Monday, April 16, 2012
Job 19:25 I know that my Redeemer lives ...
HE LIVES ETERNALLY TO SAVE
The alarm goes off. He slides down the pole, scrambles into his gear, then rushes off in his big red machine with sirens blaring and lights flashing. He's a firefighter, and he lives to put out fires. More than that, he lives to save lives.
The risen Jesus lives triumphant from the grave! He lives eternally to save! He died, was buried, and was raised again, and, in so doing, He has put out the fires of hell! He did this for all! Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life!
He saved us! But why? It's not that we were like some innocent victim of circumstances, accidentally caught in a burning building. We were more like a foolish and wicked arsonist, setting the fire ourselves, and then trapped by our own evil handiwork. There's no covering up. As God sifts through the debris and ashes of our lives, He's able to trace the cause right to our sinful hearts. We're to blame, and, by all rights, should have been left to burn.
But Jesus lives to save because His heart is filled with love for the sinner, for you and me. He gives His life to get us out of this fate worse than death. On the cross He is burned by the just wrath of God, poured out on Him because of our sins. But when the smoke is cleared He steps forth from the grave. He lives and proves that our sins have been forgiven. He lives, and our bodies shall one day rise from the dust to live in heaven with Him forever.
Now we are safe! Now we are saved! Now we can say with Paul, "For to me to live is Christ!" (Philippians 1:21). We live for Him Who died for us and was raised again! We live to show others what it means to be rescued from the fiery death. We live to tell others:
He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 200:2)
