Here we are in the season of Advent - which means Acoming.@  During Advent we focus on the coming of Jesus into the world and this morning, we want to remember in particular that Jesus came as Savior.  And yet I am aware that the concept of Jesus as Savior is a complicated one and one not easy to explain.  Part of the problem is that Jesus didn't really look like a Savior type and the way in which Jesus saves us seems rather fantastic and somewhat hard to believe.

Here in Isaiah, the prophet paints for us a picture of what the Savior is supposed to look and act like.  It's not overly impressive.  First, he says that the Savior was Amarred in appearance@, he Ahad no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.@  He adds that Ahe would be despised and rejected by others, as one from whom others hide their faces.@  Now this does not sound like someone who would act as Savior.  Saviors are supposed to be more impressive looking.  If we were to create a script for the coming of the Savior into the world, we might pick Charleston Heston or Harrison Ford to play the lead role.  We might dress them up in white clothes, with white hats and white six guns riding white horses, so there was no doubt who the good guy was!  Or perhaps in a white flowing cape, with a blue light saber and a flashy space ship. 

The Savior of the world is a hero and we want our heros to look the part.  But Isaiah's image is as one who looks pretty ordinary - maybe too ordinary. And when you look at how this Ahero@ entered the world, the picture gets immediately worse.  Where is the Savior born?  In a barn.  Who are the hero's famous parents?  A carpenter and a young girl, who, rumour has it, conceived before marriage.  How was the birth heralded?  Well, there were some angels in the sky to announce his arrival, but their audience was to a group of nondescript shepherds who had no power or influence in the world.  Not exactly the expected entrance for the Savior of the world.  No castle to live in, no king for a father,  no queen for a mother, not even any famous relatives to give credibility to Jesus' identity.

So, he just doesn't look the part.  But, one could argue that sometimes heros don't have to be Hollywood Alookalikes.@  So how did he save the world.  Well, again we have some problems, for again Jesus doesn't appear to follow the expected script.  What we might expect is someone who at least acts like a hero, kicking some serious posterior, acting with miraculous  powers, defeating all the bad guys and winning the day in typical hero fashion.  Were we writing the script for this part we might have Sylvester Stallone, or Arnold Swartzenagger, with muscles rippling, dashing into the face of danger, fighting against impossible odds and succeeding with only a few scratches.  That's the kind of Savior we want - someone who would be sin's Atermintor@, or perhaps the Arock-y@ of our salvation. 

Instead, Isaiah's vision is that this Savior will be beaten and humiliated and will meekly submit to his enemies. In fact, Isaiah suggests that the way Jesus will save us is to suffer on our behalf.  That is a very strange concept to say the least.  How does one person's suffering accomplish anything of value for someone else? 

If we need to be saved, one would think that the suffering and death of our would-be rescuer would be an unmitigated failure.  But according to Isaiah, the suffering and death of Jesus cancels our sins.  That doesn't exactly make it crystal-clear, does it? Isaiah suggests that through the actions of Jesus, Ahe has borne our infirmities, carried our diseases, was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities and upon him was the punishment that made us whole, for by his bruises we are healed.@ 

This is a complicated and confusing image.  Many of us can understand our need for a Savior.  We recognize that we are in fact Asinners.@ We acknowledge that being human means that we are selfish, self-motivated, inconsistent, slow to learn, resistant to growth, and pretty much making messes of things on a regular basis.  To speak personally, I have no problem understanding what sin is.  I've been at it ever since I can remember.  In fact, at the risk of appearing to brag - I'm pretty good at it!  Wait, that's not what I meant!  What I mean is that I am sensitive to it.  And that's part of what happens when we allow God in to our lives, God's Spirit reveals to us those things which are unhealthy and unhelpful for our lives and directs us towards those things which build us up in love.  And I know I need help to become the person that God wants me to be and that I want me to be.  So, I have no problem admitting that I need a Savior in my life.

Explaining it to others in a way that makes sense is another matter.  According to Isaiah, God's plan was to provide forgiveness - forgiveness that was purchased through  the sacrifice of the only human who was without sin.  Isaiah contends that this innocent one would suffer in our place.  We who deserve punishment, don't receive it because Jesus, who did not deserve it, was crucified.  And he chose to suffer for us.  And that is important - important to show us the depth of his love for us and the desire of God to be reconciled to us and to remove the barrier of our sin.  Instead of coming in power and might and waving a silver sword or a light saber, Jesus came in humility and servant-hood, enduring the very pain that for all intents and purposes belonged to us.  And somehow, miraculously, we are healed through his suffering.  It is a concept that does not follow logic or common sense.

You can imagine the conversation with someone who was not convinced about Jesus as our Savior.  ASo who is this Savior?@  AWell, his name is Jesus, he was a Jew born in a little town called Bethlehem - his dad was a carpenter, his mother was a young country girl from no one knows where and he was born in a barn.@  AExcuse me? So how did he save the world?@  AWell, he was crucified on a cross along with two criminals. He was stripped and beaten and falsely accused and because he was killed, we get to live forever.@  APardon me? He died?  Savior's don't die!  Where is the sense in that?@  AWell, you see, he took upon himself the sins of the world and because of his willing sacrifice, God will now overlook our sins.@  I think it is important to realize that the message of the gospel is just a little bit whacky!  That's why the apostle Paul called the gospel a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. It's just not the script that we would have drawn up for a Savior.  On lots of levels it doesn't make sense, it doesn't seem fair, it's too good to be true.  But if it is true what an amazing truth! And it is a truth that needs to be told.

But why should anybody believe us?  If the story is already hard to believe and Jesus doesn't fit the hero mold, how will people listen?  Well, I would suggest that when it comes to the story of salvation, it is less important that it make perfect sense and more important that it works.  And how would people believe that it works?  Well, that's where we come in. 

Earlier this week I met three very interesting young men.  Their names are Michel, Fabien and Aliston.  They are three brothers from Zaire - formerly the Congo - who were persecuted by the government for speaking out against injustice.  The government tried to kill them, but they escaped only to spend 5 years in various refugee camps.  To make a long story short, after a number of years, they came to Canada and by God's coincidence discovered each other in of all places, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Now you have to agree, that must be a miracle for 3 brothers from the Congo to end up in Saskatoon!  And they found God along the way and they have a tremendous testimony and their lives have been profoundly changed and they serve God faithfully and powerfully.  They tour the world telling people their story of how God saved them - not only from those who sought to harm them, but how their lives have changed.  And they are amazing Christ-followers.  Part of their message is forgiveness, that because of Christ's love for them, they have forgiven all the people who tried to hurt them.

Now their story is quite remarkable, but each and every story of God's love in a person's life has power.  Not our power, but the power of God, which is revealed most significantly, not in flash or fame, but in humility and faithfulness and love.  We are the proof of the pudding so to speak.  We are living example of the transforming power of God in Jesus - who has saved us from sin and to a life of love and service that marks us as different.  We don't have to be physically attractive, we don't have to look like Asuccesses@ in the eyes of the world, we don't have to be able to work miracles or have the gift of the gab.  We do have to show the fruit of salvation - that our lives are richer and fuller and more meaningful and joyous, because of the saving love of Jesus Christ.

Advent is about Jesus coming into the world - coming into our hearts and lives - and the reminder that he is coming again.  Let us welcome him into our lives, allowing him to heal us and make us new, believing and receiving him as our Savior, placing our faith in Him to the glory of God.