“Jesus Christ, The LORD’S Servant!”

“Jesus Christ, The LORD’S Servant!”(Is.49:1-6).
Some Africans often find succour in blaming the colonialist and missionary enterprises for destroying African culture and religion. However, the fact remains that Europe also had their traditional religions. Once they embraced Christianity, they quickly inculturated it to the point that what passes for Christian practices are old practices filled with new Christian content. Consider the names of days from Sunday to Saturday. These names are in honour of gods or constellations. The same applies to months from January to December.
Even the canonization of saints has European traditional religious origins.
All these do not add up to say, “The gospel of Jesus Christ is a scam.” Far from this, it only goes to demonstrate the universality of God’s plan of salvation.
Israel’s prior understanding of God was a localised God. God was seen not only as a localised God but an individual possession, as in, “God of Abraham,” or “God of Isaac,” or “God of Jacob.”
Even when God was understood as a national deity, he was still considered to be Israel’s exclusive God. From time to time, the prophets reminded the people of the unlimitedness of God. God is the LORD of all human history, and no people can claim a monopoly of him.
“The earth is the LORD’S and everything that lives in it.” From the beginning of time, God’s plan of salvation was universal. He had seen the end from the beginning.
The Suffering Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ, is the means of grace for all humanity everywhere.
While Christ comes to restore the tribes of Jacob,God has also made him a light for the Gentiles that he may bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.
This is the work of grace. Reaching out with favour to those who least expected or deserved any. Yes, my friend, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”(Eph.2:1-10).
While we rejoice that the Lord Jesus Christ has saved us from sin, we must keep in mind that we are saved to do good works. If the Saviour came as a servant, then service to others should be our priority.
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit, incline our hearts to do good works as an expression of our gratitude for our salvation. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.