Savior

December 18, 2022

This morning I had the privilege of preaching once again at my old church in Dunkirk. Tonight’s meditation is taken from my sermon.

One of the best-known Christmas stories has the angels saying to the shepherds, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” Today’s text says this child to be born “will save his people from their sins.”

Most of us love Christmas, but we love the nostalgia, the “feeling,” the lights, not the real message, which isn’t “love and peace,” but “salvation.” It’s the message of the entire Bible, and of today’s Lectionary texts.

Ps 80: 3,7,19—Three different times we read, “Cause your face to shine, and we will be… saved.”

In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth, the angel tells Joseph that his son “will save his people.” And the angels’ message to the shepherds on that holy night: “To you is born…a Savior.”

Why Savior? We don’t like that word because it tells us something about ourselves we don’t want to hear: that we need saving. We cannot help ourselves. The lifeguard doesn’t save those who can swim. “Savior” by definition tells us that we are in a place where we cannot help ourselves. We don’t like that.

What do we need saving from? For Israel, it was their enemies. For us, it’s that “last enemy…death.” That death came about because of our sin—“Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

—James 1:14-15 

Sin separates us. It’s what happened when Adam and Eve bit into that fruit. They were separated from each other and from God.That’s what sin is…death/separation. And we ourselves cannot bridge the gap. Hundreds of times, the Bible tells us that we need to be saved. Ps. 80 tells us what we need to be saved from: “Out of the hands of our enemies.” Paul says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor.15:26) The day will come when the grief and sorrow of human separation will be gone for good.

How can this be? Today’s epistle lesson tells us: Jesus Christ was “Declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.” (Rom. 1:4). The resurrection is God’s declaration of power over death. If God can raise Jesus from death, he can save us from our sins. The birth we celebrate next week happened so there could be death on a cross and resurrection from the grave—so we could be saved.

Now, what are we saved from? “Our sins,” today’s text says.

Here’s where it gets interesting: Through the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, we are saved from…

1.  The penalty of sin. 1 Pet. 2:24—“He bore our sins in his own body on the tree…” “Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit.” —1 Pet. 3:18. He died in our place, took our punishment.

2.  The power of sin. Rom. 8:3—“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,”

“If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” —Romans 6:5-7 

“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” —1 Corinthians 15:57

3.  The presence of sin. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” —1 Corinthians 15:26 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”” —Revelation 21:1-4 

You believe in Jesus. Do you confess him as Savior? We believe with our hearts, but must confess with our lips to be saved. 

Jesus, born of a virgin in Bethlehem of Judea in the time of king Herod of Rome, has delivered us from the penalty of sin, is delivering us from the power of sin, and one day, will deliver us from the very presence of sin as we bow before him, casting our crowns at his feet and worshipping him who has given us such a great salvation.

It can begin today, as we confess Jesus as Savior and worship him as Lord, looking back to the cross and forward to the crown. Give him the praise due his Name, the name above every name—Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!