Savior of the World
When Jesus was in Samaria (John 4) the people of the town realized at some point that He was indeed “the Savior of the world!” Not just a moral teacher or even the Jewish Messiah, but One who would rescue the entire planet.
Our world NEEDS saving!
Just look around. Although there are many who think they know how to fix our broken world, no one has ever come close. Our own current political climate is a disaster, with all the earmarks of a descent into chaos that will only get worse, no doubt leading us eventually into tyranny for the sake of survival. Which is not salvation, but oppression.
This is what it means to be lost. We are deep in the woods with wild animals and no clue about how to survive, let alone find peace and joy.
If we survey all the philosophies and religions and social theories, nothing holds a candle to the message of Jesus. As Peter once said, “Where else can we go? You alone have the worlds of Life!”
And take notice, that every objection to Christianity is based on either a misconception of its fundamental nature, or sheer contempt for those who claim to be Christian but live otherwise, or in some cases a straightforward rejection of the Light. (As Willard used to ask, “Would you want there to be a God?”)
But imagine if everyone on the planet put away malice, envy, hate, contempt, self-centeredness and other destructive qualities, and instead cultivated giving, sharing, caring, thoughtfulness, integrity, humility and consideration for others. What if everyone began a journey toward character transformation to become more like Jesus?
It could save the world!