From Savior to baby Jesus to Savior – Merry Christmas
This is my message for Christmas 2024.
Luke 2:10-11 says this. “Then the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The angel is speaking to shepherds who were frightened at his presence. So, the angel calmed their fears by telling them if they were willing to receive it as such, he had news that would make them happy.
You know a bit more of the news. The baby Jesus was born the day the angels showed up. This was good news because it fulfilled a prophesy that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Until that time, no other baby born to man was given a name that represented as much as does the name Jesus. That was good news indeed.
There were some wise men who followed Jesus’ star and came to Jerusalem looking for Him so they could worship Him. The shepherds were visited by an angel and the wise men saw the star of Jesus. All of this was good news indeed. So, they all set out to find the baby Jesus and to worship Him.
But for some people Jesus’ birth was troubling news. And today, for some of us, the news of Jesus is still troubling. This was troubling not because He was born of a virgin, but that He was born at all.
In the book of Matthew 2: 1-12, it says:
King Herod and many other leaders in Jerusalem were troubled when they heard that several wise men were in Jerusalem looking for Jesus so they could worship Him. So, Herod sought them out, to speak with them so he could learn where Jesus was so he could kill the baby.
Herod did not want competition for the service of the people and other people in power wanted to keep the people living in fear of them rather than in the joy of a savior. They were troubled indeed at the birth of a baby and what He would mean to the world.
Scripture says, Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem to confirm that the baby Jesus was there. He told them to let him know so he could come and worship the baby also. But the wise men were warned that Herod was troubled, and he was up to trouble for Jesus.
They found Jesus in Bethlehem. They gave Him gifts and worshipped Him. And they went back to their homes a different way than they came. They were overjoyed. They did not tell Herod anything.
We have no reason to be troubled. But we have much to be overjoyed about with the birth of Jesus.
You see, the baby Jesus had to be born of a virgin, or we would not have had the Lord Jesus. He was God living as a human among men. The baby Jesus now the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus had to live and walk among men in a perfect way, or we would not have had the persecuted and sacrificial, Jesus Son of God. Because Jesus turned people from themselves and from others toward God, He was viewed as a threat and so He was persecuted. Still, He lived a sin free life which He sacrificed for you and me. The Lord Jesus now Jesus, Son of God.
Jesus, Son of God had to be crucified and put to death, or we would not have had to resurrected Jesus. He was a sin free sacrifice to God for the sins that you and I commit each day. He paid a debt we could never pay. Jesus, Son of God now the resurrected Son.
The resurrected Son of God had to ascend back to heaven and to God, or we would not have the Savior we know and have in Jesus Christ. His resurrected life is the redemptive life and savior required to make it possible for us become children of God.
Our savior then had to be born. He had to live. He had to be persecuted. He had to die. And He had to be resurrected, or we would have no reason to find joy at the birth of baby Jesus. None of this is a reason to be troubled. It is a reason to be overjoyed.
So, when the shepherds got to Bethlehem and the wise men saw the star hovering over where the baby Jesus was, it is said they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. They had a Merry Christmas moment!
So, let us be like the shepherds and the wise men. This is a time of the year where we can let go of all that troubles us. Let’s look within ourselves to hear the voice of the angel and to find the star of Jesus.
Jesus’ voice will be in our hearts and His star will be hovering over our hearts because that is the place where He lives today. Let’s rejoice with exceedingly great joy and shout to ourselves “this is indeed a Merry Christmas because I have found Him whom Herod wanted to harm.”
Let us give Him the gift of our worship as we accept the gift of His life to us as our Savior.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Live a Delivered Life. Love you.
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