The Plan to Rescue

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting so they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3

Before the creation of the world and its inhabitants and the fall of man from perfect communion with Himself, God had formulated a divine rescue plan to deliver man from his helpless state. The plan was quietly launched on a still night in Bethlehem when a gentle teenager named Mary gave birth to a child. Not just an ordinary child, but a babe conceived by the power of God. His name was Jesus, Greek for the Lord saves. His full title was Jesus Christ, Christ being the Hebrew form for Messiah, the Anointed One. He was the Son of God, fully human and fully God; and it was in Him that God’s deliverance was achieved.

The rescue plan culminated with the blood, agony, and death of Christ on the cross where God placed the sin of the world upon Him, extracting the penalty of sin - death - and making forgiveness and reconciliation possible. Christ’s resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven validated His deity and completed the rescue.

God has done His part. You can be forgiven. You can be saved from sin. All you must do is admit your sin, receive Christ’s forgiveness, and ask Him to invade your humanity with His deity.

The Hand that rescues you from sin is forever scarred.