“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day … a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 The arrival of a Savior An angel had overwhelmed the darkness and shattered the stillness of the night. While his sudden appearing frightened the shepherds, his message announcing the arrival of a Savior brought great joy! People had been waiting thousands of years for the promised Messiah. On the day that sin first entered the world, bringing death and separation from God, God declared that the offspring of the woman would defeat the tempter and undo the effects of sin (Genesis 3:15). Now that great anticipated moment had arrived with the birth of the One whose name was called “Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The Savior was needed For people’s sins to be forgiven and their relationship with God to be restored, it was vital that the Savior could lay one hand upon the divine throne and the other upon poor, fallen humanity. Only in this way could the Savior completely satisfy God’s righteousness while addressing mankind’s need. Because He is fully God and fully man, the Lord Jesus Christ was uniquely qualified to secure our salvation. When He laid down His life on the cross, Jesus—the sinless One—paid the full penalty for our sin. His perfect sacrifice was fully accepted by a holy God, who raised Jesus from the dead. Because of who He is and what He has done, only Jesus can say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). If we want to be set free from sin and be spared eternal separation from God, we need to know the Savior! Though Jesus has done the saving work, not all people are saved. Some do not see the danger of being eternally lost in Hell’s damnation. Many refuse to submit themselves to God and reject the Savior. Others try to save themselves through “good” works or religious practices, thinking they will merit God’s favor. But according to the Bible, only a personal trust in the Lord Jesus can bring a sinner into a saving relationship with the Savior (Acts 16:30-31). Is Jesus your Savior? The answer is either yes or no. There is no room for “maybe” or even “I hope so.” He will be your Savior when you believe in your heart that Christ died for your sins and rose again (Romans 4:24-25). Trust Him now, and be saved forever. Then He will not only be a Savior born in Bethlehem and the Savior of many others, but your Savior. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation … whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9-10,13).
