Jesus the Saviour
If we're going to invite Jesus into our stories, He must enter in the role of Saviour.
When Joseph heard the news that Mary was pregnant, he began planning to divorce her. But we read this in Matthew's Gospel: "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.'" (Matthew 1:20-21)
And in fact when the angels announced the good news to those shepherds in the field, what did they say? Luke's Gospel tells us: "Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:11)
Before Jesus even came, His purpose was made very clear. He was going to enter the story as the Saviour.
The Sound of Christmas
Every year at Christmas time we declare this, as we sing:
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing alleluia
Christ the Saviour is born! Christ the Saviour is born!
It's the sound of Christmas, that melody of Silent Night! And it's so important for us to sing those words, because as we sing them, we declare the great truth, that Jesus has come into our story as the Saviour.
Let me ask you today friends: has He come into your story as your Saviour? Or is Christmas just tradition to you?
The claim of Christianity is that all people find themselves separated from God because of their sin. Each one of us has strayed from the God who created us by embracing selfish sin and foolishness. And so between us and God, a great valley forms, and no matter how hard we try to bridge the gap, it can't be done.
But a Saviour can do it. And a Saviour did do it!
Bridging the Gap
Jesus came to earth to save His people, by laying Himself down and becoming a bridge for all people to run over back to God. He did what we couldn't do.
Friends, you can't save yourself by being good and kind and generous. But you can be saved! You can get back to God by simple faith in Jesus as the Saviour!
Will you welcome Jesus into your story today, as the Saviour who was born?
This is the good news the angels brought, and it's still good news today: that Jesus saves people from their sins, by connecting them back to God if they will believe in Him.
Write Him into your story would you, as Saviour!
Jesus entered the world with a clear purpose - to save His people from their sins. This is what Christmas is all about in the end!