He Came to Save
Scripture Reading — Matthew 9:9-13
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13
“Will God accept me when I die? So many things have gone wrong in my life.” Someone asked me that question shortly before he died. He knew about the Savior who had come to save us from our sin. He knew about God’s good news of salvation, but he could not accept it for himself.
This Advent season many Christians will hear the message about the Savior who came to redeem us from guilt. Many will sing, “Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free,” and yet they will be afraid to claim God’s promise of freedom in their own lives.
Maybe you struggle with the same thing. Perhaps as you reflect on your life, you have to admit that many things have gone wrong. You look into your past, and you are reminded of some poor choices you made, or of how you failed your spouse or your child. You may think of other things that were all wrong, and you may think God can’t forgive you.
If so, you need to listen carefully to the Savior when he says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus came for you and me. He came to save us from the guilt and tyranny of our sin.
Come to the Savior, confess your sin, and accept his forgiveness. If you do, this may be the best Christmas ever!
Lord Jesus, thank you for your forgiveness. Help all who struggle to accept it, and take away their guilt. For your sake, Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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