His kindness leads us to repentance.
“For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Lk. 9:56). In the paragraph where the Lord speaks these words, we are told that the time had come for Him to be “received up” to glory. But He had one more stop to make before He could arrive at His final destination. They had journeyed from Galilee and were approaching a village in Samaria. Christ sent some of His disciples ahead to make arrangements for overnight accommodations. But, before long, the disciples returned to inform Him that the villagers had refused to shelter Him or His disciples. The justification for their decision should not have been a shock to the disciples. The Samaritans would not receive Him because “His face was set to go to Jerusalem.” These people had a long-standing difference of opinion with their neighbors the Jews about true worship. They had been steeped in years of religious prejudice and false ideas, which blinded them to true religion.
This experience was—and would continue to be—a common occurrence for these disciples. They needed to learn to accept the world’s hostility without the desire to respond in kind. (This is a lesson that all of Christ’s disciples need to learn early on.) However, in this case, their reaction was quite a bit worse than desiring to merely respond in kind. Somehow, James and John felt that the proper response to this lack of hospitality would be to destroy these offenders with fire from heaven.
The Lord rebuked them for their carnal spirit. How little they knew the heart of God! Here, in their very presence, was the One who had come forth from the Father. Out of a perfect bond of love, the Father sent and the Son came. This love was the motivating force behind the work the Son had come to do. “The Son of Man,” as He preferred to be known, was “come to seek and to save that which is lost” (Lk. 19:10). He did not come to doom men to an eternity without God but to rescue them from their hopeless plight!
The nature of salvation
The concept of salvation is, of course, a central theme of the Old and New Testaments. At the incarnation of the Son of God, Joseph was directed by an angel of the Lord to “call His name Jesus [which means ‘Jehovah is the Saviour’] for He will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:20f). Throughout His ministry, the Lord Jesus clearly demonstrated this purpose. Consider, for example, the woman who anointed His feet with fragrant oil in repentance and faith. “Then He said to the women, ‘Your faith has saved you’” (Lk. 7:50). He healed a women of disease and stated, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well” (Lk. 8:48). So-zo- is the Greek word that is generally translated “save” but here it is translated “made well.” And immediately afterwards, “While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, ‘Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.’ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.’” He then proceeded to raise her from the dead (Lk. 8:49-56). These and many other acts of physical healing and deliverance served as illustrations of salvation at the spiritual level.
The concept of salvation in the New Testament is comprehensive. The New Testament informs us of the work that was accomplished at the cross and its effects. It speaks in the past tense concerning the believer’s forgiveness of sin (Col. 1:14), new spiritual life (Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:22f), and reconciliation with God (Col. 1:20). It also speaks in the present tense concerning deliverance from the power of sin in our daily lives (Rom. 6:6), transformation into the image of the One who created us (Col. 3:10), and the intercession and advocacy of Christ in our lives (Rom. 8:31-39; 1 Jn. 1:7-2:2). All the resources necessary to live godly lives are provided (2 Pet. 1:3-4). Salvation also has a future tense. We are saved from the wrath to come (Rom. 5:9), our bodies will be redeemed (Php. 3:20f), and we will enter into glory with Him (Col. 3:4). The New Testament also includes terms which instruct us about the various aspects of salvation: terms such as justification, forgiveness, ransom, redemption, assurance, regeneration, sanctification, propitiation, glorification, etc. Just a few moments of contemplation should cause us to cry out to Him in gratitude and praise for His abundant mercy and grace.
The cost of salvation
But, further, we must consider Him who obtained such a glorious salvation for us. Our Saviour did not refuse to endure such opposition and hostility from sinful men. Rather, He saw the work in light of the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2)—the joy of having us with Him to see and enjoy the glory that the Father has given Him for all eternity (Jn. 17:24). Therefore, He endured the cross and took little account of the mocking, abuse, and dishonor that was unjustly heaped upon Him. “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:23f). This Man is now risen and sits at the right hand of the throne of God, controlling the universe. One day, we also shall sit with Him and govern with Him (Rev. 3:21; 2 Tim. 2:12).
These unruly, blind Samaritans did not know the Son of Man, or the purpose of His journey, or His unwillingness to be diverted from the cross. But it wouldn’t be too long before the news of what had happened to Him would travel back to their little village. It would be His goodness, not fire from heaven, that would lead them to repentance, the same way it led us.
Had the Lord Jesus refused the cross, all of us would have perished in our sins. But such is His grace that He lovingly endured unspeakable sufferings so that we might be saved. He could have left us to our deserved destruction, but He had come to save lives, not destroy them. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (Jn. 3:16f) This is our glorious Saviour. He has no equal.