47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.”
Simply put, Jesus came to save, to make whole, and to preserve from danger those who would trust in Him. He came speaking God’s word to the people who had “ears to hear”. We find in Hebrews:
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Heb 1:1-3 (NIV)
Moses had prophesized regarding the great Prophet who would come and speak for God ending the prophecy with the command that we were to listen to Him. Furthermore, God stated that if they did not listen to His Words He Himself would call them into account:
15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die." 17 The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. Deut 18:15-19 (NIV)
None would be like Moses until the Mediator of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ, arrived on the scene. Jesus came with God’s Words on His lips and salvation in His hands - providing deliverance for the people. In Acts, Peter explained that their search for the great Prophet should have stopped with Christ Jesus:
22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.' Acts 3:22-23 (NIV)
Jesus’ Words in our verse for today indicate that His first Advent was not for judgment rather one of salvation – not to punish and smite as a conqueror but to heal and save as the Great Physician. Wicked as unbelief was, He did not come first to punish rather He came to save. This, of course, had the Jews confused as they thought He was coming to set up His earthly kingdom in which He would have judged His enemies. John tells us:
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:16-18 (NIV)
This certainly does not mean that Jesus came and saved all men from hell – the dangerously held, widely acclaimed and very palatable universal salvation doctrine – which would flatly contradict many plain passages of Scripture – rather it means that He first came to provide salvation. He made the world savable by dying for its sins. Yet no one would benefit from this salvation except that they believe. Christ’s first advent was to set up the throne of grace while His second a throne of judgment. Perhaps that is why both Moses and Peter emphasize the point that we are to both hear and heed our Lord’s Words. No one receives Christ’s benefit of salvation unless they believe and true belief effects behavior as we will always live what we truly believe.
“In our presentation of the Gospel we often focus on what Jesus can do for us. Now don’t misunderstand, Jesus does do much for us. He forgives us, reconciles us with God, gives us meaning and eternal life. But the most important thing about Jesus is He gives us Himself. We have so emphasized the rewards of following Christ that we have forgotten that following Him, being with Him, knowing Him, and calling Him ‘Friend’ and ‘Elder Brother’ are far more wonderful and important than anything else.” Steve Brown
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:10-13 (NIV)