Saviour of the World.
450,312,500 dollars or 376,583,735 euros or 336,564,013 pounds is a huge sum of money in whatever currency you use! That was the world record shattering price recently paid for Leonardo da Vinci’s picture entitled “Saviour of the World”. OK, call me a Philistine but I don’t even think it looks all that good a picture—somewhat faded man crossing his fingers and holding a giant marble! If I was looking for a picture for my living room wall I would much rather have a landscape of the Ogwen valley in North Wales or a sunset over Holy Island, Northumbria! Is the picture worth it? Not in my book!
Now we have in stock a book with a similar title—Saviour of the World! It is a short introduction to the Gospel of Luke. It will take an hour or two to read and complete and the answers can even be returned to us for free via our website. This book is currently free to all students, on the understanding that it will be read and the exams returned to us. Is this worth it? Definitely, in my opinion!
I’m not saying I would rather have the book than the picture if both were offered to me, but whilst one would make me rich in this life, one will help make me rich for eternity and that has far greater value.
The Gospel of Luke shows us pictures of Jesus as the Son of Man, detailing events in His life as He identifies with us in His humanity. One of my favourite pictures Luke paints of the Lord Jesus is in chapter 7 where we read about the two debtors. Neither had anything with which to pay, so we read that the master “frankly forgave them both” (Luke 7:42).
Then we have a wonderful picture in the story of the good Samaritan. What truth is summed up in the words “as he journeyed” (Luke 10:33). Jesus’s coming into this world was no mistake of history but was part of a wonderful divine plan, conceived from before the foundation of the world! (1 Peter 1:20) And the Samaritan “came where he was” (v.3). Now what a wonderful Saviour we have who came where we were to lift us out of death and distance and to bring us eternal life.
It is also in Luke’s Gospel that we have the picture of the good shepherd painted for us in chapter 15. What depth of suffering and endurance is summed up in those simple words “until he finds it” (v.4). How eternally grateful we shall be that nothing could distract the Lord Jesus from His work of salvation. There was no price too great that He would not pay so that I could be saved!
Three simple pictures, amongst many, painted in words by Luke of the true Saviour of the world. What is He worth? He is priceless!