Savior, Christ and King

Jesus is our Savior, our Christ, and our Lord

That’s just a bunch of words, isn’t it?

Oh I know, me saying that caused a few people to get knots in their guts but really - I’m right.

It’s a bunch of words we’ve heard a bunch of times.

Every time we hear Luke’s version of the Christmas story - there they are.

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

You’ve heard multitudes of preachers read it

Children read it.

Linus recited it to all the kids on stage in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

In fact, we all know the only time Linus deliberately dropped his blanket is when he recited the angel’s words, “Fear not.”

The insecure kid that needed his blankie was changed by those words.

If you would, start looking up in your Bibles Luke chapter 2.

While you do, kids - it’s Christmas week.

Santa is coming - you’ll get presents from all over the place.

But you know what’s going to happen - one day those presents will break

Or you will outgrow them

Or you’ll just plain get tired of them.

You won’t be doing anything wrong, it’s just how things work.

But let me promise you something.

You will never get tired of hearing the story of Jesus.

The story we’re going to read today is the second best story in the Bible.

Yep, Jesus being born in a stable in Bethlehem is story number 2.

What is story number 1?

It starts like this: John 20:1 “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.”

The story of Jesus being raised from the dead is story number 1.

If Easter had never happened, chances are real good we would have no clue who Jesus was.

But Jesus was raised from the dead.

And that has changed everything.

And boys and girls, if it hasn’t change you yet, it will if you will let it.

Jesus wants to be those three big words we used earlier for you.

Listen closely today and you’re going to hear what Jesus wants to do for you.

I’m very glad you are here because we all want to hear the story of Jesus.

With your Bibles open to Luke 2, we’re going to read the first 7 verses all at once, and then we’ll read a few more a little along.

Hear now the Word of the Lord from Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:1–7 ESV

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Let’s ask the Lord for His inspiration.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I wonder what these words do in your Father heart?

Lord, You gave them to us - help us to hear them in their fullest.

Gracious Lord, cause us to leave here today with a little bit of awe in our hearts.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Yes, that’s the title of a hymn.

Written probably in the early 1800’s.

It starts with the words, “Savior, Like a Shepherd lead us

“Much we need thy tender care.”

Many of us envision the picture of the long haired, gently smiling, white robed Jesus

Carrying a contented lamb across his shoulders.

We are so far removed from what a real shepherd looked like.

I am almost certain that from the very beginning of the Jesus story, people were being offended by it.

Shepherds were not the cream of the Israeli crop - why would the story start with them?

Right off the bat they were dirty - they didn’t bathe for days upon days at a time

They deal with animal - stuff - all kinds of animal stuff

That made them unclean - not able to be around polite society - not able to go to church.

They had a reputation for being a bit of a rascal

They lived with a motto that says “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours could be mine.”

I mean think about it, they wandered the hillsides over all kinds of people’s land grazing their flocks.

It they happened to cross your land, well, the sheep have to eat and so do we, right?

Here’s the crazy part.

Their reputations were so poor that their testimony was not admissible in court.

If someone stole something of yours and shepherds saw the person, the police wouldn’t care.

When you think of professions, Shepherding was at the bottom.

And yet, when Jesus was born, God sent word to the shepherds first.

Luke 2:8 “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

Let’s focus on one word for a second - it’s the word watch.

It means to watch or observe - we get that.

But it also means to follow - like when a sheep wanders off

And to guard - like when a sheep wanders off and gets itself into trouble.

And sheep were masters at wandering off.

Any shiny bauble, any green blade of grass just off the path and there they go.

And trouble wouldn’t be far behind.

So these stinky, smelly, rascal shepherds would follow the animal

And when it got in trouble, they saved the sheep.

They were the sheep's’ savior.

If anyone knew what it meant to be a savior, it was shepherds - they did it all of the time.

So, follow me here, God the Father announces the birth of His Son to the one group that understands what a savior does.

But see, it’s even bigger than that

Luke 2:9–11 ESV

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Let me embellish the story for you just a little bit - I love this.

The angel of the Lord appeared - now, we’ve seen the movies and cartoons and paintings and there’s the angel up in the sky.

Nope - the word appeared means stood near.

Here these rascal dudes are, rough as rocks and just as hard

Guys who dealt with every kind of danger nature could toss at them.

Out of literally nowhere, this dude appears and starts talking.

“…they were filled with great fear…”?

That could be translated, “being terrified, they were terrified a lot.”

I bet these guys weren’t scared of anything - lions, bears, snakes - no big deal.

But this night, they were scared, scared.

The angel tells them to fear not.

Linus dropped his blankie here.

These guys are still breathing heavy and half a step away from running for their lives.

But hear the angels words again - “Look, I bring you good news

What could possibly be good news to these guys?

“good news of great joy…”

How much joy do you think they feel on a daily basis?

“that will be for all people.”

That will be for you shepherds

As well as for everyone alive.

For unto you is born this day, in the city of David

A Savior

They knew what a savior was because that’s what they were.

They knew what trouble looked like for a sheep and they knew how to rescue that sheep.

So they knew, this kid that was born - according to this angel - is going to grow up and he is going to save people who are in trouble.

Like they were to the sheep, He would be to them.

But this would make them scratch their heads a bit

Saved from what?

What kind of trouble?

That’s why they need the next word

Who is Christ

This starts technical but then it gets real practical.

Christ is simply a transliteration of the Greek word Christos - that means they took the greek word in the greek alphabet and made it an English word using the English alphabet.

The word Messiah means the same thing except it’s a transliteration of a Hebrew word from the Old Testament.

But they both mean the same thing.

The words mean “anointed one.”

If you remember anything about kings getting crowned king, many of them, especially in the old testament, were anointed with oil.

That means that somebody with some authority, some power, poured oil over the anointed one’s head as a symbol

That they had a special calling on their lives.

In a kings case, it was to be the ruler of the people.

In Jesus’ case, He was anointed savior and He was anointed to the job of Savior, what exactly does He save people from?

Turn with me to Isaiah 61:1-4.

I want to read this very slowly and I want you to read it as I do - not out loud, but hear it in your head.

Because this is what the Savior was anointed to do

In 21st century words, this is Jesus’ job description.

Isaiah 61 is called a messianic prophecy - which means it was written about Jesus about 750 years before Jesus was born.

So the job description was written.

And then we waited for 750 years for the right person to come along to fill this job of Savior.

Isaiah 61:1 ESV

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Poor is not just no money, although that is part of this.

Remember Jesus saying this, Matthew 5:3 ““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Poor means poor in spirit too.

I suspect all of us have felt this at some point.

Some much more than the rest.

You are so beat down that you cannot breath

So deep underwater you can’t see the surface anymore

Your life is nothing like you dreamed when you were little

And you are brokenhearted by that

So much potential, so much life to be lived

And yet, right now, its like you are being held captive against your will

Trapped in a prison of your own making probably by the choices you made

Or maybe trapped in a prison others put you in and you can’t figure out what choices to make to get you out.

Jesus came to save you.

Isaiah 61:2 ESV

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

Jesus was sent as Savior to proclaim to you

Not explain or tell - but to proclaim - to shout it from the rooftops

That the Lord sees you, He hears you and He loves you, He is not mad at you.

It’s the year of the Lord’s favor - you might never have felt like the favorite ever

Or maybe you were the favorite, but it came with so many strings attached that it was a prison.

The Savior came to rescue you from that

To take vengeance for you on those who did that to you

To comfort you - but wait, that’s more than just a pat on the back and say, “There, there, it will be alright.”

Isaiah 61:3–4 ESV

to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

Instead of you living life lower than a snake’s belly in a ditch

The Savior was sent to dress you up, to clean you up

To cheer you on

to make you strong

Listen, listen, - “that he may be glorified.”

Does that mean that whole reason Jesus is Savior is so he can hear us say, “Oh was a cool guy Jesus is?”

No - Jesus isn’t arrogant or narcissistic.

Jesus is glorified because He wants us to be as free as He is.

His glory not only comes from us shouting His praises

His glory comes from Himself - leaning back and saying, “that’s very good.”

“Now they can be free - exactly as I created them to be.”

Back to shepherd - what is the measure of a shepherd’s success?

That the sheep are healthy, safe, well cared for and content in the shepherd’s care.

Not much different from what Jesus wants for us.

Not much different from what Jesus was anointed to do, right?

Jesus’ goal is for us to be free in Christ to live up to the glory we were created to have in the first place.

But there is one more word

The Lord

The word means “the one who has the authority.”

So, this anointed savior, what does He have the authority to do?

Jesus tells us Himself - John 6:40

John 6:40 ESV

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus says a bunch here, but we conflate two of these things and that’s a bad thing to do.

We see eternal life and raise up on the last day as the same thing.

You’ve been preached to a million times, “Ask Jesus to save you and you’ll go to heaven when you die.”

That’s not wrong - it’s simply incomplete.

Jesus has the authority to save us and give us eternal life beginning right now

Because see, the prison we are locked up in is death

And what traps us in that prison of death is sin.

We call alcoholism a disease, but its a disease that started and is perpetuated by sin.

Just like addiction.

Addiction is a disease, but it started and is perpetuated by sin.

So is adultery.

So is theft and embezzlement

And lying and gossiping and ignoring your neighbor

And harboring a grudge.

I almost want to ask you to raise your hands to name a sin because the list is endless.

When God created the world, He set up all of the rules for us to live safely in His pasture, in His care, in His protection.

But just like we know we are, we decided that we were smarter and we made up our own rules

And like knuckleheads, never understanding that our own rules imprison us and will end up sending us to hell.

When the Shepherds heard they were getting a Savior

They knew who they were and what people said about them

And they figured they’d be considered low-life forever

Because that’s how they lived and that’s what everyone expected.

But God said it doesn’t have to be that way.

Your prison is self-inflicted.

Jesus came to set us free from the prison we’ve built for ourselves

To raise us from that death to his life

Jesus came so that we could have life and have life to the fullest.

But there is a catch.

We have to know who we are and we have to know that we need a savior

And the really hard part - we have to be willing to give up everything and follow the King - to follow Jesus.

And we have to be willing to do that every single day from now on.

Cause, listen to me, if you aren’t willing to give up your life and follow Jesus every day

You’re still in prison.

Something about sin still has its claws in you.

And you’ll never be free.

And you’ll never be raised up on the last day.

Jesus came as the Savior, anointed with the mission to free us from the prison of sin and death that we have created for ourselves.

And He has the power to lead us home.

Those of you who have given your hearts to Jesus can feel the stirring in your heart right now.

You can feel the song of praise coming to your lips.

You remember what it feels like to be in prison and then to get out and be free.

You are feeling that in your heart right now.

And for those who have not abandoned your life to Jesus yet

Why do you think you are here?

Do you think this is an accident?

That you are here simply because it’s Christmas and you are doing something nice for mom or grandma?

Dude, you are here because God chose you for this moment to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

That God is offering you the chance to be made free from the prison you’ve built around yourself

And live free with Him on the greatest adventure you could ever imagine.

Today is not an accident for you.

You were chosen to be here.

For you see, unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And you’ve got to decide what you are going to do with him?

Do you love the prison you are in so much, you’ll just stay where you are?

Or will you follow the Savior, Messiah and King?

What cha’ going to do, big boy?

What cha’ going to do, girl?

What cha’ gonna do?

I’m going to pray and we’ll sing.

I’ll be standing down front hoping and praying you’ll come and talk to me

Or that you’ll go to our welcome table out in the foyer and talk to someone there

Or just grab somebody - but please -

What a great gift for you to receive today - to get released from prison.

Let us pray.