Turn to your Bibles, if you would, to Luke chapter number 2, a very familiar portion of Scripture. We've been turning there now for about four weeks. And we've been talking about Christmas blessings. Aren't you glad that God desires to bless us? Isn't that wonderful? God wants to bless you. God wants to bless me today. God wants to bless all people. That's what He says. That's the angel's announcement. It's to all people. And we've talked about these Christmas blessings. We talked about the promise, the prospect of joy, that you can have the blessing of joy in your life. God did not promise us perpetual happiness. We all know that everything in life is not happy. We know that. But you know what? In the midst of all of the circumstances, the good, the bad, the ups, the downs, those things that we go through in life that we would call a pleasure, those things that we go through in life that we wish maybe we had never experienced, in the midst of all of that, God can give us joy. Isn't that a good thing? But then we also notice that there was the promise of hope. that no matter how hopeless life may seem for someone, there is always hope. And we found that Jesus is the bringer of joy. Jesus is the giver of hope today. As long as there's a God in heaven, I'm here to tell you, And then we talked about the provision of His peace. That not only does He bring joy, not only does He give hope, but aren't you glad that God provides us peace? That you can know a peace in your life that passeth all understanding. But you realize that all of those blessings, as wonderful and marvelous and magnificent as they are, will pale in comparison to this last blessing. You see, because if you didn't get this last blessing, there wouldn't be any of the other blessings. And this blessing, the greatest blessing, is found in the angel's announcement to those humble shepherds that are watching over their sheep. They're on a Bethlehem, on a hillside, a Judean hillside on the outskirts of a place called Bethlehem. I want to draw your attention to verse number 10 this morning. If you don't have a Bible, the verses will be on your screen. And the angel said unto them, the shepherds, Fear not. Aren't you glad you don't have to be afraid? For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, not just joy, but great joy, which shall be to all people. God said, I want to bless everybody. That means God wants to bless you today. Verse 11, For unto you, You know when you see that phrase, unto you, do you know God didn't just say that to them through the angel? He's saying that to you and me this morning. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. I want to draw your attention to the word Savior. Do you realize that God has given us the blessing of a Savior? Not just any Savior. No, this Savior is Christ the Lord. A specific Savior who came to save us or to rescue us because of a specific problem in our lives. And you're going to find that all the other blessings of life that come from God flow out of this one Great blessing, and it's the blessing of a Savior. Let's pray together. Let's discover and unwrap God's blessing today. Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the truth of Your Word. Thank You for the angels' announcement. Lord, I love Christmas. You know that. Lord, it's one of my favorite times of the year. But yet, Lord, it's not just because of family and friends and all the things that go along with it, Lord. It's because of what You did in my heart over 35 years ago when I met the Savior. Lord, that's what it's all about. And I thank You for that. Lord, I know that You want others in this room today who may have never met You in a very real and personal way to know You today, to know Your salvation, to experience the blessings that You have for their lives, to make the greatest decision, Lord, that they will ever make. God, You want to challenge and You want to bless every one of us today as a reminder of this great blessing in our lives. And I pray, Lord, that we'd be attentive, we'd be sensitive, we'd be tender to what You want to do in us this Sunday. And Lord, we're going to thank You for it. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Well, somebody has rightly said if information had been our need, God would have sent an educator. If money had been our need, that God would have sent us an economist. That if technology was our greatest need, that then God would have sent us 2,000 years ago a scientist. If pleasure had been our need, then God would have sent us an entertainer. But God knew that information and money and technology and pleasure were not our greatest needs. See, when you come to all of those things that I just mentioned of information and money and technology and pleasure, that represents the stuff that we've been talking about these last weeks. The stuff that people think is going to make them happy. The stuff that they think is going to get them through life. The stuff. that they live for. But you know what you're going to find? That the blessings of life are not found in stuff that we accumulate. They'll never answer the greatest needs that are in the deepest, innermost recesses of our lives and in our hearts. And so God knew that our greatest need wasn't any of those things, but our greatest need was salvation. Our greatest need was to be rescued from sin and from Satan and from a place called hell, to be rescued from our own selves. And so therefore, God, instead of sending an educator or an economist or a scientist or an entertainer, God sent us a Savior. And His name is Jesus. Somebody said the hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable. The most pivotal moment in the history of the world up to that time was when God had blessed the world with the birth of a baby. But we know that that's not just any ordinary baby. We've learned that. We've learned that this is a special child that was born into this world with a specific purpose, a specific purpose for which He came. And this child was born to be a Savior, to be the Savior of the world. Isn't that a wonderful blessing this morning that God, in His love for every one of us, sent this world? He sent you and He sent me this morning a Savior. Hey, I don't ever want to get over the fact that I have a Savior. Can we just say amen right there? I want us to look at some wonderful truths about this Savior this morning. As we think about it, I want us to see the miracle of His birth. The miracle of His birth. You see, the birth of Jesus Christ was immersed in miracle. It was clothed in mystery. It was surrounded by marvels. When you read the accounts of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, there's no other birth like it. Jesus was born into this world as no other child, no other baby has been born or ever will be born. He was born of a virgin. Can I just encourage you this morning that you say, preacher, I've heard that, I've been taught that, I've understood that. from the smallest years of my life, I know that Jesus Christ is virgin born. Well, you know what? That is a wonderful truth today because half the world does not know that. Did you know that this morning? Did you realize that? Half the world, what you've known probably all of your life over half the world has never even heard before. You are blessed today. Don't ever treat the virgin birth of Jesus Christ as being old hat. As just being something that we know. Can I tell you the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is not incidental. It is fundamental. For without the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, there would be no Savior. His birth was conceived by the Spirit of God. Let's look over one chapter to the angel's announcement to Mary. Can we do that? The instrument, this young woman, the instrument by which God is going to bring His Son into the world. The angel Gabriel has been dispatched from heaven. He's got a special message to her. He's going to mention, the Holy Spirit's going to make mention of the fact multiple times that she is a virgin. She's never known a man. And we find, if you would please, in verse number 34, then said Mary unto the angel, she's heard the announcement, you're going to be the means by which God's going to bring His Son to the world. You're going to bring forth a Son. You're going to call His name Jesus. He'll be great. He's the Son of the Highest. And He's going to have the throne of His Father David. And then Mary says, How shall this be? Sing, I know not of man. How in the world is this going to happen? That was not a how of questioning unbelief. It was a how of faith. Lord, I believe You're going to do this, but how? How is this going to take place? I've never known a man. I'm espoused, I'm engaged, but I've never known a man in that way. And therefore, how is this going to take place? And notice if you would verse number 35. The angel said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. Don't you like that? The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. And the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Aren't you glad that our God can do anything this morning? There's nothing immoral about this. There's nothing ungodly about this. This is pure, holy, good, right, and powerful. And God is going to do a miracle in Mary's life and for the world. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Look down at verse number 37. For with God nothing shall be impossible unto you. And here's what God's saying. That I'm going to create within you a body, a human body by which my Son is going to come into this world. This is how it's going to take place. Mary, you can't fathom it. You can't understand it. It doesn't make any scientific sense. But this is what I'm going to do. I'm glad that God doesn't have to make scientific sense this morning. He doesn't have to fit into our little pea brains. I'm glad that God is greater than what you and I can ever imagine in our lives. Aren't you glad that God's not limited by man? and our finite thinking and understanding. I'm glad I can't fit God into my little mind. I'm glad He's bigger than all of that. This truth, this passage right here, in addition to teaching us this great fundamental truth about the Lord Jesus ought to remind us of the great power of our God. That there's nothing that our God cannot do. That's right and holy and good. He's the Almighty God. That's the God that wants to work in your life. That's the God that wants to work in your marriage. That's the God that wants to work in your family. That's the God that wants to direct your future young man, young lady today. Listen, He is an all-powerful God. Jesus Christ was the earthly son of a heavenly Father, and He's the heavenly Son of an earthly Mother. By a creative act of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, a body was formed by which the second person of the Trinity, who has existed from all eternity, Jesus didn't begin at Bethlehem. He's forever existed. And He's existed mutually with the Father and with the Spirit. And it's at this point in time that the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus, will clothe Himself in the garments of humanity. He will be cradled in the womb of a virgin. He will take to Himself a human nature and a human body, yet He will never cease to be God. There is never a moment that Jesus Christ ever ceases to be the God of all eternity. He's going to take to Himself this human nature and human body, and He's going to enter our world that He might be a Savior, that He might redeem us to God. I Timothy 3.16, a wonderful verse. It's a doxology. Paul's overwhelmed with the greatness of God, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he writes these words, and without controversy, great is the mystery of God in us. God was manifest in flesh. The invisible God became visible to man that Jesus is undiminished deity. He's perfect humanity wrapped together in one matchless, magnificent, glorious individual. There's nobody like Jesus Christ. You see, the blessing of Christmas is that God became man. The incarnation of Christ is God spelling Himself out in language that man could understand. That's why He would look at Philip one day and He would say to Philip, Have I been so long with you? And yet hast thou not known Me? He that has seen Me has seen the Father. You want to know who God is and you want to know what He's like, Philip? Then just get to know Me. Because that's who I am. Friend, you want to know God today? Then you get to know Him by getting to know His Son, Jesus Christ. He's the meeting place of eternity and time, the blending of deity and humanity, the junction of heaven and earth. Listen, folks, we ought to rejoice today in a mighty miracle of God that His birth was conceived by God. But then I want you to notice that the miracle of the birth, not only is He conceived by God, but His birth was sovereignly controlled by God. I want to give you a verse if I could. Galatians chapter 4 and verse number 4. We don't have to turn there. I'm going to tell you what it says. The Bible says, "...but when the fullness of the time was come." When the time, the precise time in God's economy. Do you know God has a calendar? Now, it's probably not your calendar or my calendar. God has His own calendar. God has His own agenda. Now, you know what? I've found that sometimes my agenda and God's agenda aren't always going in the same direction, or God's not working on my timetable. And my calendar's not always matching His calendar. But I want to tell you, God's calendar's always the right calendar, and His agenda's always the right agenda. And the important thing is to get on His calendar and His agenda for your life. That's it. Because that's where the blessings are found. But God has a calendar, and in the annals of God's calendar, in His time from eternity past, God had set a moment in human history when He would intervene in a mighty way. And the Bible says that when the fullness of the time was come, God sent for this Son. At the moment in human history that God had prescribed, Jesus came. the fullness of the time that was foretold by the prophets. Do you realize that prophecy is the hallmark of the divine? All the so-called holy books of the world, you know what they don't have? They don't have true predictive prophecy. They don't. Where people speaking for God made predictions, they foretold future events hundreds, some even thousands of years before they ever took place. God said when I send My Son into the world, I don't want you to miss Him. So I'm going to paint a picture of Him. So throughout time as I'm revealing Myself, I'm making Myself known, I'm helping you understand My plan, and I want you to know this about a Savior. I'm going to share with you about who He is so that when He does come, you won't miss Him. You know what the sad fact of Christmas is every year? Is that millions and millions and millions of people miss Him. They're going to have parties. They're going to get off work. They're going to give gifts. They're going to eat meals. They're going to spend time together. They're going to laugh. They're going to have revelry. They're going to have all these things and have absolutely no idea what it's all about. They're going to miss Him. Don't miss Him. Because if you've missed Him, you've missed what it's all about. So He's rooted. His birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension is coming again. It's all deeply rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures. Let me give you some verses, okay? Luke 24-27. Here Jesus is on the road to Emmaus. There's two of His followers going with Him, walking with Him. They're dejected. Jesus has been crucified. He's in the tomb. And now He's risen again, but they don't know it. They've heard rumors that He's alive, but they don't know He's alive. And so the Lord's walking along with them. And he's talking with them and here's what Dr. Luke says, "...and beginning at Moses and all the prophets," he talking about the Lord Jesus, "...expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Do you know that before Jesus ever made himself known? in His resurrected state to those followers of Himself, He wanted their faith to be rooted in the truths of the Word of God. He said, I don't want your faith just to rest in an experience. I want your faith to rest in the truth, the fundamental, foundational truth of the Word of God. I want to paint my portrait so that you will recognize Me when I reveal Myself to you. and He made Himself known. God wants your faith to be rooted in the pages of the Word of God. Acts 10.34, to him, give all the prophets witness. To him. It's all about him. Notice, he goes on to say, Paul says in Romans 1, verse 2, which he, talking about the Lord Jesus, which He had promised to for by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The only place you will find predictive prophecy, true predictive prophecy, is in the Bible, and it's rooted in the person of Jesus Christ. He's in every book of the Bible. In Genesis, He's the seed of the woman. In Exodus, He's the Passover lamb. In Leviticus, He's our high priest. In Numbers, He's the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. In Deuteronomy, He's the prophet likened to Moses. In Joshua, He's the commander of the Lord's army. He's the captain of the Lord of hosts. In Judges, He's our judge and our lawgiver. In Ruth, He's the kinsman redeemer. You're talking about a sweet love story. Listen, the book of Ruth is one of the sweetest love stories found anywhere in the Bible. And in that man, by the name of Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, is a picture of my redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 and 2 Samuel, he's the seed of David. In Kings and Chronicles, he's our reigning king. In Ezra, he's our fateful scribe. In Nehemiah, he's the rebuilder of everything that is broken. Aren't you glad that there is a God that can rebuild the brokenness of our lives? Isn't that a blessing? In Job, He's our ever-living advocate. In Job, He's our ever-living redeemer. In Psalms, He's our shepherd. In Proverbs, He's our wisdom. In Ecclesiastes, He's our meaning. for life. Do you realize that people this Christmas and throughout life are searching for meaning? They just want purpose. They want meaning. They want a reason to exist. You know there will be people this Christmas will take their lives because they've lost all reason to live. And friend listen, you have reason to live today because listen, in Jesus there's meaning for life. In Song of Song, He's the loving bridegroom. In Isaiah, He's the Prince of Peace. In Jeremiah and Lamentations, He's our weeping prophet. In Ezekiel, He's the glorious Lord. In Daniel, He's the fourth man in the fire. You say, preacher, I'm in a fire today. Aren't you glad there's somebody in there with you? Nebuchadnezzar looked into that furnace and he said, how many men we throw in there? And they said, three. He said, I see four. And the fourth is like unto the Son of God. You'll never go through a fire, Christian, that Jesus Christ is not in that fire with you. Never will. In Hosea, He's our fateful husband. In Joel, He's the outpourer of the Holy Spirit. In Amos, He's our burden bearer. Aren't you glad we don't have to bear life's burdens alone? Aren't you glad that there's one who says, cast all your care upon me because I care about you? Aren't you glad there's one that said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. Aren't you glad of that today? Why don't you cast your burden? God never intended you to carry your burden alone. They'll break you, but they'll never break Him. In Obadiah, He's our judge and Savior. In Jonah, He's the risen prophet. In Micah, He's the ruler from Bethlehem. In Nahum, He's our stronghold. In Habakkuk, He's our watchman. In Zephaniah, He's mighty to save. In Haggai, He's the restorer of all things. You know, you say, preacher, I look around me and our world's broken. And you know what? You're right. You are right. But I'm glad there's one going to restore it all. In Zechariah, he's the branch of David, the one pierced for us. And in Malachi, he's the son of righteousness with healing in his wings. I'm glad that there's a God who heals us, aren't you? And listen, I'm telling you, I'm thankful for healing of the body when God works in our lives or allows us and works in different ways in that way. But friend, listen, there's a greater healing and that's the healing of the soul. I want to give you one predictive prophecy real quickly and I'm going to move on. Micah is going to predict where Jesus would be born. Listen to what he said, what he wrote. I'm going to say about 700 years before Jesus was ever born. Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah. They prophesied at the same time. He said this, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting." There are three important truths that Micah just told us. Number one, let me tell you where Messiah is going to be born. It's going to be in Bethlehem. the city of David. Number two, let me tell you about what he's going to do. He's going to be the ruler in Israel. He's king. And then the third thing I want you to understand about him is this isn't where he began. No, his goings forth had been from old, even from everlasting, that he's the eternal God. that He's the One who's the ruler not only over this world, but He's the ruler of the universe. He's the eternal God. Isn't that a wonderful truth today? Now I want you to see how this took place. Are you in Luke chapter 2? I want you to look in verse number 1. Very familiar passage of Scripture. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree. That was an official decree from the Roman Empire from Caesar Augustus. He's the ruler of the known world of that day, the most powerful man on earth, or he thought. Because somebody else is going to be born who's more powerful than he is. And Caesar don't know anything about him. Caesar is a very wicked, vile, immoral man. He knows nothing of the Messiah. He knows nothing of the Bible. He knows nothing of the Jewish people other than that there are conquered people. He knows that. As a matter of fact, he knows nothing about the Lord as we would understand it because he thinks he's Lord. Do you realize what his subjects have done throughout his reign? They have went into a Roman temple one time of year. of incense and they have burned it on an altar. And here's what they've said, Caesar is Lord. Caesar your God. and they worshipped Him. Now whether they believed He was God or not is a different thing. But they didn't have a choice in their minds. That was how He united His empire. He looked upon Himself as Lord. So He's not going to have any inkling. He's not going to have any type of thought about God, the God of Israel, and what He's doing in this world. He has no thought of that. So He's made a decree. His coffers have been depleted from war. His trusted associates have said, listen, we need some money flowing into Rome. There needs to be a tax. And so he decrees, look at verse 1, that all the world should be taxed. So there is a census where the people would go to their birthplace to register for this upcoming tax. They say that this tax took place three to four years before Mary and Joseph ever made their way from Galilee to Bethlehem. Three to four years. He knows nothing of the events. He's just made a decree because they need money. Alright, look at verse number 2. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, the registering for it, everyone in his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth. Because see, Jesus is to be born at the prescribed place at the prescribed time. Okay? And so how are we going to get Joseph and Mary, who's great with child, to Bethlehem? How are we going to do that? Okay? And so they don't understand everything. Certainly Caesar doesn't understand everything. But God's at work. And so God is going to use the decree of a heathen, wicked king. to bring about his desired purposes because Joseph is in northern Galilee, a little outpost town, a village carpenter in Nazareth, and now he's got to make a trek because he doesn't have a choice. Normally we'd say, hey, wait a minute, my wife's pregnant, she's about to be delivered, and we need to wait until the baby's born. You know what the Romans are saying? We don't care, you go to Bethlehem. And they make the trek. And when they arrive, Look what happens. Look at verse number 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the sea of Nazareth into Judea, under the seat of David, which is called Bethlehem. Because he was the house and lineage of David, he is a descendant of King David, verse 5, to be taxed with Mary, who's also a descendant of King David, by a different son, his espoused wife, being great with child. That means she's about ready to have a baby. Verse 6. And so it was. You ever notice how the Holy Spirit makes it seem like as if it's nothing? So it was. It just happened from a human standpoint. While they were there, look at it. And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. You ever notice there's nothing hard when God does it? It's just like this is what I always do. Because that's what He always does. He only works like only God can work. that she should be delivered. She brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Do you know a heathen king couldn't stop nor could he start what God was doing? God just used him. And I don't want you to get discouraged because of wicked people that seemingly control our world and maybe even at times our nation. Because there's one greater. And they can only do or allow what God allows. He's in charge. And I want to tell you the same God that was in charge right here in Luke chapter 2 and the same God that's in charge of this world is the God who I want and desire to be in charge of my life. Do you want Him to be in charge of your life? Because when He does something great as this, it's amazing what He can do with your life. But not only do I see the miracle of His birth, I want you to quickly look with me this last truth, the mission of His life. Can we go back to Luke 2? We're there. And I want us to look at verse 11 again. And we notice this in the very first message, but I want to remind us of it. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Now you're going to see three important titles of the Lord Jesus. Savior, Christ, and Lord. This is the only verse in the Bible where these three titles They're found separately all over the Bible, but this is the only place in the Bible that they're found together in one verse and it's bound up in a babe in verse number 12. I want to look at those words real quickly, those titles. Christ, let's look at that one. That means Jesus' exalted position. Lord, that's His eternal person, that this babe that's born that's going to be the Savior is Christ. His position is also Lord. That's who He is. He's the Lord God of the universe. Alright? And then the word Savior speaks of His expressed purpose, why He came. You see, God at this prescribed moment set in motion His rescue mission for the world. And it's a reminder that the babe of Bethlehem didn't remain a baby. He grew to manhood. I've reminded us. For some people, all Jesus is is a baby in a manger. For others, He's a dead Jesus on a crucifix, a cross. For others, He's in a tomb. Thank God. He's not in a manger, He's not on a cross, and He's not in a tomb. He's alive today in heaven. But He grew to manhood to fulfill His mission, His reason for coming into the world. Let's look at that real quickly and I'm going to let you go. I want you to notice that He's Israel's true Messiah. The word Christ in our text is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Messiah. He's the anointed one of God, the promised Redeemer, a promise that took place all the way back in Genesis at the very outset when our first parents Adam and Eve were created by God and they sinned against God. Do you remember that? And God, because He loved those two human beings just like He loves every one of us, set in motion a plan not only to redeem them and rescue them, but to rescue their descendants us today, and he said it in Genesis 3.15 when he promised that the seed of the woman, someone born of a virgin, would bruise or crush the serpent's head. That it's here, God already said, I'm going to undo everything you've done. I'm going to defeat Satan. I'm going to rescue you. I'm going to fix what you've broken. Thank God that Jesus fixes what we break. And what's broken and it's caused by sin. And we'd come all the way through the Bible, Matthew 1.1, and we won't turn there. And the New Testament opens the book of the generation, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Jesus of Nazareth is Abraham's greater son and David's greater king. But He's not just Israel's Messiah. He's the world's Messiah. He's our Messiah because God promised Abraham that in Him all the families of the earth would be blessed. And Jesus tells us His mission in Luke 19.10. He said, For the Son of Man is come. Here's why I came. To seek and to save that which was lost. That means He came for me. And friend, He's come for you today. Because we're lost in sin and we need a Savior. And thank God He saves whoever calls upon Him. He's Israel's true Messiah. And He's the world's only Savior. You see, you'll never understand the true meaning of Christmas until you understand that Christmas involved the coming of a Savior. Don't let your children and grandchildren get caught up in all the revelries of the season and miss the Savior. We have done them a great disservice if we do that. A great disservice. I'm not saying have fun. I'm not saying enjoy some things about Christmas. I'm not a Christmas hater. I'm a Christmas lover. I enjoy all the different things about it. If you're married to my wife, you have to. You all know that. I'm not even going to go there. I have to go home with her today. But if I miss the fact of the Savior, I've missed the whole purpose and heart of what we celebrate. That word Savior is a title that we've learned that belongs only to God. Isaiah 43 verse 11, I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Savior. Isaiah 49 verse 26, And all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and Redeemer. 1 John 4 verse 4, And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Matthew chapter 1 verse 21, And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, Jehovah, is salvation, for He shall save His people from their sins. He's a loving Savior. John 3.16, 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. So loved. Do you know that love set this in motion? Love for you. Love for me. Love for a world. It's a perfect love. Nobody loves you like Jesus loves you. It's a powerful love. It was love that moved Him to come into this world. It was love that took Him to a cross. It was love that moved Him to bear our sins on the cross of Calvary. It was love that moved Him to offer salvation to every man, woman, boy, and girl who will receive Him as Savior. It was love that held Him to the cross, not those nails. It's because He loved you. And it's persistent. There'll never be a time that Jesus doesn't love you. You say, preacher, I've cursed Him. He loves you. I've used His name in vain. He loves you. I've disobeyed Him. He loves you. I've rebelled against Him. He loves you. He loves you to the very end. There will be people who will reject Jesus Christ and spend eternity apart from Him in a place called hell, and He'll love them all the way there. You see, the first Christmas tree wasn't an evergreen decorated with lights and ornaments. No, God's Christmas tree was a rugged cross. It was a place of suffering and pain and sin being dealt with. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad that God loves us today? But not only is He a loving Savior, He's a life-giving Savior. You remember that phrase, should not perish but have everlasting life? That's what we need is life. The Bible says we're dead in trespasses and sins. You say, wait a minute, I'm taking my pulse. I've got my watch on. It says my heart's beating. But friend, if you've never been saved, you're dead spiritually. Your antennas don't go up. You're not in communication with God. For 17 years of my life, I was dead in my sins. I knew about God. I knew about Jesus. I knew about all these things, but I didn't know Him. I didn't know Him. I was dead. And then when I believed on Christ, He made me alive. Suddenly, God came alive to me. He was already alive, but I'm talking about to me. It wasn't that God needed to be made alive. I needed to be made alive. Friend, if you're not saved today, you need to be made alive. He said, I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. Do you know the greatest gift anyone can receive this Christmas is God's gift? The gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death. It always leads to death. It always leads to separation from God. It always leads to an eternity apart from Him in a place called hell. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It's a gift. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it. You can't be good enough for it. You can't buy it. No, God gives it to you. And I want you to look in verse number 10 of our text. When the angel made the announcement, she said, For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. You know, God didn't say it'd be some. He didn't say a few. He didn't say a select. He said all. Friend, you can't read the Bible and come away with the idea that God doesn't want to be the Savior of everybody, not just a few. It's to all people. That means He wants to be your Savior this morning. And that tells me, Christian, you can't take the gospel to the wrong address. Everybody needs this gift. Who are you going to share the gift with this Christmas? Oh, I've received the gift, preacher. I have the gift, I know. But why do you want to selfishly keep the gift and not share the gift? Are you going to share it with your children and grandchildren? Are you going to share it with family and friends? Maybe through a track, the book that we've written on discovering God's love, or maybe another publication, or maybe you're going to verbally witness to them or share them with the love of Christ, give your testimony. I don't know, but I think everybody in some form, some fashion ought to be sharing the gift with somebody else. Don't you? Don't you? God wants you to share the gift. Don't just selfishly keep the gift. He did not use a silvery box of paper green and red. God laid His Christmas gift to men within a manger bed. No silken cord was used to bind the gift sent from above. It was wrapped in swaddling clothes and bound in cords of love. There was no evergreen to which this precious gift was tied. Upon a tree high on a hill, His gift was hung and died. It was taken down from off the tree, and in a grave was laid the precious Son of God. But death itself could not destroy the precious gift of God. With mighty hand He lifted Him out of the stony grave. Forevermore for every man an eternal gift He gave." I'm going to ask you the most important question in your life. Have you received the gift? Have you received the gift? Because if you hadn't, God wants you to have it today. Let's bow our heads in prayer.