Today a Saviour is born

Introduction

In our reading we read about the birth of the Jesus. Jospeh and Mary had to go to Bethlehem in order to register for the census that Caesar Augustus had issued.

When they were in Bethlehem Mary gave birth to her baby. We are told that they wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because their was no room for them in the inn.

Up to this point it doesn’t seem like anything spectacular, we can imagine that many babies were born at this time, probably in similar humble circumstances.

Yet, in the account we have just read we see that this birth was anounced to some shepherds by an angel. He appeared to them and we are told the glory of the Lord shone aroundthem, and the angel told them he brings them good news of great joy.

After this we read that a great number of the heavenly host appeared with the angel and they were praising God saying these words

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is well pleased!”

We have the angel anounce the birth, we have the heavenly host praising God becuase of the birth.

Even 2000 years on we are here singing songs about it and celebrating it.

The question that I want us to ask is why? Why was this birth so significant? What was so special about this baby?

We find the answer to this question in our reading. The angel answered this question for us.

This is what he said “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

There we have the answer. why is this birth so significant? “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

I want us to spend a few moments looking at this amazing statement that was made about this baby that was born.

In this statement we learn why this announcement was good news for the shepherds, and we learn why this announcement is good news for you as well.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

I want us to look at it in two parts.

First we are told that this one who was born is the Saviour.

I. The Saviour

The first truth we learn from this statement by the angel is that this one who was born is the Saviour.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior...”

What did the angel mean by this?

Well a saviour is some one who saves people.

The automatic question that should enter your mind when you are told that someone is a saviour is the question from what? A saviour from what?

When we ask this question about this baby the answer is clear.

In our first reading we read the account of an angel appearing to Joseph in his dream and this is what the angel said about this baby.

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

A Saviour from what? he will save his people from their sins.

He saves from sin.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

What does this mean? and why is it important?

This means that he saves people from the punishment that their sin deserves.

The angels appeared to them and said

The wrong that people do must be punished by God because he is just, Jesus was born to be a Saviour so that people instead of being punihsed by Godfor their sin in hell, they can be forgiven by him and be with him in heaven.

How did he do this?

Well, whenever we celebrate Christmas we should always keep one eye on easter. We should keep one eye on the birth of Jesus and one eye on his death. Jesus was born to be the Saviour and he accomplished this task by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.

When Jesus died upon the cross he died in the place of sinners so that those who believe in him can be freely forgiven by God because their punishment was taken by Christ on the cross, he paid for their sin in full.

After Jesus died to redeem people from sin God raised him from the dead on the third day to show that Jesus was the Son of God and that his death was a sacrifice for sin for all who believe.

That is what it means that he saves from sin.

Why is it important?

The answer is very simple.

We have all sinned. says “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Thats why this birth is so significant not only for the shepherds but for us here today.

This was the birht of the Saviour the one who came to save his people from their sins.

We are going to look at what we are told about who this Saviour is in a moment. but be fore we do I want to ask you, We are told here about the birth of the Saviour, but is he your Saviour?

Will you be celebrating Christmas this year with the knowledge that the one whos birth you are celebrating is the one who has saved you from your sin?

If not then I urge you to believe in Jesus and be saved.

So the angel anounces that a Saviour is born but who is this Saviour?

We find out in the second part of the angel’s statement in v.11.

II. Christ the Lord

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

Here we learn two truths about this Saviour.

He is the Christ and he is the Lord.

I want to briefly think about what these two titles mean, this will show us even further why this birth was so significant.

a) Christ

Firstly we learn this Saviour who was born was the Christ.

The Word Christ, is a greek word that is equivalent to the Hebrew word Messiah.

The Messiah was someone who was promised in the Old Testament and for hundreds of years God’s people were waiting for him to come.

The angel tells these shepherds that this Savioiur who was born was the promised Messiah, the one who as promised down through the ages. The one who would save his people. He is not a saviour but he is THE Saviour, the one they have been waiting for.

This baby is the promised Messiah. He is The Christ.

b) The Lord

Not only is he the Christ, the one who was the promised Saviour the angel says that he was the Lord.

By caling him the Lord the angel is anouncing that this is none other than God himself.

By saying that he is the Lord the angel is showing the shepherds that he was not a mere human being that was born but rather this baby is divine.

The angel is telling the shepherds that God was stepping into his creation, in order to save it.

This is what is known in technical terms as the incarnation. God, the Lord, became a human being, he took on human flesh to ultimately give his life as a sacrfice for sinners so that they could be saved from their sin and freely forgiven.

says God was manifest in the flesh.

When we grasp this truth, that this baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manager was almighty God, the Creator of everything who stepped into his creation in order to save it, then we start to grasp why there were all of these spectacular anouncements about his birth, and we can understand why his birth is still celebrated today.

Again I want to ask you? This Saviour who is Christ the Lord, is he your Saviour?

Conclusion

So, we started with the question why is this birth so significant? Why is this birth like no other and worth celebrating every year?

The angel tells us very clearly.

He is the Saviour- the one who died on the cross and rose again the third day to save his people from their sins.

He is the Christ- The one who was promised to come in the Old Testament, the ones the Jewsih peole were waiting for.

He is the Lord- He is God himself who stepped into his creation in order to save it.

Knowing these truths makes it easy to understand why all of these wonderful things took place to announce the birth of this baby.

What should our response be this Christmas?

Well let us take our example from the shepherds.

After the anouncment onf the angel we read these words;

“the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger”

The shepherds went to Jesus with haste.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

If you have not done so already then your response must be the same, go to Jesus with haste. Turn from doing wrong and beleive in him for yourselves. Make this Saviour, your Saviour.