Eastertide 30:

The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

(First John 4:14)

What happened on the Cross had to do not only with me, but with the whole of God’s good creation. That’s the big gospel story that stretches from Genesis to Revelation. What God declared “good” even “very good”; will be salvaged and made whole again.

SOZO is the Greek N.T. word mostly translated “to save”; but, also translated “to heal,” or “recover,” or “to make well.” It deals with creation as we find it—broken and in need of healing. That’s how Jesus got his name, “Give him the name Jesus,” the angel said to Joseph, “because he will save (sozo)…” (Mt 1:21). “Jesus” is the Greek name for the Hebrew name “Joshua” which means “Yah is salvation”. “Yah” being short for Yahweh—that’s the name so precious it became unutterable. People would just utter “Lord” instead. In your bible, wherever you see “Lord” with all capital letters it is the unutterable name.  It’s the name given to Moses as “I AM that I Am.” God IS and DOES. Out of his absolute freedom, God has decided to be our Savior—to be Jesus.