Jesus Our Rescuer 耶稣,我们的救主
Dexu Xia
You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
What began as a normal cable car ride across a Pakistani valley turned into a frightful ordeal. Shortly after the ride began, two supporting cables snapped, leaving eight passengers—including school children—suspended hundreds of feet in the air. The situation sparked an arduous twelve-hour rescue operation by the Pakistani military, who used ziplines, helicopters, and more to rescue the passengers.
Those well-trained rescuers are to be commended, but their work pales in comparison to the eternal work of Jesus, whose mission was to save and rescue us from sin and death. Prior to Christ’s birth, an angel instructed Joseph to take Mary home because her pregnancy was from “the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18, 20). Joseph was also told to name his son Jesus, because He would “save his people from their sins” (v. 21). Yet, while this name was common in the first century, only this child was qualified to be the Savior (Luke 2:30-32). Christ came at the right time to seal and secure the eternal salvation of all who repent and believe in Him.
We were all trapped in the cable car of sin and death, suspended over the valley of eternal separation from God. But in His love and grace, Jesus came to rescue us and bring us safely home to our heavenly Father. Praise Him!
Reflect & Pray
What significant mission would Mary’s baby have? What does the rescue Jesus secured mean to you?
Dear Jesus, please help me to rejoice in the reality that though I once was lost, I can now be found because of Your grace
你要给他起名叫耶稣，因为他将拯救他的人民脱离他们的罪恶。马太福音 1:21
原本是一次穿越巴基斯坦山谷的普通缆车之旅，却变成了一场可怕的磨难。缆车开始后不久，两根支撑缆绳断裂，八名乘客（包括学童）悬在数百英尺的高空。这一情况引发了巴基斯坦军方长达十二小时的艰苦救援行动，他们使用了高空滑索、直升机等来营救乘客。
这些训练有素的救援人员值得称赞，但他们的工作与耶稣的永恒工作相比显得微不足道，耶稣的使命是拯救我们脱离罪恶和死亡。
在基督诞生之前，一位天使指示约瑟将玛利亚带回家，因为她的怀孕是来自“圣灵”（马太福音 1:18, 20）。约瑟还被告知要给他的儿子起名叫耶稣，因为他将“拯救他的人民脱离他们的罪恶”（第 21 节）。然而，虽然这个名字在公元一世纪很常见，但只有这个孩子有资格成为救世主（路加福音 2:30-32）。基督来得正是时候，为所有悔改并相信祂的人封印并确保他们得到永恒的救赎。
我们都被困在罪恶和死亡的缆车里，悬在与上帝永远分离的山谷之上。但耶稣以他的爱和恩典来拯救我们，把我们安全地带回天父身边。赞美他！
反思和祈祷: 玛丽的孩子有什么重要的使命？耶稣所获得的拯救对你来说意味着什么？
亲爱的耶稣，请帮助我为现实而欢欣鼓舞，虽然我曾经迷失，但现在我可以因你的恩典而被找到