Introduction
On one occasion I made a follow up visit to a man I led to the
Lord. In this visit one of his friends asked, "what do you need a
savior for?" Before I could answer, the new Christian said,
"because you can't clean up your life on your own." Now that
answer silenced the friend because it rang of verifiable truth for all
our lives. We need a Savior. Christ Jesus is the One!
For there is born to you
this day in the city
of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord.
NKJV
1. Born
A . . Provided Savior. 2:11a
"For there is born
to you this day in the city of David a Savior,. . ."
A. Provided
Through . . Birth. Matt 1:22-23
22 So all
this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the Lord through
the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shallbe with child, and bear a
Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated,
"God with us." NKJV
B. Provided
Through . . Biography. 2 Cor 5:21
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him. NKJV
1 Pe
2:22-24 22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit
found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile
in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed
Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our
sins in His own body on the tree, . . ." NKJV
C. Provided
Through . . Bloodcurdling Death. Mt. 27:26-30,
35
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he
had scourged Jesus, he
delivered Him to be crucified. The Soldiers Mock Jesus 27 Then the soldiers
of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered
the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him
and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns,
they put it on His head,
and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him,
saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and
struck Him on the head. 35 Then they
crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They
divided My garments among
them, And for My clothing they cast lots." NKJV
D. Provided Through . .
Breathtaking Resurrection. Matt 28:1-6
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the
week began to dawn,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a
great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from
heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat
on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing
as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and
became like dead men. 5 But the angel answered and said to
the women, "Do not be
afraid, for
I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay. NKJV
Illustration
How does the so called saviors of the world compare with Jesus.
Application
Jesus is a Provided
Savior.
2. Born
A . . Personal Savior. Lk. 2:11 and Mt. 1:21b
"to you this day in the city of David a Savior,. . ."
A. The . .
Individuality Of The Personal Savior. 2:11b
"to you . . ."
B. The . . Inclusiveness
Of The Personal Savior. 2:11b, 1:21
"to you .
. ." Mt. 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and
you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people
from
their sins." NKJV
Illustration
I have never forgotten the story of
the English firefighter that scaled
a latter three stories up to save a
woman. We he broke the window
she was on hiding in the corner and he was barley able to
see her because of the thick smoke. He called to her to take his
hand that was only a few inches away but the frightened woman
panic and withdrew father into the smoke only to perish. When
interviewed all the fireman could say, "She wouldn't let me save
her."
3. Born
A . . Presented Savior. Lk. 2:11c
"in the city of David a Savior,. . ."
A. Presented
Savior As . . Today. 2 Cor 6:2; Heb 3:7-8
2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard
you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold,
now is
the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. NKJV
Heb. 3 7 Therefore,
as
the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not
harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial
in the wilderness, NKJV
B. Presented
Savior As . . Now. 2 Cor 6:2;
2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard
you, And in the
day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now
is the day of salvation. NKJV
Illustration
I had someone recently tell me they went to church to calm down
friends and relatives. They did not have any intention of getting
saved that day. They said, "perhaps sometime but not today. They
got to the church and their was a big crowd and this man got
escorted up to the second row. The preacher seemed to point at
him through out the service, and speak right to him. When the
invitation was given he went forward and got saved.
Application
That might happen to you
because Today is the day and NOW is
the time. Jesus is a Present Day Savior
4. Born
A . . Promised Savior. Lk. 2:11d & 11e
"in
the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. NKJV
<>
A. Promised The . . City. Lk. 2:11d
"in the city of David a Savior,
<> Mic 5:2 2 "But
you,
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
(EF ruh thuh)
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth
to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are
from of old, From everlasting."NKJV
B. Promised The . .
Christ. Lk. 2:11e
who is Christ the Lord. NKJV
1. Josh McDowell
a. 1017
Power
Mt. 16:13-17 13 Now when
Jesus came into the district of
Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people
say that the Son of Man is?" 14 And they said, "Some say John
the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of
the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God." 17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon
Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My
Father who is in heaven. NAS
John 1:41 He found first
his own brother Simon and said to him,
"We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ).NAS
John 4:42 and they were
saying to the woman, "It is no longer
because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for
ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the
world." NAS
John 7:31 But many of
the crowd believed in Him; and they were
saying, " When the Christ comes, He will not perform more signs
than those which this man has, will He?" NAS
John 7:42 "Has not the
Scripture said that the Christ comes from
the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where
David was? NAS
John 10:24-27 24 The
Jews then gathered around Him, and were
saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You
are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, " I told
you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's
name, these testify of Me. 26 "But you do not believe because you
are not of My sheep. 27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know
them, and they follow Me; NAS
John 11:27 She said to
Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You
are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the
world." NAS
John 18:37 Pilate
therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?"
Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I
was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I
should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears
My voice." NKJV
Illustration
World-famed pianist Arthur Rubenstein
set back prime minister
Golda Meir and a national audience once when told about his
professed faith in Jesus Christ over Israeli television. According to
a report in the Mount Zion Reporter, the incident took place while
Mrs. Meir was interviewing the American-Jewish virtuoso. She
asked him to name the "greatest event in your life."
"When I received Jesus the Messiah
into my heart," he replied.
"Since then my life was changed. I have experienced joy and peace
ever since." The report went on to state that at the comment Mrs.
Meir leaned back in her chair with an expression of complete
surprise! Donald Deffner,
Seasonal Illustrations, Resource, 1992, p. 80
Application
A young businessman was rushed to a
hospital in serious
condition. A doctor predicted that he might die. Not a religious
man at the time, he did, however, turn on a radio and heard a
Christian song being played: "God Will Take Care Of You." He
said that he couldn't get that song out of his mind. He began to
pray, and as he did, he reported a sense of energy flowing in. It was
near Christmas, a Sunday morning. He heard a group of nurses having a
brief worship service in a nearby room
and struggled up out of bed and joined them. While there, he
committed his life to Jesus Christ. That man recovered. Thereafter,
for the rest of his life, he remained faithful to his commitment. He
referred every business and every personal decision to God, was
resolute in his ethics, living by the teachings of Jesus. You've
heard of this man, who told all of this in a book about his life. His
name was J. C. Penney. He too insisted throughout his life that
Paul was quite right in promising divine help for those in whom
Christ's Spirit lives. E.
Carver McGriff, LECTIONARY PREACHING WORKBOOK:
CYCLE B, Lima: CSS Publishing, 1999.
