As language changes, we sometimes lose valuable nuances of expression. Occasionally, though, as words pass into other forms of usage, they pick up useful connotations which enrich the way we think. I believe this is the case as we look at Jesus as the Deliverer.
When he was writing to the Romans, Paul included a free translation of a passage in Isaiah 59. He expressed it this way: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.’” (Romans 11:26) Thus he recognizes Jesus as the “deliverer,” a term which in the Old Testament usually refers to God the Father.
Typically, the idea of “the deliverer” is associated with one who sets God’s people free from some kind of bondage. The word is used of Moses whom God used to deliver His people from servitude in Egypt. Several judges of Israel were identified as deliverers as they drove the nation’s enemies from her territories and liberated her people.
In our own time, the concept is still alive, though the word has passed out of common usage in this sense. Now we tend to use the word “liberator” to convey the same sense. Canadian soldiers are often described as the liberators of the Netherlands in the second World War, for example.
However, though the word “deliver” isn’t used in quite the same way as it was in the Bible, it does have a place in contemporary English, particularly in the worlds of sports and business. Here the emphasis is on “coming through,” or “making good,” or “meeting expectations." Hundreds of thousands of articles using the word this way can be found on the internet.
In our world, many people with big reputations can not deliver. They don’t come through. They aren’t able to make good on the claims about them. They disappoint those whose expectations of them are beyond their ability. Consequently, the hunt is on for those who can deliver. Businesses look for executives who can deliver profits. Hockey teams need forwards who can deliver goals. Baseball teams want pitchers who can deliver strikeouts. And so on...
When I think of Jesus as the Deliverer, I am struck by both ideas we associate with the verb “to deliver.” Jesus delivers us from slavery to sin and death and hell. He sets us free. He liberates us. But I also rejoice in the idea that Jesus is the One who will come through for us. He can and will make good on His promises. He will not, indeed He cannot, disappoint us as we look to Him to rescue us from our pitiable situation. He has all the power of God and He will deliver.
Ron Hughes
© November 2007