"Our Savior, Christ the Lord"

Our Savior Christ The Lord

If someone should ask you, “Tell me what Christmas is all about?” What would you say? Would you have a biblical answer or a worldly answer? Well some say, “It’s all about Jesus.” Well, like what about Jesus. I think a lot of people do not know what Christmas is all about because they are confused. The primary purpose of this message is to eliminate that confusion.

So when somebody says that Jesus Christ is our Savior. Well, what does that mean? Or that Jesus was born of a virgin. What does that mean? People believe in God, but this Jesus stuff doesn’t count. So they don’t want to talk about Jesus because they don’t understand who Jesus is.

And although many people celebrate Christmas each year, relatively few of them understand exactly what happened 2,000 years ago or who the baby born that night was.

Instead, people are preoccupied with shopping and all the other activities that have generally replaced the story of Jesus’ birth. Even some of us who know Him as our Savior may be unfamiliar with the various terms and titles applied to Him. That’s why it’s important to re-examine His story, both to enrich our understanding of Jesus and to help us explain to others the true meaning of Christmas.

You Ready… Let’s Go!!

The Angelic Messenger

Luke 2:8-14 (NASB)

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  12  And this will be a sign for you:
you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  13  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying, 14  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”

You know, people don’t really understand what really happened that night. In fact, the most tragic part is that they don’t understand who Jesus is. And if I just picked up the bible and read these few versus, neither would I because it is not really all that simple.

I think the one the primary reason many are not saved is because they only have a small piece of the gospel. Just a little bit. We say “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Well I think that’s pretty clear, but what is the difference between the Father and the Son. What’s the difference God and Jesus? Who is this Messiah that we talk about? And who is this Lord that you say I must believe in? What in the world is all that about?

It’s all about the most awesome event in human history. It’s all about the truth of who Jesus is, who God is, who the Holy Spirit is, and what God is up to and why He says what He says.

For example Luke 2:11 (NASB)

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

So there are 3 names right there. Savior, Christ and Lord. What is the difference in those? Which one of these am I supposed to believe in? And so there are people that honestly do not understand, do not believe and are confused. So, I want to clarify that.

There are people that started Christmas shopping months ago. Ask them why and you will find out that it has nothing to do with Jesus or the birth of Christ or anything.

Christmas is all about Jesus

Jesus is all about saving you

Jesus is all about changing your life

Jesus is all about a brand new beginning

Jesus is all about eternal life

Jesus is not about shopping, presents, drinking, partying, and all the other things we spend our time doing.

So who is this Jesus and what’s the difference in all these words? So when I think about it, I think about the nature of this gift. Oftentimes, the importance of an announcement is conveyed by the significance of the messenger, and that is certainly true of the first Christmas.

Clearly this was a message sent by God Himself through His angel. Furthermore, it was joyous news, which was rare in a world dominated by the Roman Empire. Living in the Roman Empire it was difficult, hard, and harsh and there was no joy in that. Survival was the name of the game. Yet for those of us who know Jesus as our Savior, we can identify with the joy of this announcement because although we were not there, we feel the same way about Christ even now. I love what Peter says when
he describes this.

1 Peter 1:8 (NASB)

“And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”

The grandeur of this event on Christmas night was further magnified when the angel making the announcement was joined by “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Luke 2:13). The shepherds must have been stunned by this startling display of God’s glory as angels filled the night sky as far as their eyes could see.

A multitude is innumerable!

It is as far north, south, east and west as you look

You can’t count them; there is no end; infinity and beyond.

When God announced the birth of Jesus, he put on the biggest display the world will ever know about. It was the biggest “gender reveal” or “baby shower” known to mankind.

The Christmas Announcement

As impressive as the angelic host was, the announcement itself was even greater: “For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (v. 11). What may be confusing to those who have never heard the Christmas story is the introduction of these four titles, which all apply to the baby who had just been born—Savior, Son of God, Christ, and Lord.

Savior – Jesus is called a Savior because He came to rescue people from the penalty of their sins. Since we have all sinned, we will all die and will deserve to be eternally condemned and punished for our sins by God, the righteous and only Judge. Jesus came to save us from this condemnation. We are now saved by grace

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB)

“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,  19  but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.  20  For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you  21  who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Think about this:

This Savior is the Son of God

Who laid down His life on the cross

And that is the way we are forgiven our sins because of His atoning death (cleansing of impurity; make amends)

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NASB)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace  8  which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight. . .

In order for a person to have a “right” relationship with God, God had to do something. The only way to save us from this hopeless condition was for God the Father to send His only begotten Son to earth to be born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless life and offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins by dying on the cross.

For all of us who have believed in Jesus Christ, God has “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). Jesus truly is our Savior.

There are only two kingdoms; the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Whether you understand it or not, you are either walking in darkness or you are walking in the light of the gospel of Christ.

If you have never trusted Him as your Savior; had no time for God; don’t understand who Jesus is = you are walking in darkness.

You’re not happy

You put up with a lot of things; foolishness

You hurt, misguided, confused and broken-spirited

You go through situations and circumstances that you don’t really like in life

You find it difficult to find happiness, peace and joy

Son of God – This is another title that may confuse people. Although there is only one God, He exists in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

There is only ONE TRUE GOD.

There are lots and lots of gods (idolatry) in the world, but there is only ONE TRUE GOD

Colossians 1:15 (NASB)

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

Luke 24:47-49 (NASB)

After His resurrection, Jesus said “and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to
all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth
the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

In this passage the Holy Spirit is introduced as the “power from on high” who would enable Jesus’ disciples
to speak, preach, and bear witness of Him. The Holy Spirit is the one living inside us that empowers us to
understand. He is the one who empowers us to make it through. “Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the
world” 

Christ – Jesus is also the Christ, which means the anointed one or Messiah.

Colossians 2:3 (NASB)

We not only receive salvation through Jesus Christ, but in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. 4  I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments.”

When you understand who Jesus is:

You begin to understand what life is all about

You being to understand who God is

You begin to understand what the Holy Spirit is about

Things begin to fall in place when you understand who Jesus is

Lord – This term emphasizes Jesus’ deity. When He was explaining to the people why He came to earth, He often
claimed equality with God the Father.

Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ and the Lord

John 8:18-19 (NASB)

“‘I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.’ So they were saying to Him,
‘Where is Your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would
know My Father also.’”

They are all one – The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit

John 10:28-30 (NASB)

“and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  29  My Father,
who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  30  I and the
Father are one.”

Jesus Christ came as our Savior; sent by the Father to do His work

Primarily to die on the cross, shed his blood to make it possible for you and me to be saved

We aren’t just saved, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit; Now we are the child of God

God the Father has His part; Jesus has His part; the Holy Spirit has His part

The acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord is so important that it’s required for salvation.

Romans 10:9-11 (NASB)

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved;  10  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the
mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  11  For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT
BE PUT TO SHAME.”

Close

To comprehend what Christmas is all about and who Jesus is, we must also understand the Trinity because all
three members of the Godhead are inseparably linked both in nature and in accomplishing our salvation.
God the Father “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God the Son died on the cross to pay the penalty for mankind’s sins.

God the Spirit opens people’s hearts to believe in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of their souls.