By John Lincoln Brandt
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For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.—Luke 19:10
Man’s condition requires a Savior. He has lost the image of God. His sins have estranged his heart from God. He is lost by nature, for “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. None are righteous: no, not one” (Romans 3:23; 3:10). He is sometimes lost to society and to his own family. He is sometimes lost to himself. Like a ship at sea that has sprung a leak, and in spite of all efforts on the part of those on board, she drifts helplessly about, lost at sea. Thus, the heart of man may be adrift by sin.
A soul is God’s highest gift, and in the talent, imagination, feeling and power of the soul is lodged the possibility of the highest heaven or the lowest depth. Christ came to seek and to save the soul that is lost to self and adrift in the world. The lost soul is described in the Bible as being blind, starved, naked, fallen, leprous, a prisoner, a captive, a debtor, as dead. In this condition, the lost soul is unable to save itself, and therefore needs a divine Savior; it is on the edge of a precipice, in great danger, and therefore needs to be rescued, and Christ came to seek and to save the lost.
This was his mission. He came from heaven, the throne of the Father, the worship of angels, the celestial city. He emptied himself of his glory and was found in the fashion of man. Though being equal with God, he counted it not robbery to humble himself and to come down to fallen humanity (Philippians 2:6–8). He became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich. He left the glory that he had with the Father before the world was.
He came voluntarily to this fallen, benighted world. He came to a world in revolt and conflict, a world of sin and iniquity, a world of suffering and death. Amazing condescension! Coming not on a transient visit, but to be a citizen. Coming not with regal pomp or kingly grandeur; coming not to ride in chariots of gold or dwell in palaces, but to live in humility. Born in Bethlehem of a humble Galilean woman, there being no room for him in the inn; his first residence was in a stable.
He took upon himself the form of a servant and came to minister and not to be ministered to (Matthew 20:28). He came to be a servant of servants, to seek and to save the lost. This was the grandest mission ever recorded, and he was the grandest missionary that ever came to the world.
Men have gone forth on different missions. Alexander went forth to conquer the world; Caesar to subdue his enemies; Plato and Socrates in search of knowledge. Columbus went forth to discover the new world, Dr. Kane to discover the North Pole, and Stanley to explore Africa. Warriors have gone forth to rout armies, and their march has been tracked with blood, misery and death.
Philanthropists have gone forth on errands of mercy, but our blessed Messiah went forth from heaven and came into the world to submit to shame, to endure scourging and to suffer death, that he might save the human race from their lost condition. God appointed him to do this work, and God makes no mistakes.
God appointed his only Son, his dearly beloved, to save men from their sins. He has highly exalted him, and made him a Prince and Savior of men. He exalted him in grace, for as the law came by Moses, so grace and truth came by Christ (John 1:17). He exalted him in name, giving him a name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9–10). He exalted him in wisdom, for all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him (Colossians 2:3). He exalted him in power, giving him all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He made him the express image of the Father, and the brightness of his glory (Hebrews 1:3).
His character demonstrated his power to save the lost. He is the Son of God, and he is the Son of Man, Emanuel: “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He knows the mind of God and he knows the heart of man. His life is spotless. He is termed the Lamb, without spot or blemish (1 Peter 1:19). No guile was found in his mouth. None could convict him of sin (1 Peter 2:22). He is perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect—free from the sin that ruins the souls of men.
His teachings demonstrate his power to save the lost. It was said of him that no man ever spoke like this man; that he taught not as the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 7:29). He spoke with perfect freedom and authority upon every subject he discussed. He knew what was in man and frequently read people’s thoughts in public. He knew the name of Nathanael before he had met him (John 1:48). He knew the life of the Samaritan woman, much to her amazement (John 4:16–19). He called Zacchaeus by name, before he was introduced to him (Luke 19:1–5). He knew that Lazarus was dead before the messenger arrived (John 11:14–15). He knew as much about the future as about the present world. The past, present, and future were as an open book to him.
He adapted his teachings to his audience. He gave to the world a new idea of the kingdom of heaven. He introduced and affirmed a new understanding of God as Father and the brotherhood of mankind. All other teachers pale before him. His words convince the intellect, move the heart, and touch the conscience. His teachings and miracles prove his power to save the lost. During his three years of public ministry, he did enough to demonstrate for all time that he had power to save sinners.
He fulfilled the law, he suffered the penalty, he shed his blood, he calmed the seas, he cast out demons, he cleansed the lepers, he healed the sick, he fed the multitudes, he forgave sins, he raised the dead. He had power over nature, he had power over demons, he had power over disease, he had power over death, he had power over life present and life to come.
Of special importance is the great miracle of his resurrection. He pointed to this event as the final test and confirmation of his claim to be the Son of God and Savior of man. On the third day the sepulchre was empty. Within the next forty days he appeared at diverse times on diverse occasions to diverse people (Acts 1:3). At one time more than five hundred people saw him (1 Corinthians 15:6).
There are clouds of living witnesses to testify of his ability to save the lost. Paul said it was a faithful saying that Christ came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15); this saying is faithful and true today. It is not a fable but a living fact; not only attested by the testimony of millions of Christians during the ages past and gone, but it is attested by millions of living professors who have been saved by him.
How do we know that Christ has power to save? We have seen it, felt it, experienced it. “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Thank God our Savior is as willing to save as he is able to save. His love is as great as his power, and his mercy is commensurate with his omnipotence.
His invitations include all who labor, all who are heavy laden (Matthew 11:28), all who are thirsty, and all who are lost. All are invited to come to Him and find rest, peace, and pardon. We are also assured that he is able to save to the uttermost—that is, to all intents and purposes (Hebrews 7:25). He is able to save from sin and into the favor of God, and to make us heirs of God and joint heirs with himself (Romans 8:17).
Sin is a terrible reality that has power over the hearts of men and women. The wages of sin is death, eternal death, but the gift of God in Christ is eternal life (Romans 6:23). In Christ there is redemption and even remission of sins. By dying, Jesus took away the sting of death and he brought life and immortality through his Gospel.
There is no one too far away for him to see; no one too low for him to reach; no ear deaf to his call; no heart so hard that he cannot reach it; no crime so black that he cannot wash away its guilt; no sin so terrible that he cannot forgive. Blessed be his name, he is able to save always. He is just as able to save today as when he was walking the hills and plains of Galilee. He is able to save in adversity, temptation, and affliction. He is able to save in joy and prosperity, and in suffering and death.
Jesus Christ saves by his loving compassion, for he came to seek and to save the lost. As the kind shepherd follows the straying sheep, so Jesus Christ follows the straying sinner, seeking to save him. As the lifeboat is launched to those lost at sea, so Jesus Christ, our great mariner, launches the lifeboat of salvation to those wrecked upon the sea of life. As the physician gives medicine to the sick to heal him of his disease, so Christ, the Great Physician of our souls, gives to us the balm of eternal life to cleanse us from sin. As the governor sends pardon to the condemned criminal that he may have liberty, so Jesus Christ, our King, gives pardon to all who will accept him as their Savior.
To all who are lost in sin, in worldliness, in indifference, Christ is seeking you, and he came to save you. He is anxious, willing and able to save you. He is seeking patiently, not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He is seeking in compassionate love, weeping love, praying love, dying love.
Are you poor? Christ, who had nowhere to lay his head (Luke 9:58), saved the poor, blind beggar (Mark 10:46–52). Are you in sorrow? He comes with a blessing for those that mourn that they may be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Will you accept him as your Savior? If so, it will give joy to the Father’s heart. His song will be, “This, my son, was lost and is found” (Luke 15:24).
Adapted from Soul Saving Revival Sermons by John Lincoln Brandt (1860–1946), published in 1907 by The Christian Publishing Co. Published on Anchor December 2025. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.
