Jesus Our Saviour

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. NKJV.

In not many sleeps from now it’ll be Christmas 2019.  Carols will be sung, trees will be set up, Nativity scenes will be built and Christmas productions will showcase children’s talents.

Christmas is a wonderful time.  The carols we sing and all the activity around the Christmas season, points to the birth of Jesus as a little baby.  No other birth is as significant as His was.  No other birth divided history as He has.

In the secular presentation of Christmas we certainly don’t hear the reason for the season.  It is that God loves us, and sent His Son to be our Saviour.  Christmas is God’s rescue mission!  Jesus didn’t come to earth to be a baby.  He came to grow up, live a perfect life, die on the cross, and be resurrected again.  “… for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. NKJV.

Jesus came to save us!

  • Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” John 4:42.

  • Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Acts 5:31.

  • From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Saviour — Jesus— Acts 13:23.

  • but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 2 Timothy 1:10.

  • To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. Titus 1:4.

  • but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18. NKJV.

  • And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14.

While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21. Message Bible.

Just about every Bible version of Matthew 1:21 has these words, He will save His people from their sins.  It couldn’t be any clearer than that.

In patriarchal times either a mother (Genesis 4:25) or a father (Genesis 4:26, 5:3) could name a child.  Mary was told Jesus’ name (Luke 1:31); but Joseph was told both name and reason for it.

Jesus’ job description was clearly revealed in His name.

“Jesus”  (GK2424) is the Greek form of Joshua, which means Saviour.  The name Joshua in the Old Testament means the same.  The two Joshua’s in the Old Testament are used in the New Testament as types of Christ; Joshua successor to Moses and the one who led the people into the promised land (Hebrews 3-4), and Joshua the high priest and contemporary of Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2, 3;2-9).

But also note; He is the One who leads us into the promised land (ultimately Heaven), and He is also the One who ministers before the Father as our high priest (Forgiveness, Salvation)!

Jesus is our Saviour!  He came to save us and deliver us from the consequences of our sin.  Sin has always been the problem.  Sin is simply self.  Going my way, doing my thing.  It is what brings a separation between us and God.  It corrupts contaminates and defiles, it devalues derails and destroys our life.

Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master. Romans 6:23. Message Bible.

Thank God that in Christ we are saved!

Christmas is also an invitation.  It is God inviting us to accept His love and to be with Him.  To be united with Him in a relationship unbroken by sin, unstained by sin, and obtained by Jesus Christ our Saviour.

A gift of love, by Sylvia Fraser.

A tiny babe,
in a manger gently laid,
a Christmas gift from God above,
a demonstration of His love.

God gave His Son that you might come,
into fellowship with Him,
that you might walk and talk with God,
without consciousness of sin.

And through this gift of His dear Son,
each person has the right,
to come to God through Jesus,
and receive eternal life.

Let’s sing the Christmas Carols.  Let’s be bold and put up Nativity scenes everywhere, in prominent, visible places.  Let’s spread the word, to everyone, that Christmas time is about God loving us, so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ, to die for us.  Christmas celebrates His coming.

It’s worth it.  It’s worth a good party.  It’s worth a few Nativity scenes, a few chats with our neighbours about the reason for the season.  It’s worth it!  Because God the Father saw to it that we could be saved!  Accepting His invitation brings freedom, peace and purpose.

Thank you for being part of the Brief Word family.  May God bless you and your loved ones, may He guide, provide and abide with you in special ways.  May you know and experience the love of God our Father.

Wendy and I send our love to you and pray that you and your family will have an awesome Christmas season, celebrating well that God sent Jesus to be our Saviour!

Then it really is a Merry Christmas!

Issue #94 DECEMBER 2019. Brief Word comes out every month. Feel free to forward, photocopy and/or post this Brief Word to your Friends. You may be the very means God uses to impact someone’s life with the reality of the love of Jesus and the life changing power of God’s Word. If you wish to be on our regular E-Mailing list, please use the SUBSCRIBE form . If you would prefer to receive this E-Mail in Plain Text, please inform us. If you no longer wish to receive the Brief Word, you can unsubscribe at any time. Check out www.goodwords.nz for free articles, archive copies of Brief Word and other resources.