We cant save ourselves!

The Christmas Season for most brings lots of joy for many, but for some this season reminds them of what they dont have, what they wish they had and all that is seemingly missing from their lives. Some have lost relatives, spouses, children, etc. So another year without these people leaves them just depressed. One of my friends,this year will be her first Christmas without her mother. I cant even begin to imagine what this feels like. While others get depressed about what they dont have, some get depressed because they feel pressured to buy gifts for people and it takes out all the joy of Christmas. Others are upset that they have to stay up all night cooking without getting any recognition or appreciation for all the hard work they've done.

I remember getting up every Christmas morning reading the Christmas story before opening presents. Somehow, hearing this story over and over kind of made me numb to it. Like I got it the last five times I read it but somehow I heard a message in Church yesterday that seemed like a different Christmas story that I've read all these years. You see somehow I just seemed to have detached myself from this story and just didnt get it and maybe you have too.

I wanted to revisit this story kind of breaking down the parts of the story.
Luke 2:8-10
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Can you imagine being a shepherd and an angel appeared to you? You see the shepherds were on the lower scale of society and they were keeping watch over the lambs of God. These lambs were the lambs that Israelites used to sacrifice for the atonement of their sins. I love it how God shows up unexepectantly to ordinary people or the least expected persons. The Angel Showed up and said we brought Good NEWS! Imagine the Shepherds terrified as their feelings of worthlessness comes to mind. The Angels of the Lord are before us and we truly arent worthy or good enough and the Angel said Yes be afraid, ofcourse not they said Dont be Afraid and best of all, Im not just bring you Good News for you and just your family, Im bringing Good news to all people, not good people, or people that feel their righteous enough, Im bringing this Good News to ALL!! I love it!!!! (Romans 3:23 ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus)

Like 2:11
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Now having read this over and over again somehow it didnt excite me as much as it does now. You see the shepherds new that they needed a Saviour. This was the one that would have been the official sacrifice for all man kind. No longer did they have to sacrifice lambs, Jesus would pay it all for all man kind. More importantly, somehow we dont get that we need a Saviour. When you dont understand that nothing else in this world can save you but Jesus, the proclamation of a Savior is being born has no meaning. The King, The Lord is here to set our hearts free. He didnt ask for us to save ourselves with good works or how righteous we can be. So many religions to day focus on all the external things that we can do to prove ourselves to God. Jesus came that HE ALONE may save us. We cant save ourselves. So no matter how good you are that means nothing. Jesus did it all. He came to save us from our sins.

My pastor was sharing how he heard his friend saying, oh I try to be good, I read my bible, I go to bible study, I try to be good to my wife, I try to love my kids, etc. and finally my pastor told his friend, all I keep hearing is I, you are your savior not Jesus. and he wrote a big I and then crossed it and said, the cross, Jesus needs to be your Savior. (This rang in my spirit, how many of us are leaning on our self righteousness to get ourselves into heaven?)

When you recognize the state of your heart and that you need to be saved, Somehow A Saviour is being born gives a new meaning.  One last story.

My pastor shared that this bridge had collapsed and this truck driver recognized it before he plummeted over. You see there was oncoming traffic and he wanted to warn them that they were going to drive over the edge to their death. So this man got out of his truck went in the middle of traffic, put his hand up and screamed stop stop you need to stop. People went around him and even some locked their doors. You see these people didnt stop to heed his warning because they had no idea they needed to be saved.

My friends this is us today, we dont get how much we NEED a Savior! So this Christmas season, my mind is not on all the gifts I can get or I can buy. My mind and heart is on the one that SAVES! The only one that can Save me, the greatest gift I can ever receive, the Messiah, The one who would pay the price so that I can one day walk into eternal victory. My friends today, I beckon you to receive the Savior, Jesus, Jehovah saves! He is the only one that makes Christmas and all the days of your life meaningful. Jesus saves!!!!

God bless you all! (Inspired by Pastor Rick Blackwood)