Alba 12-3-2023
UNTO YOU IS BORN – A SAVIOR
Luke 2:11
An online Reader's Digest story entitled, “What to do when you’re kidnapped at gunpoint”, updated November 24, 2022 shared the following:
Around 9:30 on a cold March morning, a 17-year-old girl was carjacked at gunpoint in Wildwood, New Jersey. This was unexpected. The identity of the woman holding the gun on her was not.
In the preceding weeks, the teenager had given her newborn baby up for adoption. Forty-five-year-old Floribert Nava—the woman now pointing a gun at her—desperately wanted the child and was devastated when a Philadelphia family was chosen instead.It seemed she was not taking no for an answer.
“Drive,” Nava said, “or I’ll kill you and your family.”
Nava demanded she be taken to the home of the baby’s new parents, on the other side of the Delaware River. Besides the pistol, Nava carried with her duct tape, trash bags, and latex gloves.
Whatever this woman was planning, the 17-year-old thought, it was going to be violent, and it was going to happen soon. As they were crossing the Ben Franklin Bridge into Pennsylvania, the teen spotted a police cruiser pulled over on the shoulder.
Could she somehow get this cop’s attention without getting shot by her kidnapper first? The girl pointed her car toward the cruiser and rammed it. The result: She got the officer’s attention! With the kidnapper stunned, the girl leaped out of the car to safety. Nava was arrested on kidnapping, carjacking, and weapons charges and has since been sentenced to 12 years in prison. The 17 year old was saved.
There are many stories about someone being saved. Stories of someone being saved in battle by another soldier, stories of someone being saved from drowning, stories of someone going to distant lands to save people from starvation and disease.
There are stories of someone coming along side another person in a dark moment of time and helping save that person from disaster. There are many stories about people being saved that could be pulled from history today, but I am going focus on just one.
On the night Jesus came into this world, an angel appeared to some lowly shepherds who were in the fields watching over their sheep. The angel gave them some really good news. In Luke 2:10-11 it says, “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Unto you is born... a Savior!
The angels announced Him, the shepherds watched Him, the wise men sought Him, King Herod feared Him, the world needed Him. And it still does. Of all the titles given to Jesus, perhaps none so expresses the great need that only He could fulfill as does Savior.
Without the Savior, there would be no eternal life, no heaven, no mercy, no grace, no salvation. We need a Savior! From before the foundations of the earth God’s plan for the redemption, the saving of mankind, was in place. He ordained from the beginning of creation that Jesus would be our Savior.
To describe Jesus as Savior is a correct description. But how does He save? The angel announced before He was born that He would, “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
1. He Is A Savior From Sin
This obvious truth is often obscured by other needs. Too often Jesus is presented as the one who will rescue people from unfulfillment in their marriages, families, or jobs or from a sense of purposelessness in life.
And while relief in those areas may indeed be a by-product of salvation in Christ, it is not the primary intent. Our true problem, of which those issues are only symptoms, is sin.
The true gospel message is that Jesus came into the world to deliver people from sin and guilt. Not psychological, artificial guilt feelings, but true, actual guilt that damns unbelieving and unrepentant people to hell for all eternity. We need a Savior.
Joseph who was engaged to Mary, was told, “you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Why the name Jesus? That is because that name means “Yahweh saves” or “the Lord is salvation.”
To say that Jesus is Savior is to also say the Savior is Jesus. His name tells us the purpose of why He came to this earth: to save us from our sins. That is wonderful, isn't it? But then Hebrews 9:22 tells us that there is only one way for sins to be removed. Of all the Old Testament sacrifices it says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.”
So II Corinthians 5:21 says that God, “made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Blood was shed on the cross.
So if anyone wonders why the Savior came to earth to be born in that little town of Bethlehem... The answer is: Jesus came to earth to die on the cross. The cross is where sin's penalty was paid. The cross is where God could forgive His people without lowering His standards. The cross is where Jesus suffered pain and agony so that we could enter the joys of heaven.
People cry out to their good deeds, “Save me!” They cry out to various religions, “Save me!” They cry out to their good intentions, “Save me!” They cry out to their sincerity, “Save me!” These things cannot save us. Only Jesus can, and He does to the uttermost!
We need this Savior because Jesus is the only one who can save us from our sin and..
2. He Is A Savior for Everyone
The angel said, “good tidings of great joy which shall be to ALL people.” Many times I have heard it said that Christmas is for the children. There are many things that children enjoy that adults no longer do. But the truth is, Christmas is not just for the children, but for all ages alike – if you focus on its real significance. We need all to be saved from our sins.
Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death.” Nothing could be more clear. Everyone is guilty of breaking God’s holy law and deserves eternal punishment in hell. That is devastating news. We all need a Savior!
Thankfully, Romans 6:23 also says, “the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” In other words, while we all need a Savior, we have one. His name is Jesus!
There are people who try to ignore their need for a Savior. But think about this: If we all are sinners, how can we erase the harm we have done with the wrongs we have committed? And if there is a holy God to whom we will all be accountable, how will we be able to stand in His presence while we are still stained with sin?
Well, we are all sinners and there is a holy God to whom we will all be accountable. Therefore we are in deep need of a Savior. Someone who is willing to plead our case before a holy God so that we will not be excluded from God's heaven.
Still, some may argue that they are not that bad. That there is nothing so wrong that could keep them out of heaven. But if I were to ask them to think about some of the wrong things they have done, it wouldn't be long before several things would come to mind.
Try that yourself. If I accuse you of being a sinner, the natural reaction is to defend yourself. But if you are truly honest with yourself, there will be something that will come to your mind. Something you did to another person. Something you did that you knew you should not do. Something that would embarrass you if it would be told in public. Admit it, you are a sinner!
If there is no God, you can take that to your grave and no one will be the wiser. But what if? What if there is a God?
What if there is a God who loves us so much that He sent His Son into this world to save us from our sins? What if our sins deserve to be punished by an eternal death? What if we can be saved from that punishment by someone who rightfully is called Savior? Wouldn't you want that?
But is this Savior truly for everyone? Is everyone included in God's plan of salvation through obedient faith in His Son, Jesus Christ? Answer: Yes, He is a Savior for everyone. The scripture proclaims that “whosoever will” may come into a right relationship with God through the saving grace of God in Jesus.
But is Jesus a Savior who is able to rescue us from our sins no matter how obscure the place where we live? Answer: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was not a major city in Israel.
The prophet Micah prophesied about Jesus birth saying, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
And Jesus went from a humble birthplace to grow up in a place with a very poor reputation. When Philip told Nathaniel that “Jesus of Nazareth” was the answer to the prophecies of the Old Testament, Nathaniel's first reaction was, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” John 1:46
Yes, Jesus can save, no matter where we are or where we live.
But is Jesus a Savior who is able to rescue us, no matter who we are? Answer: Consider this, why did the angel of the Lord make the announcement of good news of great joy to shepherds? It shows that the gospel is for everyone.
Although there was a time when shepherds enjoyed a good reputation, that was now no longer the case. Shepherds were near the bottom of the social ladder. They were not even allowed to testify in a court of law. Yes, Jesus can save, no matter our social status.
But what about someone who has committed so many sins that it seems there could be no redemption? Answer: The apostle Paul dealt with that question by what he wrote to Timothy. It is in I Timothy 1:13-16. Here's what he says:
“I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.”
Jesus can save, no matter what it is that we may have done.
Yes, Jesus can save anyone. Jesus is for everyone who comes to Him in obedient faith. Jesus is a Savior for you and me.
But, what if I became a Christian and then messed up everything in my life? Can Jesus save backsliders? The hymn writer had it right when he wrote, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love.”
Like the Prodigal Son, we are often tempted by the things of this world and leave the safety and love that God provides. Is there an answer to this? Yes! Jesus told how that prodigal came to his senses and returned to his father who welcomed him with joy.
That tells us that we have a Heavenly Father who will do the same for us. It is not wise to take advantage of God's mercy in that way. But we can know that we may wander, but still He can save when we return to Him. The words of that hymn continue with these words, “Here's my heart. O take and seal it; Seal it for thy courts above.”
Jesus came into this world to save us from our sins. That is your sins and my sins. Every wrong thing we have done, when covered by the blood of Jesus, is removed from us as far as the east is from the west and buried in the deepest sea!
There is a song that was written in 1948 and has been recorded by a number of southern gospel artists. It is a timeless song that continues to tell the story of God's love for us. It is called, “O What a Savior”. Here are some of the words.
Once I Was Straying, In Sin’s Dark Valley, No Hope Within Could I See. They Searched Through Heaven And Found A Saviour, To Save A Poor, Lost Soul Like Me.
Oh, What A Saviour, Oh Hallelujah! His Heart Was Broken On Calvary. His Hands Were Nail Scarred, His Side Was Riven, He Gave His Life’s Blood For Even Me.
The angels announced a message of good tidings and great joy. The message of Christmas is good news, because unto us is born a Savior.
CLOSE:
Watchman Nee, a writer and church leader in China the first part of the last century, told the story of a time he was with twenty other Christians. The bathing accommodations were inadequate in the home where they were staying, so they went for a daily dip in the river.
On one occasion, one of the men got a cramp in his leg and began sinking fast. Mr. Nee motioned to one of the other men, who was an excellent swimmer, about the drowning man. To his astonishment, however, the man did not move. He just stood there and watched the drowning man.
Mr. Nee was agitated, but the swimmer was calm and collected. Meanwhile, the voice of the drowning man grew fainter and more desperate. Mr. Nee was upset with the swimmer who just stood and watched on the shore when he could have jumped into the river and rescued the drowning man. As the drowning man went under for what looked like the last time, the swimmer was there in a moment, and both were soon safely on shore.
After the rescue, Mr. Nee chewed out the swimmer, accusing him of loving his life too much and being selfish. The response of the swimmer revealed, however, he knew what he was doing. He told Watchman that if he had gone too soon, the drowning man would have put a death grip on him and they would have both drowned in the river, and he was right. He told Mr. Nee that a drowning man cannot be saved until he is utterly exhausted and ceases to make the effort to save himself.
It is the same with our salvation. When we realize we are in deep need to be saved but that we cannot save ourselves, it is then the Lord can step in and save us as we submit ourselves to Him.
He came to save us.
And He can save anyone who comes to Him.
