Luke 2:11 | A SAVIOR

It is said that he looked out over his quite, winter covered town, that had been ravished by wars, he was inspired because for that moment the town was at peace.

He took out his pen and wrote the words to a song.

That song would be translated into over 300 languages and was sung in town squares, churches, and even on the battlefield during a temporary truce during World War 1.

That song, “Silent Night” has been passed down through the generations, and if you haven’t sung it yet this year, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.

It is in the second verse of that memorable song that the lyrics to this scene we are looking at today were penned:

Silent Night! Holy Night Shepherds quake at they sight. Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav’nly hosts sing, “Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!”

EXPLANATION: This incredible verse has already contained so many wonderful truths that we have examined.

We saw on the first week of the promise that this incredible message from the angel was written for the whole world, but it wasn’t also written to each of those shepherds on that night.

And that promise is written to you and me as well!

Then last week we dove into the powerful truth that Christ is born!

And because He was born as a baby and grew up with many of the same struggles you and I have gone through, He understands!

He understands where you have come from and what you have been through, and you can cast your burden on Him because He cares for you!

As we go a little further into this verse, we find the first description given to Christ by the angel here in Luke 2.

He is called Saviour.

What a common description of Christ.

There is scarcely a week that goes by here at WBC that we don’t refer to Christ as the Savior.

Yet while this is a common title we call Him by, this description as Savior is only found 2 times in the Gospels while Christ was on the earth, once here in Luke 2 and again in John 4:42 after Jesus’s meeting with the woman at the well.

Paul calls Jesus the Savior 6 times in his Epistles

And John the Beloved refers to Jesus as being the Savior of the world once in John 4:14

And while this may not be the most common title given to Jesus in the NT, it is no less significant.

APPLICATION: This morning, is Christ your Savior?

Do you remember a time where you consciously put your trust in Him?

ILLUSTRATION: In our class that we just complete on giving the Gospel that was an incredible illustration the really demonstrates the difference between knowing Christ can save and truly trusting in Him as Savior.

In 1859, the famous acrobat, Charles Blondin stretched a tightrope 190 feet above the mighty waters of Niagra Falls.

The crowds gathered daily to watch him navigate the 1,000 foot span.

Twice he carried his manager across on his back.

He even made a special wheelbarrow for the rope and pushed it across.

On one occasion he put a cook stove in the wheelbarrow and stopped in the middle of the rope to cook and eat an omelet.

One day he approached the cheering crowd and asked “Who believes I could put a man in the wheelbarrow and take him across?”

The crowd when crazy!

Everyone wanted to see the stunt.

They began chanting, “I believe! I believe.”

Blondin then pointed to one of the cheering men in the crowd and said, “You, sir, get in the wheelbarrow.”

The man turned and bolted in the opposite direction as fast as he could!

The man believed Blondin could take a man across that tight rope… but he wasn’t willing to trust in Blondin himself.

APPLICATION: Friend, do you believe that Jesus is the Savior?

Yes, He can take a person across the greatest divide into an eternity in heaven.

But have you ever trusted in Jesus as Savior yourself?

If we could go around the room this morning and ask you to share of the moment you consciously made that decision, would you be able to tell?

ILLUSTRATION: If you are married this morning and I asked you to tell me when you got married, hopefully you would be able to do it.

I would hope you wouldn’t say, “Well, I’ve always been married.”

You wouldn’t say, “Ya, I think I did that.”

If that’s your answer you probably wont be married for much longer

“I don’t remember”

We have a problem

You wouldn’t say, “I know that people can get married.”

That’s great… but what about you?

No, there was a day where you consciously made the decision to get married!

APPLICATION: Friend, do you know that Jesus is your Savior?

If you don’t know that there was a day that you put your trust in Christ as your Savior, you aren’t saved!

I didn’t say do you remember the exact date?

Have you ever struggled to remember the date of your anniversary?

It doesn’t mean you aren’t married… You just may be in the doghouse!

Even if you don’t remember the date, you should be able to remember a moment when you made that decision.

If you don’t, you can make that decision this morning.

Maybe you’re here this morning and you are asking the question, “Savior… What do I need to be saved from?”

Well, I’m glad you asked because that is what we are going to talk about this morning

We need to be clear why it is that Jesus had to come and be born that day, as a Savior!

WHAT HE DIDN’T COME TO SAVE YOU FROM

EXPLANATION: One of the great hurdles to many accepting Christ as Savior is a misunderstanding of when He is saving them from.

Some believe He came to save them from their unfavorable circumstances

This is the lucky rabbits foot Christianity.

I’m trusting Christ because I want my circumstances to improve.

Don’t feel guilty or embarrassed… Jesus’s own disciples believed this.

ILLUSTRATION: It was the beginning of the final week of Jesus’s life.

His disciples had found a colt for Jesus to ride on as He entered the city of Jerusalem.

Luke describes the scene that unfolded in Luke 19:35-38

Luke 19:35–38 KJV 1900

35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

In Mark we find that they were crying out “Hosanna”… “Save us”

This, they knew, was the moment He would come and overthrow the Roman authority and government and rule and reign!

This was the day they had been waiting for!

He would “save them” from the oppression, pain, and suffering

Everything was going according to plan… Until v.11

Mark 11:11 KJV 1900

11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

He left the temple and went out to Bethany.

Because while everyone believed things were going according to their plan, the truth was it was going according to Christ’s plan

They believed He was going to destroy the Roman authority

The truth was He was going to die to that Roman authority

They believe He would set up His earthly Kingdom

The truth was He was making a way for there to be His Heavenly kingdom come to earth

While all the people on that day believed this was Jesus triumphal entry, the truth is His triumphal entry is still coming one day.

They wanted a Savior Who would deliver them from their unfavorable circumstances.

APPLICATION: The health and wealth gospel has done immeasurable damage to the true Gospel.

So many have fallen into the trap of believing that Jesus came to save them from their financial struggles.

That Jesus came to save them from their health problems.

That Jesus came to save them from their family disfunction.

Jesus is their lucky rabbits foot or their genie in a bottle.

But that isn’t what Jesus came to save you from!

He didn’t come to take away all your problems and make your life easy.

While many have fallen into the traps that many religious charlatans have laid, we want to be Scripturally accurate this morning.

He didn’t come to save you from your unfavorable circumstances.

APPLICATION: Some believe He came to save them from their unfaithful lifestyle

That was what the woman at the well believed.

ILLUSTRATION: In John 4, Jesus told His disciples that He needed to go through Samaria.

This was a big deal because the Jews didn’t have anything to do with the Samaritans.

In fact, Samaria was situated between Galilee and Judea, and the Jews would travel across the Jordan river to detour around Samaria.

But Jesus had other plans

It was around 12:00 when Jesus found himself at Jacobs well.

By this time it was late in the day, and the heat would have already overtaken the area, so no one would be coming that way at that time.

Except for one Samaritan woman.

She came to collect water in the heat of the day.

This was out of the ordinary as most would have come early in the morning before it got too hot.

But this woman didn’t come from ordinary circumstances.

When Jesus asked her for a drink, she was stunned… Why would he be talking to her.

John 4:9 KJV 1900

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus’s response confuses the woman, John 4:10-12

John 4:10–12 KJV 1900

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

At this, Jesus makes an offer that she couldn’t refuse: John 4:13-15

John 4:13–15 KJV 1900

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

She too had fallen into the trap of wanting Jesus to save her from her unfavorable circumstances, “I don’t want to have to come and fetch water anymore, so ya, I’ll take what you are offering.”

But it was at that point that Jesus pulls back the curtain the reveal the unfaithful life that she had lived: John 4:16-18

John 4:16–18 KJV 1900

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

There is no doubt this woman had a reputation.

We don’t know all of her story, only what we find in Scripture, so some assumptions can be made.

She had involved herself in broken relationship after broken relationship.

To the surrounding community she would have been assigned with a stigma that was unescapable.

She recognized as we see her trying to avoid the subject with Jesus by simply telling Him, “I have no husband.”

As she spoke from a veiled truth that after 5 failed marriages, she had given up on the “traditional” way of doing things and now she was simply following the lusts of the flesh.

It is likely that the one she was with now wasn’t the first “fling” following her 5 marriages, and she likely didn’t intend for it to be her last.

She was broken by her unfaithful lifestyle, and she would have given anything to escape it.

APPLICATION: For so many, they turn to religion as a way to clean up their life.

Even the world can see the emptiness that is found in selfish worldly pursuits.

When they reach the bottom of a bottle or the end of the next high, they go running after more, because those things never satisfy.

When they just want to buy bigger and better things seeking after something that will bring happiness.

If there are just enough presents under the tree then they will finally be fulfilled!

So, many decide they are going to clean up their life, turn over a new leaf, and religion makes a great addition to this motivation.

And I can tell you this morning, Jesus can change your life!

But I don’t want you to be confused this morning.

Jesus didn’t come to save you from your unfaithful lifestyle.

WHAT HE DID COME TO SAVE YOU FROM

EXPLANATION: Jesus made this real simple for us to understand.

Luke 19:10 KJV 1900

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

This thought is further clarified in Luke 5:32

Luke 5:32 KJV 1900

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

1 John 4:14 KJV 1900

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

What did Jesus come to save you from?

He came to save you from your sin.

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 3:18 KJV 1900

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

You see friend, your greatest need is not for God to save you from your unfavorable circumstances.

It isn’t to save you from your unfaithful lifestyle

Jesus came to save you from your inescapable sin.

Romans 5:12 KJV 1900

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

That death that Romans 5 is talking about isn’t just the death of your physical body.

It is the separation of your soul from God for all of eternity in a very real lake of fire.

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Titus 3:5 KJV 1900

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Jesus was born on that incredible night 2000 years ago, so that He could die on the cross and save you from your sins!

He gave His life for you and He wants to be your Savior today!

CONCLUSION

The question is the same as when we began… is He your Savior?

Have you accepted Him yourself?

ILLUSTRATION: After the woman at the well accepted Christ as her Savior, not from her unfavorable circumstances or her unfaithful lifestyle, but from her sin.

She began proclaiming the truth of who Jesus was to everyone she came in contact with.

But I love what the Bible says in John 4:42

John 4:42 KJV 1900

42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

They knew that Jesus was the Savior, but it wasn’t just because of what she said, it was because of the words of Jesus.

APPLICATION: Friend, don’t take my word on it today… Take Jesus’s (the Bible)

He wants to be your Savior today!

If you have accepted Him as your Savior, can I challenge you to live like He is everyday!

If He saved you, you don’t have to live for Him… But if He saved you, you should sure want to!

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 KJV 1900

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

ILLUSTRATION: I heard the story of a little girl who was troubled coming home from Sunday school.

Her dad could see that she was troubled so he asked if something was wrong.

She replied, “Daddy, the teacher said today that if I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior, He lives in my heart.”

The father, somewhat confused, pressed more, “Yes, Jesus comes into your heart when you trust Him as Savior.”

To that the little girl replied, “If Jesus saved me and is in my heart, wouldn’t He stick out?”

APPLICATION: Friend, if Jesus is your Savior, can I ask you, does He stick out?

I hope this Christmas season, as you reflect on the Savior Who was born to die for you, I hope you’ll respond by living for Him.

And maybe just maybe, let Him stick out of your life for others to see the Savior they so desperately need as well!

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