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Messiah, Savior, Redeemer

by Jerry Ousley  
6/30/2011 / Christian Living

Titles can make us feel good or bad. Sometimes a title enables us and sometimes it binds us up. I've had several titles over the years, some of which I liked and some I didn't like very well. The most obvious title I held was "pastor." I like "pastor." But another title that goes along with being in the ministry is "reverend." I don't like that title very well because it indicates that the title holder is to be revered and I don't know many men or women who really fill those shoes. I know I don't and so I usually encourage people not to call me "reverend."

I've held titles that went along with jobs I've done over the years. I was an "Insurance Agent" many years ago. I have been a "Purchasing Agent," an "Office Administrator," a "bookkeeper," and a "line-loader." I've also been a "general flunky," "grunt," and "production employee."

Some people like titles. But really, other than describing what you do the only honor we have comes from the job we do, not from the title. You and I both have known some people with very high titles that didn't do a very good job and folks just didn't like them.

During Bible College in order to pass the time we made up a title which was properly assigned to someone each and every day. They got it whether they wanted it or not. I even held it a few times. That title was "the human wrinkle." It was properly awarded to the individual who's clothing had the most wrinkles indicating a student who was either lazy, didn't own an iron, or didn't know how to use one. When I held the title I qualified on all three counts.

Jesus has many titles. But there are three I'd like to share with you today. Those are "Messiah," "Savior," and "Redeemer." In John 1 we read the account of how some of Jesus' disciples were assembled. In verse 41 we read the story of Andrew. It says, "He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated, the Christ)." Andrew was excited when he discovered who Jesus was. He was the One they had been looking for. Every Jew knew the story of the coming Messiah and they longed and look forward to His coming. When Andrew realized that Jesus was the Messiah before he did anything else he ran to tell his brother, Simon (who later became known as Peter). The title "Messiah" literally means "The Anointed One." Jesus was anointed by God the Father to be the One looked for; the One longed for, not only by the Jews but in reality by the entire world.

The next title Jesus held was that of "Savior." In Luke 2:11, as the angel spoke to the shepherds during the lonely night watch, he said to them, "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." For many, many years the Jews had been under ruler ship of one government or another. For seventy years they had been captives of the Babylonians and the Persians. Then they were allowed to return to the land of Israel under their own government but that was short-lived when the Greek Empire took over. The Greeks were later conquered by the Romans and so when the angel told the shepherds that a Savior was born like most of the Jewish people of their day, their first thought of a Savior was one who would save them from foreign rule. "Savior" literally means "Deliverer." Jesus came not to deliver from the government of men, but to deliver the Jews and the whole world from a much greater dictator Sin.

Finally the third title is that of "Redeemer." In Ephesians 1:7 we read, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Literally the title "Redeemer" refers to one paying a ransom for something or someone who is lost or stolen. What a wonderful thing our Messiah, Savior, Redeemer has done for us. The devil tricked man into sinning. We allowed it to happen and ever since that day the devil has stolen us and the entire creation away from God. Oh, the Great Jehovah is still in control, but God gave us ownership and we transferred it to the devil. Jesus came to pay the ransom price to buy back our kidnapped souls. Thanks be to God! We have a Messiah, a Savior and a Redeemer!

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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