaugurated a redemption story that has been told to every generation for over 20 centuries.
A story unlike no other for it brought us Immanuel – God with us! - as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 hundreds of years before.
I’m going to be reading Luke 1:26 through 2:20 with my family this Christmas. I encourage you to do the same. Read it with your children, share it with your friends and marvel over the wonder of the Saviors birth – Jesus – God and man - the One who Saves.
Merry Christmas and Joy to the World!
Credit: Ron Kelley
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