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Reading: Titus 2:1-3:11

Text: Is.19:20 "When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a saviour and defender, and deliver them."

The word "saviour" has a positive reassuring ring to it. The word is employed a wide variety of contexts and is by no means confined to a religious vocabulary.

An entrepreneur takes over an ailing company on the verge of bankrupcy and succeeds in turning its fortunes around – he is viewed as that company's saviour bringing relief and benefit to employee and shareholder alike.

A new manager is brought in in a desperate attempt to improve the club's league standing. His influence in the dressing-room proves effective and play on the pitch improves. In a short while the club has left the relegation zone and is climbing the table. The new manager turns out to be just the saviour the club had been looking for.

A passer-by spots that a boy has fallen into the river and is struggling. Without a second thought he plunges in and rescues the lad who was going down for the third time. The local press writes up the story – the headline reads "Saviour at Hand".

In all these examples (and we could imagine many more) the word Saviour sounds very positively in our ears. And of course the word "Saviour" is very sweet and precious to the believer as he thinks about the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact so readily does the believer think of Jesus and the salvation He brings that he will frequently refer to Jesus simply as "The Saviour". The number of hymns in our hymn books that employ the term "Saviour" is very great.

This evening we're going to look a little more closely at this word Saviour and see just how it is used in the Bible. Our reason for doing this is so that we may have a clearer and fuller understanding of what is meant when we speak of the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour.

While the word saviour is used more often in the NT than in the OT the word is used there along with other related words such as save, deliver and salvation. As the OT provides the background to the NT it will be helpful for us to see what ideas are brought to the NT Jewish mind when the it hears the word saviour.

The first thing we need to say is that the words employed in the OT suggest something that is very comprehensive. Salvation is not to be construed as something small and limited but as something large and expansive. A saviour then accomplishes not a small task but a great one!

The general idea that we associate with the word "saviour" is that of deliverance from an actual or an impending danger. A saviour is someone who saves from any form or degree of evil. In each of the illustrations I refered to earlier this element of deliverance from a perceived evil was present and it is most certainly covered by the words that are employed in the OT too.

However more is covered in the OT than a mere deliverance from danger. In the OT a saviour did not only that but he also provided help and assitance in fighting against foes and protecting against enemy attacks.

Furthermore a Saviour by means of his interventions brought those he rescued into a state of victory whereby they might enjoy prosperity and happiness. He did not leave a job half done! A half-done job could be disastrous – do your remember these words of Jesus?

Lk.11:24-26  “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’  And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order.  Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Or to use again the illustration of the boy fallen into the river…

Suppose the boy had not just fallen into the river but had been pushed by a group of his bitter rivals and those rivals were still stood there watching on. Now if the "saviour" having plunged in and pulled the boy to safety then left him alone in the presence of his antagonists to continue his walk the boy would have been 'saved' but still in great danger from which he would still need to be delivered. The salvation brought by a real saviour was a complete salvation which included the establishment of peace and genuine security.

In the OT a number of historical characters are described as "saviours": the Judges were so called because they delivererd/rescued the people of God from foreign domination and oppression. We read on a number of occasions following on the successful deliverance secured by the judge that "the land had rest" for a certain length of time.

But while the OT speaks in terms of a military/political deliverance in the time of the Judges it also indicates that more than this type of deliverance is to be envisaged. The OT points to a spiritual deliverance – a slvation – to be effected by the LORD God Himself.

Isaiah is the author who speaks most often in this particular way where we read not only that the LORD God is the Saviour of His people but also that He is the only One who can be their Saviour – there is no-one else:

Is.43:3 "For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour."

Is.43:11 "I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no saviour."

Isaiah also goes on to hint at just how He will act as this Saviour:

Is.43:3 "I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you."

                Is.49:6 "I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

Herethe addition of the words ransom and redeemer indicate that salvation will be brought about by the payment of a ransom price.

In Is.19:20 the prophet has already spoken of how the LORD God will send forth a mighty one who will secure the salvation of those who call upon Him:

"he will send them a saviour and defender, and deliver them."

It is interesting to see how the different translations render this verse:

"Saviour and great one", "saviour and mighty one", "saviour and defender", "saviour and champion".

This person the LORD God promises to send is of course the Lord Jesus Christ.

Drawing this all together this is the picture that the OT paints of the saviour:

-          He is one who saves/delivers from danger

-          He is one who protects

-          He is one who helps

-          He is one who leads to victory so that peace and prosperity might be enjoyed

-          He is Divine and effects a spiritual deliverance

-          He is sent from the LORD God

The first thing to note isthat the word is quite frequently used appearing some 24 x. More than 2/3rds of these are clearly used to describe Jesus Christ whereas the remaining occurences refer simply to God (probably God the Father being in view).

Let us look briefly at just some of those verses that refer to Jesus Christ as Saviour.

1.       Lk.2:11 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Here in the opening chapters of Luke's Gospel Jesus' birth narratives is announced and explained to the shepherds. The one anointed by God has been sent into the world just as promised so many years before. This Saviour who is born is much more than a mere mortal – He is Himself divine, Christ the Lord!

This truth of the divinity of the one designated "Saviour" is born out in a number of other passages that speak of Jesus as Saviour:

Tit.2:11-14 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self–controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

2Pet.1:1 "Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:"

Jesus is declared not merely to be the Saviour He is declared at the same time to be God. The God Father sends God the Son – in total harmony with what Isaiah has already taught us about God alone being able to be the Saviour of His people and yet the LORD God promises to send a Saviour!

How important all this is and how encouraging for us:

It is encouraging for those who have already put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Saviour because being a divine saviour He is well able to save. We should rejoice that our Jesus is full of divine power that will never fail and never alter – His is the power and might of omnipotence! Being a divine saviour we need never be afraid either that He will change His mind one day and decide that He no longer wants to save us – well might we change yet "he remains faithful -  for he cannot deny himself."

It is surely an encouragement to you too if you don't yet believe – here is a saviour worthy of your trust who is well able to follow through on His wonderful promises in the gospel!

2.       This divine Saviour that is the Lord Jesus is also, unsurprisingly, described as an exalted Saviour:

Acts 5:31 "God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

And in His exaltation Jesus is also a prince or a leader and the kingdom over which He rules is an eternal Kingdom (2Pet.1:11). He is fully authorised and able to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to whom He will!

3.       Jn.4:42 "we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

1Jn.4:14 "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world."

When the Bible describes Jesus as the Saviour of the World it does not mean that everybody is automatically saved. What it does mean is that if anybody anywhere in the world is to be saved then it will be by Jesus!

Jesus is not the Saviour of the Jews only nor is He to be limited to just a few nations or racial groupings but as the divine Saviour, the only Saviour, He saves and He alone but He saves all those who call upon Him for salvation!

This means that if the Hindu is to be saved then he must be saved by Jesus. If the Muslim is to be saved then he must be saved by Jesus. If the Buddhist is to be saved then he must be saved by Jesus. If the self-righteous is to be saved then he must be saved by Jesus.

The fact that He is a divine Saviour ensures that He has the capacity to fulfil this great task and how well He does fulfil it! Those from every tribe and tongue and nation will be there in His kingdom rejoices and praising Him as their Only hope, their only saviour!

Jesus has come as promised by the Father to do just this:

Acts 13:23 "God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised."

Isn't it good to know that the one designated the Saviour of the World is both able and willing to save whosoever believes?

4.       While Jesus is described as the Saviour of the World He is also described in a much more personal and precious way as the Saviour of His church – of those who do believe:

Eph.5:23 "even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour."

5.       This wonderful Saviour secures precious benefits for all His people and how glad we should be!

a.       He has abolished death bringing life in its place:

2Tim.1:10 "our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,"

b.      He has become the source of grace and mercy, the channel by which we receive regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit:

Tit.1:4 "Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour."

Tit.3:6 "by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour,"

c.       This glorious Saviour is now in heaven but has promised to return and we look forward to that return which is our chief hope!

Tit.2:13 "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,"

Phil.3:20 "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."

Brothers and sisters, you have a wonderful Saviour! Love Him, follow Him, rejoice in Him and don't be ashamed of Him!

Praise the Saviour ye who know Him!

Amen.