Savior

Setting up the nativity was one of my favorite things as a child to do at Christmas. Not that I remember, but at age four when setting up or playing with the nativity, my Mom explained the Gospel to me. I accepted Jesus as my Savior. My Mom shared the true meaning of the nativity with me that day, but so often now, I think we fixate on just that night and later when the wise men came. We think of a silent night, cute animals gazing at baby Jesus, angels praising God, shepherds who came running to see the new baby and a beautiful, big, bright star in the sky. We may even consider the cross as why Jesus came.

I know we generally are excited over the birth of a baby. We do pregnancy and newborn pictures. We throw baby showers for the expectant or new mom. We ooh and ahh over the little one and all the tiny clothes and baby toys, so it probably doesn’t strike us as strange that the angels were praising God at the birth of Jesus.

But this wasn’t an ordinary baby being born or ordinary circumstances. This was the Son of God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, leaving the majesty of heaven to come to earth in the form of a baby (not even a man) and to a poor and shamed family. The King of kings and Lord of lords gave up His rights to become a dependent baby. If we think of it that way, is it really something to be praising God for? Something to tell the shepherds is good news and cause for joy? It seems more like a time for mourning.

Ezekiel Hopkins, a Puritan preacher, stated, “The abasing nativity of Jesus Christ is the highest advancement of God’s glory. This is a strange riddle to human reason, which is prone to judge it a most preposterous course for God to raise His glory out of the humiliation and abasement, yea, out of the very ruin of His Son.”

How could the angels praise God and give Him glory? The key is in their message that looked beyond that night of the birth, the manger, the shepherds and eventually even beyond the wise men coming to worship.

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

Luke 2:11

The angels could praise God and proclaim Jesus’ birth as good news because they knew Jesus’ mission, His purpose in being born – to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Paul David Tripp refers to Christmas as being both very good news and very bad news. As Christians, I think we can become so accustomed to knowing the whole story that we actually can be amnesiacs when it comes to the very bad news. Although we remember the very good news that Jesus saved us, its impact can be lessened when we forget the very bad news, or we think of His saving work as a one-time thing and now we don’t need it. There is the one-time aspect of saving faith, but there is also the daily rescuing we still need.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee “prayed” to God, but he prayed in his own self-righteousness, comparing himself to others who were much, much worse sinners like the tax collector praying near him. He even listed off his righteous deeds to God as if to impress Him. The Pharisee, one of the elite religious leaders, didn’t see his need for a Savior. He knew of God but trusted in his own righteousness. On the other hand, the tax collector stood far off, wouldn’t lift his eyes to heaven as he knew his unworthiness, beat his breast and pleaded with God to have mercy on him a sinner. The tax collector saw his sin, knew God was holy and that he needed a merciful Savior.

Jesus as Savior means that we needed saving. We were and are sinners. We could never do enough good works or make enough sacrifices to save ourselves from our sin. Jesus paid the penalty for sin, and He has imputed (given) His righteousness to us, so that Jesus’ righteousness is what the Father sees when He looks at us. Jesus also broke the hold sin had on us so that now instead of being a slave to sin, we are a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:15-23). But we are still in the sanctifying process (being conformed to the image of Christ). Like Paul, there is still a battle waging in our hearts between choosing sin or choosing what glorifies God (Romans 7:15-20). That means we need Jesus our Savior every day, every hour, every minute until we are complete in heaven (Philippians 1:6).

I don’t have to look very far in my own life to see the very bad news, my sinfulness. It is daily in my thoughts, words and actions. There are idols in my heart, and I often want to rule my little kingdom instead of submitting to God’s rule. I can blame shift or minimize my sin, but it is still heinous sin before the Holy God. It is sin that needs a Savior.

Philippians 2:6-8 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It is a reminder of what Jesus sacrificed to save me. It is the declaration of who He is and what He gave up. It explains that Jesus’ suffering wasn’t only at the cross or even when He began His ministry. His suffering began the minute He took on human form which He willingly did to be the Savior we needed.

I like how the song “How Many Kings” by Downhere describes what Jesus did:

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones? How many lords have abandoned their homes? How many greats have become the least for me? How many gods have poured out their hearts To romance a world that has torn all apart? How many fathers gave up their sons for me? Only One did that for me

Although our sin, even future sin, was placed on Jesus on the cross, our continued sin still grieves God. It should grieve us, but we don’t wallow in that grief. We let it propel us with gratitude to our Savior, to His grace and mercy poured out on the cross and in His resurrection, to our Intercessor at the right hand of God who pleads our right to come boldly before the throne of grace. Then we join with the angels in praising God for the peace He brings in reconciling us to the Father.

I would encourage you this Christmas (and throughout the year) to take time to think about the very bad news of Christmas as well as the very good news. Even though you know the very good news, are you functioning as if you don’t still need a Savior? In the day-to-day are you relying on your own righteousness to be pleasing to God? Do you see your ongoing sin as very bad news? Does Jesus as your Savior, full of mercy and grace, move you with gratitude to fall and worship before Him as the shepherds and wise men did?