In a few days we will celebrate the greatest gift ever given to humanity.  The gift is described as a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  Considering most of our gifts to each other will be gift cards we have a God who goes to the trouble of giving Himself.  Take a moment to reflect on the description:

Savior: This is why Jesus came.  Jesus came to be our Savior.  All of humanity has sinned against God and we need to be saved.  Sin is anything that doesn’t line up with the perfection of God and there are sins of omission and commission.  Sins of commission are the ones we know like lying, stealing, and killing, but there are also sins of omission related to our mind and emotions and at times we are not even aware.  It is all sin and it separates us from the holiness of God.

Our culture doesn’t believe in sin.  Our culture tells us we are just fine, and we just need to look within to find our inner firework to shoot across the sky, sky, sky.  The only problem is that the firework doesn’t last forever and instead of looking within we need to look out and see that Jesus has come to save us.

Christ: Jesus is also described as Christ, which means messiah.  Sin enters into human history at Genesis 3 and from Genesis 3 God gives us a promise throughout history that one day a messiah will come.  Throughout Scripture He is described as a king and a servant.  He is a king because He rules over all, but He is also a servant because He has come in humility.  This is really confusing throughout Scripture.  How can a king also be a servant?

He serves us in His death on a cross.  He lives a life of perfection and when He dies on the cross it is for our sin.  The wages of sin is death, but He was found to be without sin so when He dies it isn’t for His sin, but for our sin.  2 Corinthians 5 tells us, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.”  He dies on the cross as a servant, but raises from the dead as a king.  He is more faithful than any servant because He gives us His life, and He is more royal than any King because He protects us from eternal sin and death.

Lord: Jesus is not only Savior, Christ, but also Lord.  Jesus not only died for our sin and three days later He resurrected from the dead conquering sin and death, but He also ascended to the right hand of the Father.  He is Lord overall.  He is sustaining all of creation.  He is in control of all time, places, and things.  He is in control of your life this morning.  Nothing escapes His notice.  He doesn’t fall asleep, He doesn’t get confused, He doesn’t stumble, He created you and He knows what is best for you.  We are like a little children running to Him and we ask, “Why can’t I lie, steal, and kill?”  And He responds, “That is not why I made you.  I created you for something better.  I know what is best for you.”  He is lord.

Isn’t that amazing?  Christmas is a lot of fun, but the greatest gift we celebrate this season is the day God entered into human history as an infant who would grow to be a man who would take the weight of our sin upon Himself at the cross so that we could live eternally with Him.  Merry Christmas!