Home

Our Church

Services of Worship

Our People

Getting Married at Holy Trinity

Youth

Sermons

Prayer Groups

Education

Parish Magazine

St. Augustine's

Anglican FAQs

Inspiration

Links

If there is one word in Christian, and even non-Christian circles, which many people are not sure about, and which often causes some degree of reaction, it is the word Saviour.

At this time of the year we sing carols which speak about the birth of Jesus, the Saviour of the world. We read the prophecies which speak of the coming of the Saviour, and then we remember the angels announcement to the shepherds that “this day, in the City of David – in Bethlehem – your saviour, the Messiah, the Lord, is born.”   Lk 2:11

Yet what does it mean when we sing and talk about Jesus being the Saviour.- and even more personally – MY Saviour- as we sang in our first song this morning? This idea of someone else being necessary or required to do something for me stands in direct opposition to my own competence, my own independence, and my own ability to care for myself and chart my own direction in life. I read recently that the song “I did it my way” by Frank Sinatra, is the most popular of all songs played at funerals. I guess it epitomizes our obsession of having and living life our own way.  We want to be Self-sufficient self-directed and self- approved.

So the idea of a Saviour is not one which we in the 21^st century, might naturally take to.

But let’s think again about that.  I think there are four levels on which we can talk about Salvation.

1. On a very materialistic level - If my car breaks down, or our photocopier, or computer -  or something goes wrong with the wiring in the house, or the plumbing – then I am very grateful that there is someone on the end of the phone whom I can ring who knows more about these things than I do,  and can fix them for me.     I might just utter, in total relief ,  when the domestic tragedy has been averted – that “you have been a real Saviour”. So that’s one level on which we think of a Saviour.

2. On a more serious and personal level ,-  Two of the most frequently watched TV programmes in our house- when we are at home, -  is Piha Rescue and First Response.   It is all about the drama and the importance of  rescuing or “saving” those who otherwise are almost certainly doomed to drowning or death by some accident or misadventure.  We have no problem referring to the rescuers – in that context - as their saviours.

3. But there is a third level – and that is the area of global concern – particularly in such areas as Global warming and pollution.  Those individuals and political and humanitarian movements which help and encourage us to address these issues could also be ranked – in a certain sense- quite literally  - as Saviours of the world.

But there is -4- another level of this Salvation, or “rescue” mission which we need to think about, and that is in the area of our own inner life.  I think there are certain times and seasons in our lives when we are especially thankful and grateful for all we have been able to achieve, all we have around us, - our friends and families, the land and the country we enjoy  - and so on. And Christmas especially, is the time to acknowledge to ourselves, to others, and to God, how really blest we are!   

Dianne and I were at Steve and Kerry’s Home Group dinner on Friday night, - all twelve of us - and during the dinner  I became very conscious -  deep within my own soul - of just how fortunate I was to be there, enjoying their company and the fun and the laughter, and of what a blessing God had given to us all.

            But there are other times, - aren’t there, - which I think most of us have, at some time or other, – when we become aware of a certain discontent and dissatisfaction with ourselves. We feel that we aren’t all we are cracked up to be! There are times when we don’t measure up, even to our own standards.  We know there is stuff within us which needs working on, sorting out and cleaning up! We know we aren’t perfect – and we wish we were much better than we are. That’s what I feel sometime! And we know that within us there may be all kinds of obsessions, distortions, addictions, hang-up’s and secret sins which we daren’t let anyone else know about – and we wish we were different.  And in our better moments we would like all that to change.

            You know - the good news is that that is what a Saviour is all about, too! It’s about rescuing my inner life, its about rescuing the world, its about rescuing me from tragedy, and its also about rescuing me from the very material and physical emergencies of life.

It is this kind of Saviour that the Bible speaks about so often. – in fact the whole of the Bible, from Genesis chapter 3 -  is about the need for, the promise of, and the coming of just such a Saviour, a rescuer, who can bring us – and all of creation, back to God, to the condition to which it was intended. In Isaiah chapter 61, our first reading, we get an inkling of the breadth of that rescue mission.

The Saviour would bring good news for the oppressed, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, release for the prisoners, and comfort to all who mourn, a mantle of praise instead of a heavy spirit.” The Bible shows us quite clearly that Jesus is that Saviour! who not only comes to work a rescue mission in our own personal lives, but throughout the whole of creation.   And that’s why we celebrate Christmas – because the long awaited Saviour has arrived. 

But not only must a Saviour be present – WE must also receive the help, the salvation, which the Saviour brings.  If the lifesavers at Piha draw alongside a drowning man, and he refuses their assistance – we would regard him as crazy!  Help is there – all he has to do is receive it!   He doesn’t have to pay for it, or earn it, or merit it – he just has to receive the help that is offered.

In the same way – Jesus, the Saviour – has come to us to offer salvation in the fullest sense of that word, to redeem our lives and restore them to their original glory.   The salvation Jesus offers is a free gift to each of us, though it cost him everything – even his suffering and death on the cross.  There is nothing we can do to earn or merit salvation, or deserve it! All we can do, the only thing we can do, is to  receive that gift freely and gratefully.

So how do we receive the help from the Saviour? The same way as we receive help from any other!  - - we simply  surrender  ourselves to the rescuer – in this case God Himself in Jesus Christ -   ask Him to begin that new life within and thank Him that He will do as He promised. 

That’s all we need to do to begin that new journey.  That’s where my journey first began, and the new journey of many others I know.  This morning- if you are on that journey – then give thanks to God that you know the Saviour and that He is at work in you. However, if you don’t feel as though you have yet started out in that new life , and that you want to – then you can begin today.