SEARCH AND RESCUE

The nature of God is to seek and to save sinners. From the opening pages of human history, it was God who sought the fallen couple in the Garden. In Ezekiel 34:16 God says, “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick.” The Almighty was portrayed as a Savior throughout the Old Testament (Ps. 106:21; Isa. 43:11; Hos. 13:4), so it is appropriate that when Christ entered the world of human beings as God in human flesh, he was known first of all as a Savior.
Even Jesus’ name was divinely chosen to be the name of a Savior. An angel told Joseph in a dream, “You shall call His name Jesus, for it is he who will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). The very heart of all redemptive teaching is that Jesus entered this world on a search-and-rescue mission for sinners. That truth is what characterizes the gospel as good news.
But it is good news only for those who perceive themselves as sinners. The unequivocal teaching of Jesus is that those who will not acknowledge and repent of their sin are beyond the reach of saving grace. All are sinners, but not all are willing to admit their depravity. If they do, he becomes their Friend (cf. Matt. 11:19). If they will not, they will know him only as Judge (cf. Matt. 7:22).