The name, 'Jesus' means, "God to the rescue." There is no one more needed in the entire history of the human race than Jesus Christ. Yet this fact is constantly obscured and the name of 'Jesus' is made an obscenity worldwide by the spiritual forces of darkness at work in this present age.

The true meaning of the name of Jesus and the exposition of His saving work on the Cross has always been offensive to human pride. Our culture has room for Jesus as a religious leader, a Buddha (an enlightened one), a guru, a mystic, a spiritual force, a social reformer, and even a god. To its own peril, it resists the true Jesus as "God to the rescue."

The Roman Empire was tolerant towards other religions. It would have accepted Christ as one of the gods of the Pantheon, along with Diana, Mars, Apollo and the Caesars. But it had no place for Christians who insisted that Jesus was the Sovereign Lord and the only way to salvation.

Most religions agree that the human race is in a predicament. Each religion prescribes its own way of dealing with it. The question is how can a man be rescued from the problem of sin that has infected society with selfishness, moral deviance, social alienation and decay?

Picture the problem as a man having fallen into a deep well. How is he to be rescued? Mohammed comes and hears the man's desperate cries. "If you keep the five pillars (rules) of Islam, you will be able to escape from the well: Pray five times a day, eat no pork, drink no alcohol, keep the feast of Ramadan and make a pilgrimage to Mecca." But the man has no strength or opportunity in this condition to keep these commands. After a few attempts to lift himself out this dilemma he falls back and cries out for help.

Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) comes along and hears his cries. He looks into the well and says, "I can see that you are in a predicament. This problem is due to pain and desire. If you follow the eight-fold path of enlightenment you will escape from your condition of suffering and sorrow and enter Nirvana." But despite all this noble sounding advice, the man's predicament remains the same.

Then comes Jesus. He looks over the top of the well and says: "I can see that you are in a predicament and you will never be able to get out by your own strength or resources. I will lower a rope and come down and rescue you. I will grab hold of you firmly, if you let me, because you do not even have the strength to hold on to me. I will do what it takes to lift you out of this well. I will rescue you."

Christianity is unique. Other religions claim to have stories of incarnation and principles for holy living. But only Christianity speaks about God becoming man to rescue man. The gospel is good news: God has done for us, what we could not do for ourselves. This is called 'grace'- undeserved favor.

In His Grip,