“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”- Matthew 1:21
“He will save His People from their sins!” That’s the good news of Christmas we’re here to celebrate this morning! Jesus came to save us, but from what? From our sins! From our God-denying, small-minded, earth-is-all-I-care-about meaningless, wasted lives where we flitter away 70 or 80 years for nothing more than money or sex or luxuries or houses and lands and vacations and beauty and fame or whatever else you might come up with in an attempt to satisfy that empty place in your soul! “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)
Or maybe we can say it this way: What does it profit you to live your whole life and yet never know God! You see, that’s what Christ has done for us. Not only has He saved us from God’s wrath against our sin, He’s brought us into fellowship with God. “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” 1 Peter 3:18 says. You and I were made for God! We exist to know God (John 17:3) – to glorify and enjoy Him forever! So any life without God, is in the end a waste! You can be a millionaire celebrity, but without God, it’s all dust and ashes! But if you have Him – if you know Christ the way a man knows and trusts a dear and faithful friend – even an ash-heap becomes a joy-filled castle.
So do you know Him this morning? That is the greatest gift of Christmas. Not just to have your sins forgiven by Christ, but to have Christ Himself reigning as Savior and Lord over all! That’s how He saves His people from their sin, by giving us Himself!
In the Grace and Joy of Jesus!
Pastor Scott Lee
(Come back tonight at 6:30 pm for our Family Christmas Celebration. And then join us again on Tuesday for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 5:00 pm.)