If you heard on the radio of a family being rescued by a fire-fighter, or of a ship’s crew being saved by a lifeboat, you would know more or less how the rescue was made and also what would have happened to the unfortunate people if nothing had been done. But when you learn that Our Lord Jesus Christ has saved us from our sins, you may not find it easy to understand.  You know that he died on the Cross to save us, but that was a long time ago and you may wonder what difference it can make to us today.

In a moment we’re going to consider a story which hopefully will help to make this clearer. But first of all there are some things we need to understand.  When people sin, that is, think or say or do what is wrong, then they rebel against God and go over to the side of the Devil. And if they are not sorry for their sins and remain on the Devil’s side and in his power when they die, then he will have them in his power always.So God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to master the Devil, to free us from the Devil’s control, and to bring us back home to God.

That is what Jesus came to do, and the price he paid in order to do it was the Crucifixion when the Devil tried, and failed, to overcome Our Lord’s resistance to evil. Three days later God raised Jesus from the dead and he is now alive for evermore.