keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men. So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." And this is the word of the Lord. Thank you. You may be seated. Well, this morning, I don't intend to of this entire passage. But I want to simply to reflect upon a very small portion of this. And that is the words of the angels when they said, there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior. Jesus was born to be a Savior. I have three simple points, and I'll not keep us long this morning as we think about this great truth. Three very simple truths that we can reflect on as we think about the fact that Jesus is born a Savior. First, very simply, Jesus saves from sin. Jesus saves from sin. If we were to look over at Matthew chapter 1 and verse 21, we might remember the words of the angel as he spoke to Joseph, when Joseph had found out that Mary was with child. And he's wondering if he should privately put her away. And of course, the angel comforts him and tells him that the nature of this pregnancy is not that Mary has been cheating on him, but that rather she is with child of the Holy Ghost. But the angel actually tells Joseph the divine name that is to be given to this child. And that name is Jesus. Now the name Jesus was a very ordinary name at that time. The other form of that same name is the name Joshua. That's just another form of the same name. It's the same name. But with Jesus, that name was extraordinary. There were many people that were alive in the time of Jesus that had the name Jesus. But there was only one Jesus who would truly be the Savior. There was only one Jesus who would truly live up to that name, because that is indeed what the name means. Jehovah Saves. We'll call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now, as we look around, there are many things that people want to be saved or delivered from today. I was thinking back in my youth, what are some of the things that I wanted to be delivered from? Maybe you had certain things you wanted to be delivered from when you were young. When I was a youngster, I had a fear that there was some uncouth creature that lurked underneath my bed. And so I would turn off the light, and I would leap from the light switch into my bed, lest somehow that thing reach out and grab my feet if I got too close. And I would sometimes long to be delivered from the fear of this creature under the bed, which, of course, was entirely imaginary. I had a number of paper routes when I was a child. In the winter times, I wanted to be delivered from the cold as I was out delivering papers. Of course, as we grow up, there are different things that we want to be delivered from. We might want to be delivered from stress. We might want to be delivered from aging and its effects. We might want to be delivered from debt. We might want to be delivered from sinus infections. We might want to be delivered from all kinds of different things. But Jesus comes and meets us at our greatest need. Our greatest need is often not the one that we perceive to be our greatest need. There are many people today who profess that they could be perfectly happy without having a savior from sin. In fact, I saw the other day on YouTube someone reacting to some TikTok videos. And one of the TikTok videos that he was reacting to was this young lady, I'm assuming her gender, of course, a young lady with multicolored hair who professed to be a witch, who said in the course of her rant on TikTok, you don't need a bleeping savior. And there are people who have that kind of an idea as it relates to a savior from sin. Another video, or sorry, another post that I saw was someone that used to be a Christian music artist. And basically he said, forget about all of that. God simply accepts you as you are. You don't need to be saved from anything. While for those of us who have come to find refuge in Christ, or who have had our conscience awakened to our true condition, we realize that our greatest need is not a self-esteem, or deliverance from debt, or any of these other things of this life. Our greatest need is to be delivered from the power and penalty of sin. the words of God's law, which express God's character. We read that expression, perhaps, in the Ten Commandments. And there we see that expression of God's own character. And we see in that mirror of God's law our own imperfections. We see very truly that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Indeed, it is not until we see this that we can truly appreciate this season. It is not until we see this that we can truly appreciate the coming of our Savior. There's no mystery in my mind why there are many people that want to eliminate the manger scenes and so forth from public display in our culture because the full meaning of Christ's incarnation, his life and his death and his resurrection are not seen by them. It's only when we see our place as sinners that we come to appreciate, truly appreciate, Jesus' coming. Jesus would say, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Now when Jesus said that in Mark's second chapter, he was not saying that there are some people who in and of themselves are actually righteous. We read the rest of Scripture. For example, we read the words of Romans 3.10, and we read, There is none righteous, no, not one. What Jesus is speaking about here is people's knowledge or understanding of their own condition. He is not saying that the Pharisees that were criticizing Him were actually righteous. But rather, it is the person that recognizes their sin sickness, that will come to Him as the Great Spiritual Physician. Jesus came to save us. Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior. What has He come to save us from? He's come to save us from our sins. In fact, Jesus' ministry would have a double impact, in a way. Jesus would say in John chapter nine, verses 39 to 41, for judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may be made blind. Then some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him, are we blind also? Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say we see, therefore your sin remains. But for those of us who recognize our sinfulness, that see that we truly are sinners in need of a Savior, this message of the angels truly is wonderful. It is really good news. It is good tidings of great joy. Why? Because we have the Savior that we need in Christ. To put this another way, if we were saved from stress, aging, cancer, hearing loss, sickness, poverty, marginalization, whatever form we want to use, and our sin remained, we would still have our greatest need unmet. And yet Jesus has come. And that matters for now and eternity. And how wonderful it is that we can celebrate this news this season. Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior. Jesus saves from sin. But I want to hasten to remind us all that Jesus saves by sacrifice. That Jesus saves by sacrifice. If you would, turn over to Mark chapter 15. And as you turn there, let me remind you that the manger is incomplete without the cross. Jesus would come to save us from sin, but how would Jesus accomplish that? Look with me in Mark 15, starting in verse 21. Then they compelled a certain man, Simon Asirene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear his cross. And they brought him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, place of a skull. Then they gave him wine, mingled with myrrh, to drink, but he did not take it. And when they crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots for them, to determine what every man should take. Now it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the inscription of his accusation was written above, The King of the Jews. With him they also crucified two robbers, one on his right and the other on his left. So the scripture was fulfilled, which says, And he was numbered with the transgressors. And those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross. Notice then what the chief priests say. Likewise, the chief priests also mocking among themselves what the scribe said, he saved others. Himself, he cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross that we may see and believe. For even those who are crucified with him reviled him. in those words that the chief priest said, those mocking words, he saved others, himself, he cannot save, these religious leaders spoke with greater clarity than they realized. And we see this happening often throughout the course of Jesus' ministry, where people will make a statement that makes sense to them on one level, and yet on a much deeper level, they're speaking truth beyond what they even intend. The truth of this is that he saved others, himself he cannot save. Jesus could not save himself and others. If he were to come down from that cross, he could not save us. That's the paradox. And the wonderful truth is that Jesus remained on that cross. Though He could have called thousands of angels, though He Himself had power beyond what anyone had who hung Him on that cross, He stayed on that cross. Why? Because He was laying down His life for His sheep. Because Jesus was fulfilling His destiny. Jesus said, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. As the Gospels unfold, you see that these Gospels are really, you read them, and they're really extended crucifixion narratives. It's all building to the point of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus would say that he would be hung upon a cross, that he would die and then rise again three days later. Jesus saves through sacrifice. The mockers then spoke with greater clarity than they knew. If Jesus was to save others, he could not save himself. And friends, we look at Jesus' birth and we remember that Jesus, as a second person of the Trinity, God the Son, became a man living to earn a perfect righteousness for us. And then he died, taking upon himself the penalty that we deserved. 1 Peter 2.24 tells us, "...who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed." Jesus saves from sin. Brothers and sisters, Jesus saves by sacrifice. what love this is, what cost this is. So Jesus saves from sin. Jesus saves by sacrifice. And then if I could remind us of one more truth related to this wonderful news that Jesus is born a Savior, and that is this truth, Jesus saves forever. Jesus saves forever. Jesus came to give eternal life. John 3.16 God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Those Jesus saves, he saves forever. And what hope there is in this thought. There is such great hope, because Jesus has died to take upon Himself all of our sins. Hebrews 5.9 reminds us that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation. Hebrews 7.25 tells us that He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to make intercession for them. The One who died for us, rose for us, ascended for us, and today pleads for us. He pleads on the basis of His own righteousness and sacrifice. This is why John would write that, I write these things, 1 John 2 verse 1, that you do not sin, but if you sin, We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. And He is the propitiation. He is that sacrifice that satisfies God's demands. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Passage that drives home this great truth of Jesus saving to the uttermost, forever, completely, is Hebrews chapter 9 and 10. I want you to turn there with me. Hebrews chapter 9, starting in verse 24, and we'll read into chapter 10. Hebrews 9, starting in verse 24, tells us that Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. So the author of Hebrews is saying that Jesus now pleads in the heavens on our behalf, not that He should offer Himself often, as the High Priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of another, He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world. But now once, at the end of the ages, he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, unto salvation." Notice again those words, He has appeared to put away sin, by the sacrifice of Himself. Verse 28, Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many. But let's keep reading. Chapter 10. 10 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. Those Old Testament sacrifices could not save. For then would they not have ceased to be offered. For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins every year. The fact that every year you had that Day of Atonement was a reminder that people were still sinners. That that sin had not been fully and finally dealt with. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin. Therefore, when he came into the world, he said, Sacrifice an offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. Why was Jesus given a body? Well, he was given a body that he might become a sacrifice. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, you had no pleasure. Then I said, behold, I have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will, O God. Previously saying, sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and offerings for sin, you did not desire nor had pleasure in them, which are offered according to the law. Then he said, behold, I have come to do your will, O God. He takes away the first. that he may establish the second." He takes away that first covenant, that he may establish the second. By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So those sacrifices, year after year after year, served to remind the worshipers That there was sin. That those sacrifices were not the perfect sacrifice. And yet they pointed forward to a sacrifice that would be perfect. A once-for-all sacrifice. Verse 11. And every priest stands ministering daily, and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice, four sins forever sat down at the right hand of God. From that time, waiting till his enemies are made his footstool, for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." That one sacrifice for sins forever, that one offering Jesus saves forever. Because Jesus takes all of our sins upon Himself on the cross. Those sins that we have committed, are committing, and will commit. For those of us who have trusted in Him, He has saved us from all of them. And this is not a license for us to sin. This is not a license for us to just dive in. After all, it's all paid for, right? No. The grace that saves also teaches us that we should live righteously. But this sacrifice is a once-for-all sacrifice. Jesus would say that the person who has believed in Him will not come into condemnation, John 5, because they've passed from death to life. Those who have trusted Christ will never come into condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We live in a world where warranties are not always what they seem. And I know someone who purchased a car and was very happy to hear that there was a powertrain warranty. So the powertrain is basically the parts of the car, the parts of the vehicle that generate the power and deliver the power to the road. So this would be the engine, transmission, driveshaft, differentials, that sort of thing. There's a lot there. So this guy's pretty happy to hear he has this warranty for the drive shaft or for the powertrain of the car for life. That's great. Or so he thought. What he found out later is that this warranty only meant that he would get a discount on repairs if one of those things break down. And it was only a certain amount of money that would never have covered the amount of any repair to any of those big things. And it was only a one-time thing. Oh, you get a $1,500 discount. Well, that's not very much of a warranty. It was a little bit over-promised. And maybe we hear promises of forever. And we've seen people promise forever. We've seen people promise. all kinds of extended warranties of products, or we've seen people stand at the altar and say, till death do us part, and we've seen enough of those things blow up that we wonder, can anything last? Is there any such thing as a guarantee that it will last? The gospel warranty is not a repair discount to be applied for one failure. The gospel warranty is the very promise of eternal life. This life of God is in your soul when you receive Christ, and as the life of God will never die, you cannot die. The righteousness of Christ covers you, so that you will never come into condemnation. His sacrifice has paid the penalty that you deserve for your sin, and His power keeps you. Jude tells us, to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior. who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever, to which we can all add our hearty amen. God our Savior. Jesus, God in the flesh, comes, and it really is good tidings of great joy, because Jesus saves from sin. Jesus saves by sacrifice, and Jesus saves forever. Now, I hope that we all can rejoice in the truth this season, but I don't want to assume that everyone here has trusted in Christ. So let me make an appeal to those of you that may not yet be a Christian. The scripture tells us that though God created men upright, we sought out many devices. In Adam, we fell. And we are now sinners by nature and by choice. Every time we sin now, we agree with Adam's choice in the garden. Because we have sinned, we deserve punishment. Our sins are against an infinite God and deserve an infinite punishment in hell. But God, who is just and has every right to punish us, and to punish us severely and eternally, has in grace sent His Son to live and to die for us. And for all who will turn from their sins and look to Him as their Savior, He will save from those sins, and He will save eternally. This season, we look at Nativity scenes, and we see Jesus in a manger. But we must also remember that that child who once occupied a manger now occupies a throne. And He is King of kings and Lord of lords. And He is henceforth seated until all of His enemies become His footstool. The power of Christ is such that He will not lose. His enemies will be made his friends, or his enemies will be made his footstool. And so my appeal to you now is to come to Christ. Trust in Him. Find in Him full and free and eternal salvation from sin. You too, then, can rejoice in the full and true meaning of these good tidings of great joy. And so, friends, this season we really can celebrate good tidings of great joy. What are those good tidings? Unto us is born a Savior. Jesus saves from sin. Jesus saves by sacrifice. And Jesus saves forever. Amen.