Saved from What?

 

“…you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

(Matthew 1:21 ESV)

 

Although Christmas is a Christian holiday, it’s truly a worldwide celebration. It’s a holiday that’s enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians alike. It’s even a holiday that’s celebrated and enjoyed by people of other faiths.

 

Even knowing that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth, it’s clear that, for many of us, the true meaning of the holiday has been lost. It’s clear that we don’t understand the significance of his birth. And it’s clear that we don’t understand the reason for this holy day.

 

This is true, even knowing that Jesus is our Savior. It’s true even knowing that he is our Deliverer. It’s true even knowing that he’s our Redeemer.

 

We recognize the correct terms. And we use the correct terms. But we do so without fully grasping their meaning.

 

As I’ve said a couple of times recently, if Jesus came to save us, there is clearly something from which we need to be saved. And it’s this that we fail to grasp. We do not recognize our bondage, nor do we want to.

 

As the angel told Joseph in the above passage, the child to be born was to be named Jesus, which means “The Lord is Salvation.” This was to be his name because of what he was to do. He would save his people from their sins.

 

It’s this that we fail to believe about ourselves. It’s this that we fail to acknowledge about ourselves. And if we do, our tendency is to soften it.

 

We don’t want to acknowledge the fact that we are sinners. We might acknowledge the fact that we are imperfect. And we might acknowledge the fact that we make mistakes. But we struggle to believe or to acknowledge that we are sinners.

 

We also don’t want to believe or acknowledge that we’re deserving of the consequences of sin. We don’t want to believe or acknowledge that we’re deserving of death. And we certainly don’t want to believe or acknowledge that we’re deserving of hell.

 

But this, you see, is exactly why Jesus was born into the world. He was born to save us from sin. He came to deliver us from death and hell.

 

He did this, of course, by his death on the cross. He did this by offering himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He did this by taking upon himself the penalty that we’ve incurred.

 

This is the reason why we celebrate his birth. He came to do for us what we’re unable to do for ourselves. And, in this way, as we trust in him, we are granted the blessings of forgiveness and life everlasting.