Scripture: Luke 2:1-21; Isaiah 9:2-7
Theme: The S of Christmas – The Savior
This is the final sermon of a series of Sermon called the S of Christmas - The Star, the Shepherd, the Stable and now the Savior.
The Savior that is Sinless. The Savior that is Almighty. The Savior that is Victorious.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
What will your house or apartment look like in a matter of a few hours?
If it is like a lot of places, it will be filled with some family and friends, love, laughter, and joy.
It may be filled with the noise of presents being opened, people being surprised, and gratitude being expressed.
It may even include some cups of coffee or hot chocolate, a plate of cookies or cinnamon rolls or even hot biscuits.
Sometime during the receiving of presents and the opening of them there is usually this specific moment or moments. It happens when the biggest or best present is opened by someone. There is this anticipation of watching the person or couple opening the gift.
Will it be received with joy and appreciation?
Will it make the impact that was hoped for so that you hear the oohs and the aahs?
Over the last few weeks, we have been opening all kinds of gifts of Christmas – what we have called the S’s of Christmas.
We looked at the Star of Bethlehem.
We looked at the Shepherds of Bethlehem.
We looked at the Stable of Bethlehem.
And today, we look at the center of Christmas, the biggest gift of all – the Gift of Jesus the Messiah. The gift of the Savior of Christmas.
For of all the trappings that go along with Christmas, the lights, the tree, the presents, the gatherings, and the food we dare not miss the truest meaning of Christmas.
For at very heart of Christmas we find Jesus. We find a little boy who has been born of a Virgin named Mary. A little boy who is much more than a little boy. A little boy that was and is a part of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Jesus was not some human that one day had an epiphany about His Trinitarian Identity or that decided one day that he would declare himself the Son of God. From the very moment of his conception Jesus has been and will forever be Immanuel – God with Us.
The Apostle John described Jesus this way:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shone in darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5 (ESV)
The Apostle Paul wrote these words:
“For by Him (Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” – Colossians 1:16
Let’s take a moment or two this morning and reflect on this Jesus, the truest center of Christmas – the One whom John calls the Word, the Life, and the Light. The One we know today as Savior, Lord, and Friend.
1. Jesus was Sinless.
We must not gloss over that reality. We must not allow the modernization of the story of Jesus to cause us to miss this essential truth.
There are those who in trying to make Jesus be such a part of our world that they reduce him to just another prophet, revolutionary or great humanitarian teacher. They end up saying that Jesus was merely another amazing human being who lived and died on our planet.
However, Jesus was much more. Jesus was a great teacher, a revolutionary and a great humanitarian. But He was much more. Jesus was God in Flesh. Jesus was 100% God and 100% human and Jesus was sinless.
Jesus was and is the only human being who never did anything wrong in His life or disobeyed His Father. Jesus was and is forever Holy and Pure.
Jesus’ sinlessness is the reason that He was able to take our place. It is the reason why Jesus could pay the penalty for humanity’s sin and break the power of sin.
The Apostle Paul wrote these words:
“God made Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Jesus we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
2. Jesus was Almighty/All Powerful.
It doesn’t take long in reading Jesus’ story to see His Power. Matthew chapter 28 reminds us that Jesus has both power in Heaven and on Earth. Jesus Himself said these words in verse 18:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Listen to those words again:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Not some authority. Not just in heaven. Not just on earth. But the whole statement – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Let’s take a pause and think about all the things that Jesus did while He lived here on earth. All the different things that demonstrated his power and might that we read about in the Bible.
+Jesus amazed the teachers at the Temple with His intelligence and with His ability to understand the scriptures at the age of 12.
+In Jesus’ battle with Satan in the Wilderness, Jesus not only defeated Satan one time but three times. Following the third battle, Jesus simply tells Satan to “Be Gone” and Satan had to leave.
+Jesus’ walking on water and calming the Sea of Galilee
+Healing the lepers, restoring sight to the blind, enabling the deaf to hear again and healing all kinds of diseases and aliments.
+Casting out demons from the man in the tombs, from Mary Magdalene and the man in the synagogue.
+Raising the widow of Nain’s son from the dead and bringing Lazarus back to life after he had been dead for four days.
+We see in the stories of the paralyzed man and the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears the authority and power that Jesus had in forgiving their sin.
There is no way to read about Jesus’ life and not be amazed at both the number and the scope of the miracles that He accomplished. Miracles that were not done as party tricks or ways to self-promote. Jesus’ miracles were done to bring freedom to God’s people and give His Heavenly Father glory and honor.
3. Jesus was Victorious.
Jesus’ life was not a tragic life that ended in the worst of defeats on the Cross of Calvary. Calvary was not a defeat, it was merely a part of an overall spiritual plan by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A plan that included:
+Jesus’ miraculous conception and birth.
+Jesus’ extraordinary teaching and miracles.
+Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary.
+Jesus’ dead body being placed in a borrowed tomb.
+Jesus rising from the Dead.
+Jesus ascending into Heaven.
+The Sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The Cross event was not an incident that suddenly went wrong. It was not a sad ending to a tragic set of circumstances that involved the Temple, the Roman Empire and Jesus.
The reality of the matter is all the way back in Genesis 1 we read hints about the birth of Jesus, His Messiahship, Calvary, and His Resurrection. Throughout the scriptures there are passages about the One who would come and bring salvation. We see this spelled out in detail in Isaiah chapters 52, 53 and 61.
All those passages deal with the coming of the Messiah. A Messiah that would share the Good News of Salvation, that would heal the broken hearted and that would give His life for the people of God. A Messiah that would be rejected, spit upon and would suffer death on a cross. A Messiah that would rise again and one day judge the earth with righteousness.
It is true that Jesus died on a cross and was buried in a borrowed tomb. It is also true that on Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday) Jesus rose from the dead. We must fully understand that what happened on Friday did not end the life and mission of Jesus but fulfilled what the Father, Son and Holy Spirit wanted so desperately to happen.
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit wanted the curse of sin to be paid for and removed from humankind. They wanted the power and penalty of sin to be removed. They wanted a way for the Holy Trinity and humankind to have full fellowship once again.
This is what Christmas is about. It is about the Savior.
+A Savior who came into our world as Immanuel.
+A Savior that is Sinless.
+A Savior that is Almighty/Powerful.
+A Savior that is Victorious.
+A Savior that is sitting at the Right Hand of the Father making intercession for all of us this morning.
That little boy in the manger is no normal little boy.
Just ask His mother – the Virgin Mary.
Just ask his adopted father – Joseph.
Just ask the Disciples who followed Him, lived with Him, and saw miracle after miracle after miracle.
Just ask the ones He appeared to on Resurrection Sunday.
And just ask anyone who has asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins, who have accepted the full measure of His grace, mercy and love and who has invited and accepted His Holy Spirit into their lives.
That is why we gather this Christmas Eve Morning.
We gather to celebrate the coming of our King – Jesus.
And Jesus comes to invite us to partake of His presence. His presence in the form of some bread and wine. His presence that brings healing and grace.
This morning as we close let us come and receive from our Savior – His Holy Communion.
Holy Communion – Blessing
