Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
On our journey to Christmas 2024 we’re addressing one key Christmas question per day. We began on Tuesday of this week and here are the three questions we’ve dealt with thus far:
1. WHY Christmas?
2. WHAT is Christmas?
3. WHO is Christmas Jesus?
Today’s question is rooted in two famous Christmas statements made by ANGELS who came to planet earth from heaven! First, Matt. 1:18-20 tells us that Joseph was seriously considering abandoning his fiancé, Mary and formally divorcing her when he found out that she was pregnant. Joseph knew they had been very careful to be pure in their relationship.
But an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.“ (Matt. 1:20,21) What does that little phrase mean about Jesus being a Savior?
A second famous and similar Christmas statement was made by the angel who appeared to the shepherds and said: “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord…” (Luke 2:10,11) What did the angel mean by referring to this newborn baby as ‘a Savior‘?
And so, here’s our fourth Christmas question: “How is Christmas Jesus a Savior”? What would this child be able to save people from and how would he accomplish that feat in the first century while the region of Israel was then under the watchful eye and iron fist of the Roman Empire?
You’ll remember friends that in answer to our first Christmas question “Why Christmas” we considered that because the human race had made such a mess of God’s wonderful design for the human life experience, God had chosen the third option available to Him: God chose to come here to live on planet earth for a while, among the despicable, wicked, rebellious human race which He had created perfect and wonderful. And so, God came here in the person of Jesus Christ and that’s the incarnation of God.
Yesterday, we considered some of the unique qualities of Jesus Christ which distinguish Him from all other human beings who have ever lived on planet earth, as we considered the question “WHO is Christmas Jesus”? Today let’s try to understand this quality of being a Savior and what is unique about that with Jesus? In truth, by the time Jesus was born our world had seen many very powerful human leaders, some of whom had been viewed as ‘Saviors’ because they successfully led their people in defeating their enemies.
The world of Jesus’ day was ruled by the Caesars of the Roman Empire. Before them would have been Alexander the Great and before him several emperors of the Persian Empire like Cyrus. (Ezra 1) And before him of course the great Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian empire; and before him the mighty Sennacherib of the Assyrians; and so on, back in history. So, the world had a very good understanding of what a mighty ‘Savior’, a ‘Deliverer’ was like especially in leading armies to victory over their enemies. Even Moses had been considered by many a great ‘Deliverer’.
But did you notice the angel had said two specific things in predicting the deliverance newborn baby Jesus would achieve that had never been achieved before by any great world leader?
First, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people.” (Luke 2:11) Do you see the angelic prediction that this Jesus would be a Savior for ALL people of the entire world? No person, of any generation, or any nation, man or woman, rich or poor, educated or ignorant would be excluded from their possibility of being delivered by Savior Jesus! Of course, from that day to this billions of people have doubted that promise and in fact refused any rescue offer from Jesus.
Secondly, the angel said, “you are to give him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.“ (Matt. 1:21) Oh, so there it is my friends! The reason this Jesus of Christmas is called a SAVIOR is because He has the power and potential to rescue people from their Sin BONDAGE and Sin CONDEMNATION! Do you understand what that means? The famous Old Testament story of the Hebrew slaves rescued from their inescapable slavery bondage in Egypt is a practical picture of this sin rescue promise from God! Every baby born into our human race is a product of a man & woman, an egg and a sperm.
A major part of the uniqueness of humanity is our NATURE, our HUMAN Nature, which is a SIN nature! We are born with a sin human nature prone to selfishness, deceitfulness and so many, many more attributes of wickedness. The simple word God uses is SIN and it’s anything short of perfection! Like the inescapable slavery into which the Hebrews were born while in captivity in Egypt, no human has the ability or power to defeat their sin nature or escape the stranglehold of their sin nature. Only God is powerful enough to break the shackles of our sin nature!
But there’s something else. Did you know sin separates any and every person from God, both here and now on planet earth, and forever in eternity after our earthly life ends? That is Sin Condemnation! Our sin condemns us to life & eternity separated from God and there is nothing we can do to escape that sin condemnation. Only God can set us free from living every day in our sin bondage and rescue us from living eternally in hell in our sin condemnation!
God the Son, Jesus Christ, is that ONLY Savior! No other person who has ever lived / no religious ritual / no amount of penance / no effort, no money paid, no promises made can help you or me or anyone be delivered from either our Sin Bondage or Sin Condemnation!
Only Jesus Christ can rescue us, deliver us, set us free, ONLY Jesus!
WHY? Because Jesus is God in human flesh. He did not have a Sin Nature; He never sinned and so in His perfection He can BE our Savior, our rescuer! (2 Corinthians 5:21)
HOW? Jesus paid the full sin punishment price in His death on the cross as God poured out His justice wrath for our sin upon Jesus! Jesus defeated Sin, Satan and even Death through His resurrection from the dead! (1 Peter 1:18,19) Therefore the resurrected Jesus is the only LIVING Savior able to Save any and every person from both their Sin Bondage and Sin Condemnation!!
Now my friends, do you see WHY the angel declared Jesus would be Savior for ALL people and Savior from our sins? No other person who has ever lived, no other spiritual hero, not even an angel is eligible to be this Savior, ONLY Jesus! May I urge us to thank Jesus right now for His Salvation which He offers to every person? Are you confident that you are saved by Jesus from your Sin Bondage & Sin Condemnation?
Here’s a song to help us celebrate the answer to our fourth Christmas question.
Today’s Scripture: Matt. 1:18-21 & 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Choose below to read or listen.
Matt. 1:18-21
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2 Corinthians 5:21
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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