I love the Christmas Story from Luke. I memorized it as a small child. I still love the powerful wording from the King James Bible. “And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus—” “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night.”
Look with me at verses 8-16 of Luke Chapter 2.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
Can you put yourself on that shepherd hillside? As night falls your family is keeping watch over the flocks. Who knows what might come in the night, but you never dreamed of The Angel of The Lord coming upon you. You are stunned by his appearance and the thunderous words that proceed from his mouth. The first thing the angel says is, “Fear not,” If you are not terrified by his visage, you are still asleep. But he explains that he is bringing you good news of great joy. For unto you is born a Savior.
Listen to what he says. To the shepherds the angel said, “Unto you.” He did not say, “Unto all mankind is born a savior.” He did not say to “men and women, boys and girls.” He did not say “to all generations from creation to the end of time.” Nor did he say “to every nation, tribe, people, and language.” He said, “unto you.”
Those shepherds were nobodies. We do not know one of their names. We do not know anything substantial about them. But God knew and He said, “Unto you is born a Savior.” God sent His Savior to you as well. The Angel announced A Personal Savior.
The Angel of the Lord said, “Unto you is born This Day.” You might have said, “one who will become Savior.” But the Angel of The Lord said “Today.” Many people have a once upon a time savior. You may remember a time when you were serious about God. But you have pushed every thought of Him out of your life.
I have met people who have a someday savior. Someday I will get serious about God, But your heart is getting harder and harder. This is certainly the easiest time you will ever have to hear the voice of God. Every day that you live without Him, your heart will grow harder. This may well be the last time you are able to hear that God sent His Son to be your Savior.
You can only come to Him as A Present Savior.
The Savior was not born in Rome, Alexandria, Ephesus, or even Jerusalem. He was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Do you know why? Because some 500 years before, Micah of Moresheth said,
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”
That is not the first time the coming of the Savior was prophesied. In Genesis 3 God told Satan who had tempted mankind to fall into our desperate need for a Savior.
“I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[e] and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
1 Peter 1:20 tells us,
“ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but made manifest in the last times for your sake.”
This is not a blink in the eye of history. From beyond time God knew you would be lost without Him. He foreordained that His Son would die on a cross for you.
He is A Prophesied Savior.
This is not government aid. This is not a political solution. This is not the bright idea of your broker or the latest expert. The Angel announced to the Shepherds on the hillside, “A Savior who is Christ the LORD!”
Peter said it in Acts 4:12.
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
God sent A Powerful Savior! He is enough to forgive your sin, change your heart, and redeem you from the judgement that is to come.
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