The angels tell the shepherds that the Savior has been born. Luke 2:11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David![1] Can you imagine the excitement of the shepherds as they saw angels for the first time? Not only that, but they announced the long-awaited Messiah. The prophets anticipated a coming Messiah thousands of years before Jesus came as a baby.
God even announced the Messiah’s coming to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.[2] The Messiah would be an offspring of Adam and Eve who would crush satan. This occurred when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil on the cross.
Timing is Everything
Paul wrote that Jesus came to rescue humanity from their sins at the right time. Galatians 4:4But when the time of fulfillment had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Yet all of this was so that he would redeem and set free those held hostage to the law so that we would receive our freedom and a full legal adoption as his children.[3]
For centuries, the Jewish people wondered when the Lord would send the Messiah. Jesus came into the world over 2000 years ago in God’s perfect timing. We sometimes wonder if God will answer our prayers, but we must never give up on His perfect timing. God may answer a prayer for healing in heaven, not on earth. This is what happened to my father.
At the right time, the Lord will always answer our prayers, although we may not understand His timing. You may be waiting for God’s timing as you read this. Place your trust in God, and remember, the Lord is always with you.
Jesus Comes to Save
Jesus is called our Savior because that is what He does. He saves and rescues us from our sinful condition. We sometimes only focus on the people looking forward to the Savior’s coming. We forget God Himself looked forward to sending His Son into the world to rescue His loved ones. If Jesus came to rescue us, it means we need saving.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. [4]Jesus came to rescue us from death. Through His death and resurrection, He calls us to faith. When we come to faith, we accept the Lord’s free gift of salvation and He adopts us into His family. Sin is real, and we can’t, by our ability, free ourselves from it. But we can praise God He sent His Son on that first Christmas to intervene on our behalf.
The Savior has been born, to learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/fulfilled-birth-of-jesus
[1,2,4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.