The Savior Who Comes Near - Wrap Up

 

 Have you ever thought of Jesus as The Savior Who Comes Near? The study I've been walking through, and writing to you about for the last month focuses on just this. 

 The first day of this study, we looked at Isaiah 9:6 in which we have several names of God: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. In this season of my life I think the name, "Mighty God" stands out to me the most. I am so glad that He is bigger, stronger, smarter, and basically mightier than anything that faces me or comes against me. I can lean into Him and trust Him completely. We looked at Mary and how while she may have felt unseen or unqualified going into her calling as the earthly mother of Jesus, God saw her and He qualified her for what was ahead. Sometimes God's plans aren't clear, or they are bigger than we can fathom. Like Mary, we can trust that God will be with us and equip us for whatever He calls us to. Joseph's quiet obedience inspires us to, likewise, trust God in the waiting. So much in my life right now doesn't seem to make sense, but I trust that in God's perfect timing it will all come together. I had an experience just this morning where the timing of several seemingly unrelated, and also delayed, things came together to make for a super-helpful doctor's visit. Joseph and Mary were likely distraught when they couldn't find a place to stay in Bethlehem, but God wasn't He knew exactly where they were to end up and why. Because of their unique situation, He was able to give the shepherds a sign telling them that they'd find the Messiah wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a food trough for animals. Each of these views into the story of Jesus' birth led to the incredible truth that our Savior came near. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14. 

 In each of our lives there is sin, something we've done that we know separates us from God, something that makes us unworthy to be in His presence. I am so thankful that while Jesus was on earth He didn't cloister Himself away in a hidden mountain monastery. No, He made His dwelling among us. He walked and talked and ate and slept and hung out with people, all kinds of people. He sought out ones who both saw themselves as sinners, and were recognized by their community likewise, to offer hope, forgiveness and healing. Jesus shows us our true importance, not in what we have done, not done or accomplished in this life, but based on the reality that He was willing to come to earth, suffer and die for us. That's where we find our true value. At just the right time Christ died for the ungodly, the righteous for the unrighteous so that, in Him, we could know our real worth. Paul's story in 1 Timothy emphasizes this truth to us and his emphasis that no one can be too evil, too deep in sin to receive God's forgiveness reminded me of my son's friend, General Butt Naked. And as we looked into the story of another known sinner, Zaccheus, I echoed the joy he must have felt as His Savior came near to him - came to his house for dinner in fact. When we recognize that we are sinners, that there is nothing in ourselves that can redeem us, we might be fearful or anxious when approaching a perfect God, but He speaks to us in a calm reassuring voice, like the one I remember my grandfather having with me, and says, “Come now, let us settle the matter... though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool,”  (Isaiah 1:18).

 Jesus came to earth, came near, in a humble way, lived a humble life, and died for us with humility and graciousness I cannot completely fathom. While we might think of ourselves as being humble, I wondered about whether we would be willing to humble ourselves to our homeless neighbors' position and have dinner at a soup kitchen with them? That thought certainly challenges me and I'm thinking about making some changes in 2026. Next, we considered how Jesus was the perfect lamb of God. I looked back over human history and saw how patiently He walked us as a people through our need for salvation, our inability to provide it to ourselves, and His perfect plan, including sending His Only Son as a spotless sacrifice in our place. 700 years before Jesus was even born on earth, God laid out incredibly specific prophecies about Jesus' life and death. As I looked at these, I was saddened anew by what He had to endure on my behalf, and so very, very grateful. Because of this sacrifice, when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, began a personal relationship with Him, I received forgiveness of all my sins, both the ones I had already committed as well as those in my future. My salvation was both Now and Later! Not stopping there, God went on to reconcile all things to Himself, righting wrongs and adding things to His ledger in the way they were intended, not as I saw them - sometimes even making things that seemed awful turn out for good.

 Jesus has gone ahead of us into heaven to prepare a place for us, and Jesus doesn't scurryfunge! He's taking His time and getting things just right. While many things in life seek to distract us from our relationship with God and setting our minds on Him, we need to overcome this by His grace and keep our focus on what is good and true. We cannot put off until tomorrow what can be done today. Jesus is returning soon, at least that's what scripture says. Soon obviously means different things to God than it does to me, but what I can count on is that it will happen in God's perfect timing and with it will come our reward - for better or for worse. When it does, what will it be like? Only God knows, but He has promised us that Jesus Himself will come back to us personally. He's not sending a car. He's not expecting us to make our way to Him. He is going to Come Near to us once more! In the meantime, as we wait, we are expected to Grow in Grace. Learning from those who have experienced more and sharing with others who follow behind us, we are to patiently work through God's sanctification of our lives. 

Here's the Thing: Jesus came near to us when He was born as a human baby. When we were separated from Him by sin, He came near to close the gap. The Bible walks us through our need for Jesus' sacrifice and how it covers us both now and forever. Right now He is preparing a place for us to be with him in person forever, but as we wait we need to keep our eyes on this truth and grow in grace. I am so grateful that our Savior deigned to draw near and all that implies!