A Savior Has Been Born To You

Luke 2:11-18 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Christmas is the time of year when we give and receive many gifts. There seems to be the proverbial ugly Christmas sweater that shows up in a nicely wrapped box with a pretty ribbon. One of my favorite gift giving activities are the office Christmas parties where we do white elephant gift exchange. I remember a few years back finding a store in Salt Lake City that actually sold white elephant figurines. BONUS!

Do you always need a Savior? It is a question that everyone who walks the face of the earth needs to ask of themselves. It is a fundamental question to ask. It is a question that has two answers (yes or no)? It is a question which has no room for yes-but, or no-but answers. It is a very simple yes or no answer and it’s not complicated. You either think you always need a Savior or you don’t always need a Savior. The present I want to unwrap here today in this devotional is the profound wisdom of the Father in giving us a Savior. The promise from long ago, captured in Isaiah and other places in the Old Testament had to be fulfilled. The location was clearly described – Bethlehem. The circumstances of his birth – born of a virgin, left no room for doubt. And then there was the announcement by the Angel Gabriel followed up by the anthem of the heavenly host sealed the deal so-to-speak. Chris the Lord was born. The best of all possible gifts was lying in a manger wrapped in cloths. And since the gift was delivered many have opened the wrapping of the gift and found just what they needed. They found a Savior. And as with many gifts received it was not long before they grew tired of the gift and set it aside only to pick it up again when the need was felt. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the gift of the Savior is not a gift to be taken lightly. Nor is it a gift we can pick up and embrace at our leisure. The gift of a Savior comes from God our Father. He gave His only begotten Son to be born, live among us, die, and be resurrected for all mankind. Jesus, our Savior is what we need at all times. To think otherwise is dangerous. We know we, of our efforts, cannot achieve righteousness. We know that we are sinful by nature and prone to making mistakes that can separate us from the Father if we do not constantly embrace the Savior. We must endeavor to always keep in our hearts that constant reminder of our need for Jesus. He is not some sweater to be put in a box only to be pulled out and worn at Christmas. We need Christ every second, every minute, every day, and every year of our lives. My prayer is that you will wear Christ always. And that ugly Christmas sweater, please save it for special occasions!

PRAYER: Lord God Heavenly Father. You have given us the greatest gift of all. Born in the humble surroundings of a manger in the town of Bethlehem is where we found Your Son. From such a simple beginning many great and wonderful things have happened. But foremost is the affirmation that Your love for us knows no bounds. And for that, Dear Father, we are forever thankful. Help us to hold in our hearts that constant reminder that we need as Savior, and that You have given us the gift of a Savior to embrace. All praise, glory, and thanksgiving be to the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. One God now and forever. Amen.