We Interrupt This Year for A Special Announcement-It Is About A Savior

Luke 2:8–20 ESV

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, 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.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

ILLUSTRATION

If you have ever truly window shopped on a street like downtown Parkersburg used to have you have seen the way shop owners can decorate windows. I remember when I was a kid, I went Christmas shopping with my grandma Kearns. Back then there were several shops on the street and I wish I could remember the one that had these scenes. maybe one of you will remember.

The first window had a scroll which read, "The Smell of Christmas is in the Kitchen." The scene was an old-fashioned kitchen with a black stove and food cooking on it.

The second window was titled, "The Taste of Christmas is in the Dining Room." There was a long table laden with mouth-watering food.

The third window showed a beautiful tree decorated with ornaments and lights, little toys and popcorn strings. The scroll read, "The Color of Christmas is in the Tree."

The fourth window scroll said, "The Sound of Christmas is in the Carols." This scene was a group of animated figures singing Christmas carols.

Then came the store's main entrance. I noticed that, after passing those windows, most people went into the store to do Christmas shopping. 

However, if you ignored the entrance and kept on going, you would have seen one more window. The scroll in this window proclaimed: "But the Heart and Soul of Christmas is right here!" In this window was a stable with shepherds, wise men, Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus lying in a manger. 

APPLICATION

A lot of people miss the true meaning of Christmas. They get so caught up in the shopping, the food, the decorations, and the gifts, that they fail to see the heart and soul of Christmas: The story of the babe in the manger, of God with us!

"And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12). 

I hope you let the real meaning of Christmas interrupt you this year.

ILLUSTRATION

I like to keep things simple, but sometimes simple can be dangerous.

I recently read an article about the worst passwords. You’ll never guess the worst one: 123456. That, indeed, takes some creativity, as did these other examples in the top 20: 12345, 12345678 and 123456789. As a change of pace, there was also 111111.

The #2 most dangerous password? Password. Yes, the word password. So if you’ve been using that one, feel free to add this line to your Facebook page: “Please, hacker, come steal my stuff, because I have no imagination whatsoever.”

Among the rest of the top 20 worst passwords were: baseball, football, monkey, dragon and mustang. However, I was particularly unhappy with the 20th worst password on the list: Michael. Yes, somehow my name ended up being used and abused as a password. So I guess now I need to change all my passwords.

APPLICATION

Many people try to use their own name as a password to get into heaven, relying on all their efforts and accomplishments to gain access into God's domain. But only one name has been given under heaven by which we can be saved, that name is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).  

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).

We do not need imagination to come up with a path to heaven, we need a savior!

In 1988, Anissa Ayala was sixteen years-old and diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia. The doctors said that if she did not receive a bone marrow transplant after chemotherapy and radiation treatment she would die.

Neither her parents nor her brother was a match, and they could not find a donor elsewhere. Her parents, both in their forties, conceived another child and hoped that its bone marrow would be compatible with Anissa’s.

To their great delight it was determined that this new baby was a compatible donor, and when Marissa Ayala was fourteen months-old they took some of her marrow and gave it Anissa. Anissa made a full recovery from the Leukemia and both sisters lead healthy lives today.

In a very real sense Marissa saved her sister’s life. She says, “Without me being a perfect match for my sister, she would not be here.”

Jesus was born into this world for the express purpose of saving us. He is the one and only Saviour that can save all those who put their trust in Him. Christmas marks the day we celebrate His birth, and without Him we would not have salvation

Source: msn.com, June, 3, 2011

It Is About A Savior

In the immortal words of the great theologian Inigo Montoya “You keep using that word, I don’t think you know what it means”.

We throw the word Savior around quite a bit.

Isaiah 43:11–12 ESV

I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Savior

Sōtēr occurs 24 times in the NT and is exclusively applied to God and Jesus Christ; to God 8 times and to Christ 16 times.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Savior

Jesus’ name (Greek for Joshua) means “the Lord is salvation” and was given in anticipation of his function as the Savior (Mt 1:21). As the Savior, Jesus completes God’s plan for a promised deliverer (Acts 13:23; Ti 3:4), provides redemption for mankind (Ti 2:13, 14), and is the hope of the believer (Phil 3:20, 21).

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Savior

While Jesus never refers to himself as savior (sōtēr), he is announced as such by the angels at his birth (Lk 2:11), confessed as such by those who heard his words (Jn 4:42), and proclaimed as Savior by the early church (Acts 5:31; 13:23). Salvation is central to the very mission of Jesus (Lk 19:10). Paul teaches that Christ is the Savior of the church in the present (Eph 5:23) and future (Phil 3:20).

The disciples pay witness to His role as Savior and each of us has experienced it in our hearts the moment we surrendered our life to His lordship.

We were not almost saved.

John 6:37–40 ESV

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 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.”

There is no almost there.

That is like saying I was almost forgiven. You were forgiven if you have trusted Christ.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In Christ,

We were completely saved.

We do not just celebrate a birth of a baby tomorrow, we celebrate the birth of a Savior!

Wording matters.

One lady waited until the last minute to send Christmas cards. She knew she had forty-nine folks on her list. So she rushed into a store and bought a package of fifty cards without really looking at them. Still in a big hurry, she addressed the forty-nine and signed them without reading the message inside.

On Christmas Day when things had quieted down somewhat, she happened to come across the one leftover card and finally read the message she had sent to forty-nine of her friends. Much to her dismay, it said:

“This card is just to say A little gift is on the way.”

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Birth began the work, then the cross, then the resurrection, then the return.

We are confident that this world will not win.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

We celebrate an interruption to the worry, the trials and the destination the world offers.

Christmas Day we celebrate because Salvation became possible!

Deliverance became possible!

The special announcement is this

A Savior has been born, A Savior has won!

And because he did, we can be “more than conquerors”

Christmas Day is not the day we were given a baby, it is the day we were given a Savior!

It was the day God interrupted our fall.

Luke 2:11 ESV

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

It is the day these verses became true for us.

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He does not just interrupt this year, He has interrupted every year since his birth.

May we approach tomorrow mirroring the voices of the Angels and the Shepherds

Glorifying and Praising the Lord for what He has done.

1 Chronicles 16:28–29 ESV

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;

Why?

Because on this day, Christmas Day, unto us a child is born, a Savior!!

May He fill your heart with gladness and joy this holiday season

and may we remember just how holy a night we are celebrating.