My eyes have seen your salvation

370 my eyes saw the salvationThe motto of today's Street Parade in Zurich is: "Dance for freedom" (dance for freedom). On the activity's website we read: “The Street Parade is a dance demonstration for love, peace, freedom and tolerance. With the motto of the Street Parade "Dance for Freedom", the organizers are focusing on freedom".

The desire for love, peace and freedom has always been a concern of humanity. Unfortunately, however, we live in a world that is exactly the opposite: hate, war, captivity and intolerance. The organizers of the Street Parade pose Focus on freedom. But what did they not recognize? What's the point you're apparently blind to? True freedom requires Jesus and it is Jesus who has to be the focus! Then there is love, peace, freedom and tolerance. Then you can celebrate and dance! Unfortunately, this wonderful knowledge is still not accessible to many today.

“But if our gospel is covered, so it is hidden from those who are perishing, the unbelievers, whose minds the god of this world has blinded them from seeing the brightness of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For God who said: Out of darkness will light shine! he who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4,3-6).

Jesus is a light that unbelievers cannot see.

Simeon was a righteous and godly person in Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit was on him (Luke 2,25). He had promised to see the Lord's anointed before he died. When the parents brought the child Jesus to the temple and he took him in his arms, he praised God and said:

“Now, Lord, according to your word, you send your servant away in peace; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all the nations, a light for revelation to the nations and for the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2,29-32).

Jesus Christ came like a light to illuminate this world.

"Out of darkness will light shine! he who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4,6).

The view of Jesus Christ was an experience of life for Simeon, the crucial point before he could say goodbye to this life. Siblings, have our eyes recognized God's salvation in all its glory? It is important never to forget how much God has blessed us by opening our eyes to salvation:

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets: "And they shall all be taught of God." Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is of God, he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. But the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6,44-51).

Jesus Christ is the living bread, the salvation of God. Do we still remember the time when God opened our eyes to this knowledge? Paul will never forget the moment of his enlightenment, we read about it when he was on his way to Damascus:

“But as he was going, it happened that he was drawing near to Damascus. And suddenly a light from heaven shone around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? But he said: Who are you, Lord? But he : I am Jesus whom you pursue. But get up and go into the city and you will be told what to do! But the men who went with him on the way stood speechless, since they heard the voice but saw no one. But Saul raised himself up from the ground. But when his eyes opened, he saw nothing. And they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. And he could not see for three days, and neither ate nor drank" (Acts 9,3-9).

The revelation of salvation was so dazzling for Paul that he could not see for 3 days!

How much has his light hit us and how much has our life changed since our eyes have recognized his salvation? Was it a real rebirth for us as well as for us? Let's listen to the conversation with Nicodemus:

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a chief of the Jews. He came to him by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born? Jesus answered: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [John 3,6] What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you: {Ye} must be born again" (John 3:1-7).

Man needs a new "birth" to recognize the kingdom of God. Human eyes are blind to the salvation of God. However, the organizers of the Street Parade in Zurich are not aware of the general spiritual blindness. You have set yourself a spiritual goal that cannot be achieved without Jesus. Man cannot by himself find God's glory or know it in its entirety. It is God who reveals himself to us:

“{You} did not choose me, but {I} chose you and you Decree that you go and bring forth fruit, and your fruit may remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give you" (John 15,16).

Siblings, we have the great privilege that our eyes have seen God's salvation: "Jesus Christ our Redeemer ".

This is the most important experience we can have in our entire life. There were no other goals in life for Simeon after he saw the Savior. His goal in life was achieved. Does the recognition of God's salvation also have the same value for us? Today I would like to encourage all of us never to take our eyes off God's salvation and always to keep our (spiritual) gaze on Jesus Christ.

"If you have been raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Think about what is above, not about what is on earth! For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory" (Colossians 3,1-4).

Paul exhorts not to look at what is on earth but at Christ. Nothing on this earth should distract us from God's salvation. Everything that is good for us comes from above and not from this earth:

"Do not be mistaken, my beloved brothers! Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, in whom there is no change, nor the shadow of change" (James 1,16-17).

Our eyes have recognized the salvation of God and we should no longer remove our gaze from this salvation, always look upwards. But what does all of this mean in our daily lives? We are all always in difficult situations, trials, illnesses, etc. How is it possible to look at Jesus even with such large distractions? Paul gives us the answer:

“Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I want to say: Rejoice! Your gentleness shall be known to all people; the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4,4-7).

Here God promises us a divine peace and tranquility "that surpasses all understanding." So we are to bring our concerns and needs before the throne of God. However, have you noticed how our prayers are being answered?! Does it mean: "and God will solve all our concerns and problems and get rid of them"? No, there is no promise here that God will solve or remove all of our problems. The promise is: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all minds, will keep your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus".

If we look up, bring our concerns before God's throne, God promises us a supernatural peace and deep spiritual joy, in all circumstances. This is when we really rely on him and lie in his hands.

“I have spoken this to you so that you may have peace in me. In the world you have affliction; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16,33).

Watch out: we don't just go on vacation and trust that God will take on all of our responsibilities. There are Christians who make exactly these mistakes. They confuse trust in God with irresponsibility. However, it is interesting to see how God shows great mercy in such cases. Better to trust God than to take our lives into our own hands.

In any case, we must continue to be responsible, but we no longer trust our powers but in God. On the spiritual level we have to recognize that Jesus Christ is our salvation and our only hope and we should stop trying to bring forth spiritual fruit with our own strength. The Street Parade will not succeed either. In Psalm 37 we read:

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and guard faithfulness; and have your delight in the Lord, and he will give you what your heart desires. Commit your way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will act, and he will cause your righteousness to rise like the light, and your righteousness like the midday” (Psalm 37,3-6).

Jesus Christ is our salvation, he justifies us. We must entrust our lives to him unconditionally. However, don't retire, but "do good" and "guard loyalty". When our eyes are on Jesus, our salvation, we are in safe hands. Let's read again in Psalm 37:

“A man's steps are made firm by the Lord, and he loves his way; if he falls, he will not be stretched out, for the Lord supports his hand. I was young and I grew old, but I never saw a righteous man forsake, nor his descendants begging for bread; always he is kind and lends, and his descendants for blessing” (Psalm 37,23-26).

If we submit our ways to God, he will never leave us.

"I will not leave you orphaned, I will come to you. Another small one , and the world sees me no more; But {you} look at me: because {I} live, {you} will also live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me; but whoever loves me will be loved by my father; and I will love him and reveal myself to him” (John 14,18-21).

Even when Jesus ascended to the throne of God, he said that his disciples continued to see him! Wherever we are and in whatever situation we may be in, Jesus Christ, our salvation, is always visible and our eyes should always be on him. His request is:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened! And I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me! For I am meek and humble in heart, and "ye shall find rest for your souls"; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11,28-30).

His promise is:

"Even if I don't stay with you, you shall have peace. I give you my peace; a peace that no one in the world can give you. Therefore be without worry and fear” (John 14,27 Hope for all).

Today Zurich dances for peace and freedom. Let us also celebrate because our eyes have recognized the salvation of God and we pray that more and more fellow human beings can see and recognize what was revealed to us so wonderfully: "The wonderful salvation of God in Jesus Christ!"

by Daniel Bösch


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