Day Twenty
There are a lot different ways we can describe the story of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem: it’s the account of Jesus’ final days, the story of God’s great love and Christ’s great sacrifice, the Passion narrative, the Atonement, Holy Week…there are lots of terms and words available to us. But there is one phrase that is rarely used and yet maybe most effective:
It’s a rescue story.
We love a good rescue story, with its heroes and villains, accounts of peril and escape, and the sense of relief that comes when those who were trapped are brought to freedom. We love it in movies and TV shows, and we love it in real life as well. From news stories about young children trapped in wells to live coverage of miners trapped underground for weeks on end…tales of rescue have the power to draw us in.
The Bible is filled with tales of rescue—from the deliverance of armies in battle, to Hebrew spies hidden from an angry mob in Jericho, to Paul’s bold declaration that the threat of shipwreck wouldn’t cause any loss of life, and more. And of course, the central narrative in the history of Israel is the Exodus, God’s rescue of the Hebrew slaves from bondage in Egypt under the leadership of Moses, an event that still sits at the heart of the Jewish faith today.
That image of the Exodus is an important one for those who follow Jesus, who also came to lead people out of bondage. In the New Testament there are clear parallels drawn between the ministry of Jesus and that of Moses, especially in Matthew’s gospel. Writing to a primarily Jewish audience, Matthew is very intentional about painting the picture of Jesus as a “new Moses,” and some of the comparisons are striking:
Jesus is rescued as an infant from the slaughter of innocent children, as Moses was saved from Pharaoh’s wrath
Jesus fasts for 40 days in the wilderness, echoing Moses on Mt. Sinai
Jesus delivers his “new law” from the side of a mountain, calling to mind how Moses received the law of God on a mountaintop
Jesus’ identity as a teacher, a prophet, and a lawgiver throughout is a direct parallel to the leadership and ministry of Moses
At the Transfiguration (where he meets with Moses himself) Jesus is transformed in a way similar to Moses when he encountered God on the mountain
And as striking as these are, they are minor compared to the biggest parallel of all: Just as Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, now Jesus has come to lead us out of slavery to sin. This theme resonates throughout the entire New Testament, as Jesus is shown to be the mediator of a new covenant of grace, freeing us from bondage to the powers of sin and death. Paul states this powerfully in Romans:
“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”—Romans 8:2-4 (NLT)
This is why Jesus came to earth. It’s what this season of Lent is all about: it is a reminder of the price that has been paid for our freedom. He came to secure our deliverance. In fact, Jesus made that very clear in his very own words:
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”—Luke 19:10
That is a rescue story worth telling…again and again.
I need You Jesus to come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name by which I am saved
Capture me with grace, I will follow You
Read the rest of the lyrics here.
Questions for Reflection
1) How have you known Jesus as one who rescues? In what ways has that image of Jesus been most evident to you as you have walked with him? Spend some time in prayer simply resting in the knowledge that he gave his life to set you free.
2) The ancient Hebrews often retold the story of their freedom as a prompt for worship (e.g. Psalm 136). How does the story of your freedom in Jesus inspire worship for you? What are ways you can build steady and regular reminders of that story into your daily walk?
3) Are there ways in which you experience bondage in your life? Are there sins that still seek to control you and hold you captive? Bring them openly and honestly to God, and let the saving power of Jesus be made real in those areas of your life as you surrender more deeply to him. Ask him to show you the depth of freedom he desires you to know.
4) What does the lyric “capture me with grace” communicate about the nature of our freedom in Christ? What do you think the songwriter meant by those words, and how do they speak to you?
5) Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”—Luke 4:18-19 (CEB, also Isaiah 61:1-2)