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A Savior Is Born
Luke 2:1-20
When the angel announced to the shepherds the birth of Jesus he said: "Be not
afraid; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all
the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who
is Christ the Lord." Jesus is our Savior! What good news! Let us briefly examine
some of the events that surround this glorious announcement.
NO ROOM FOR A SAVIOR (vv.1-8). Luke
records an important historical event that took place during the days of Caesar
Augustus. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem because it was the time for
enrollment. There was someone else that went with them that day. Mary was
carrying the world's Savior inside her. The city was crowded because many had
come to be enrolled and there was no room in the inn for Joseph, Mary and our
Savior.
Today, the hearts of many are like that little inn of Bethlehem; crowded with
sin; crowed with worldly cares, pleasures, prizes and pursuits; and crowed with
human
wisdom; so much so that they have no room for the Savior in their lives. Jesus
said: "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any may hear my voice and open
the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me"
(Revelation 3:20). Will you open the door of your heart and give the Savior room
in your life?
AN ANGEL'S SERMON (vv.9-14). Outside the
city of Bethlehem some shepherds were watching over their flocks by night.
Suddenly, an angel appeared to them and said: "Be not afraid..." There was no
reason for the shepherds to fear because what the angel was about to say was a
glorious revelation from God. The coming of a Savior into the world is a cause
for rejoicing, not fear. What did the angel announce?
First, notice the character of his announcement.
The angel announced "good tidings of great joy." It is a joyous occasion when a
Savior comes into the world and we obey him. Jesus said: "Even so, I say unto
you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
repenteth" (Luke 15:10). After the Eunuch believed the good news about Jesus and
was baptized, "he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). There is no joy like
the joy of salvation from sin.
Second, notice the scope of his announcement. What
the angel said was not just for the shepherds, but "to all the people." Jesus is
indeed the "Savior of the world" (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14). No race, color, class
or gender of people are exempt from salvation. However, all must obey the gospel
of Jesus in order to be saved. Speaking of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews said:
"he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation" (Hebrews
5:9). Paul wrote that Jesus is "the Savior of the body" (Ephesians 5:23). We
must therefore be "baptized into the one body" (1 Corithians 12:13) in order to
be saved by the Savior.
Third, notice the substance of his announcement.
The angel said that Jesus was "a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Jesus is
"Savior" because he saves mankind from sin (Matthew 1:21). Jesus is "Christ"
("Christ" means anointed) because God anointed him to heal all mankind from
spiritual illness (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus is "Lord" because he is ruler of all
mankind (Acts 10:36). Will you let Jesus save you, heal your spiritual illnesses
and rule your life?
Soon this angelic messenger was joined by a multitude of other angels who
offered praise to God, saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace
among men in whom he is well pleased." God is to be praised for giving us such a
wonderful Savior. Paul wrote: "But God commendeth his own love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Peace comes
to each man when his sin which separates him from God is removed by the blood of
Jesus through baptism. Again Paul wrote: "Being therefore justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Do you want
this peace in your life?
URGENT SHEPHERDS (vv.15-20). What did the
shepherds do with this new revelation from God? They showed intense interest.
When the angels departed the shepherds immediately made plans to come into
Bethlehem to see the Savior, "and they came with haste." When someone is sincere
and serious about his own salvation he will make immediate plans to find the
Savior. He will search until he finds Jesus. Jesus said: "Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).
On another occasion when he was asked by his disciples, "Lord, are they few that
are saved," Jesus said: "Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say
unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able" (Luke 13:24). Only the
urgent, only those who strive, will be saved. The Savior is waiting to be found
on the pages of the New Testament. Will you, like the shepherds, make haste to
find him?
The enthusiasm of the shepherds did not cease when they found the Savior. When
they saw Jesus they "made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them
about this child." Their news was to joyous to keep to themselves so they
proclaimed to all that could hear. When you have a good thing you want to share
it with others. The first century Christians "went about preaching the word"
(Acts 8:4).
When we find the Savior and obey him we will return to our daily routine the
same way these shepherds did - "glorifying and praising God for all the things
that they
had heard and seen..." Sometime after the apostle Paul found the Savior and
obeyed him he said: "For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). Can you say the same?
By Chris Reeves
From Expository Files 1.3; March, 1994
