God, the Savior of Men

The angel says there has been born for you a Savior. That's the gospel that's the heart of everything. That's the pinnacle of redemption.

There has been born for you a Savior that Christian message.

That's what we're still telling people is, there has been born for you a Savior so much more and yet even more important than the miraculous circumstances of Christ's birth is the reason that he came. That's John MacArthur's focus today on grace to you as John continues his series titled the promise of Christmas with a look at Christ's role as Savior and the amazing forgiveness that he offers to sinners like you and me John tomorrow begins the last weekend before Christmas this year and so were really into the final stretch of the Christmas season and so many people in our listening family are going to be heading to celebrations with her family started even today and tomorrow in the days to come. What encouragement would you have for our listeners as they look towards Christmas this year. Well I think again it's it's the one time in the year when it's sort of allowed to talk about Christ. Even in the most resistant environment even in the face of people who really don't have any interest in Christ. It's it's an unavoidable reality at Christmas and I think it just reminds us of the advantage that we have, as long as this is the conversation. Anyway, you need to turn that conversation to the realities of why he came and make sure you prepare the gospel.

I think you can be circumspect in the way you do that. It's wonderful to ask questions and you know about Christmas. What you think about the realities of Christmas. Did you know for example whatever whatever you you you might want to tell them that isn't common knowledge.

Maybe you know some of the back story of Christmas. I just think you need to introduce the conversation at a time like this because this is the time when it's in the general conversation anyway so it's not an intrusive time and I also think very often we pass each other like ships in the night and we don't get the time to sit down and really talk and interact over things because life is so busy but this season seems to put people in groups for a longer period of time. Maybe it's a party. Maybe it's a family visit.

Maybe it's around a table and a meal and it lends itself to a more full and rich conversation about Christmas, which can lead to you explaining the significance of Christmas I would just add as a footnote, don't expect an immediate response because the task is to start by sowing the seed and then maybe God comes along and waters it and eventually God may choose to give the increase, so make sure you take the opportunity to speak of Christ and see how the Lord might use that and he will use it. Thanks John now friend to help prepare for conversations you might have with nonbelievers in the next few days stay here as John MacArthur looks at the true significance of Christmas. The reason Jesus was born turn to the gospel of Luke as John continues his study titled the promise of Christmas. Let me read you, Luke 28 to 14 and in the same region. There were some shepherds staying out of the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened and the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger and suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased is a very familiar passage of Scripture, certainly read many many times every Christmas season. Probably the most familiar element of the Christmas story to the world at large, but there are so many things of depth and profundity in this brief story. This was an anybody's measurement the greatest birth in the history of the world and yet so obscure. Verse seven she gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a feed trough because there was no room for them in the end so obscure obscure town in some kind of a travelers shelter.

Probably not a commercial in as I told you last time a commercial shelter. Maybe with the four sides. Kind of a lean to with the loft so that some good sleep above and some good sleep below and little rooms.

It would have thin walls between the made of wood in the middle of the courtyard, only animals would stay and there would be feed troughs there and there they were Joseph and Mary and there she gave birth there was not one of those lost one of those guestrooms for them and so she gave birth and 1/2 public way, probably seeking some kind of privacy when that little child came into the world and cried its first cry of life. Nobody knew who it was.

Nobody realize that the eternal holy creator God of the universe had just entered the world in human form that little child was born in utter anonymity in a busy bustling overcrowded little town nobody around even knew such anonymity, not a grand entrance for God into the world, but passage I just read you are passage for today breaks the silence ends the anonymity in a most remarkable way.

As I read an angel appears to make the announcement of who it is that has been born few hours after the birth. The monumental miracle few hours after the arrival of the son of Mary, son of the most high God. There is an announcement made.

The angel says there has been born for you a safe while that's the heart of the entire thing.

The whole event is summed up in that statement. There has been born for you a Savior.

That's the New Testament is not.

That's the gospel that's the heart of everything. That's the pinnacle of redemption. There has been born for you a Savior. That's the Christian message.

That's what we're still telling people is in it. There has been born for you a Savior. And may I hasten to add that the shepherds would understand that you say will wait a minute, that is, is in Savior and New Testament.

Idea is a Savior and New Testament concept that Jesus came to us to save and he's the Savior and I would go shepherds notices being a Savior is not a New Testament concept that's an Old Testament concept shepherds would know what that meant, because all who were in Israel knew God as Savior. That is a Jewish concept and over and over again.

His salvation is spoken. I'm going to resist not to call it a temptation. I'm going to resist the opportunity to to point out innumerable scriptures. Deuteronomy 20 verse for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you to save you money by nature God, did that. That's just in the very fabric of his eternal being. God is called the God of his salvation. Some 25. Five thou art the God of my salvation. I mean, they knew him as a Savior that David in Psalm 51 is praying to God and he lost the joy because of his disobedience and he says the God restore to me the joy of thy salvation.

They knew God as a Savior, God in the Old Testament just fueled with indications of that Isaiah 63 is one worth mentioning. Verse eight and nine says, when God chose Israel so he became their Savior. What a great state. Isaiah 63.

So he became their Savior. What that mean in all their affliction.

Verse nine he was afflicted in his love and his mercy he rescued them he redeemed them he brought them back.

He lifted them, he carried them all the days of old, but they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. Therefore he turned himself to become their enemy fought against him.

He started out as their Savior and they thought even that said he was there, safe, take righteous Mary go back to chapter 1 verse 47.

She knew that this is a 13-year-old girl sweetened, meek and righteous young girl and she hears from Gabriel that she's going to be the mother of God, the mother of the son of the most high, and she says in verse 46 my soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, she knew that Jehovah God was her Savior.

Think Zacharias Zacharias says in chapter 1 was a righteous priest he was. He was righteous, verse six of chapter 1 in the sight of God, and walk blamelessly and all the commandments requirements the Lord here was a godly priest and in his great praise at the birth of John, the forerunner of the Messiah. Verse 69. Zacharias, realizing the Messiah is going to be born.

Mary just spent three months at their house and she's already pregnant with the Messiah. He knows what's happening and he says God has raised up a horn of salvation for us here comes the Savior. The great power of salvation and down in verse 77 he tells you what kind of salvation is talking about to give his people, the knowledge of salvation that comes by the forgiveness of their sins even knew that the truest salvation came when sins were forgiven.

Profit had said in the Old Testament prophet Micah who was a pardoning God like you. The Old Testament says God is a forgiving God who removes or sends as far as the east is from the West buries him in the depths of the deepest sea and remembers them no more. They knew God was a saving God. They knew God is a forgiving God. There were many of them in that nation who had experienced personal spiritual and eternal salvation from God. He stated they get that in the Old Testament yes they did, they would measure themselves against the law of God, find themselves disobedient falling short realize their plight.

They couldn't keep the law of God. Therefore the Bible says if you break the law of God, you're cursed. They were under a curse.

The curse meant death and punishment. They would therefore feel the burden of that they would go to God, they would say God I broken your law. I can't keep it on curse. Please be merciful, be gracious. Forgive me. That's the penitence of the Old Testament. That's like the man beating his breast.

In Luke 18 God be merciful to me a sinner when the person on the Old Testament came to a true assessment of their sinfulness. A true recognition that they had failed to keep the law of God and were therefore cursed and knew they couldn't gain salvation. They disdained self-righteousness, but through themselves on the mercy of God.

God then forgave their sin is what Isaiah says in chapter 5455 Mary was such a person. So Zachariah he was recognizing the salvation of God that is personal, spiritual and eternal, that would come a similar pardon Messiah have love the Messiah would come and offer the sacrifice upon which all this forgiveness had always been given they were forgiven. In the Old Testament because God would take their sins and later placed them on Christ.

Just as you are forgiven because God takes your sins and places them on Christ same Christ bears the sins of all who believed in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament age they knew God as a Savior.

Mary knew that Zacharias knew that. Look at verse 25 and meet Simeon in chapter 2 Simeon was a righteous and devout man looking for the consolation of his or here's another believer there's another true penitent dear somebody who's been forgiven by God. Here somebody to whom God is a Savior. He realizes that he picks up the little baby in this account down in verse 30.

My eyes have seen thy salvation.

Finally, the Savior's, he understood that there was salvation from God that God was a Savior, but he also understood that there was one who had to, there had to be a final land God had to provide a final sacrifice we saw the little baby. He said this is it. This is don't underestimate these people, these devout people looking as it says for the consolation of Israel in verse 25 the comfort of Israel that the salvation of Israel. If you will down in verse 38 looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. They know what they were looking for. They were looking for a final sacrifice was pictured by all the sacrifices that have been given by the millions through the history of that system.

They knew God to be a Savior not to take it one step further. God showed himself a Savior to Israel. Two ways.

First, he showed them that he was a Savior by nature, temporally, that is, in time and physically that is in this life.

Say what you mean by that I mean by that the gods showed to the nation Israel is saving nature by saving them from Egypt by saving them, rescuing them out of the Red Sea and drowning Pharaoh's army by rescuing them, delivering them, as it were out of the 40 years of wilderness wandering into the promised land by delivering them from the myriad of enemies that hated them and try to obliterate them throughout their history. God showed how he delivered them he delivered them from hostile nations. He delivered them from sickness.

He delivered them from trouble. He delivered them from danger. He delivered them from death over and over and folks, it's still going on, God delivered the nation Israel from massive attempts at genocide by Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler here. They are Jews still there, still alive.

They been delivered through all these millennia. There they are independently functioning as a nation of their own and their own land testimony to the fact that even in apostate people who reject God turn their back on God reject their Messiah execute the Savior still are being delivered by God. That's his nature.

That's why Paul in Romans says can't you see this this deliverance.

This salvation on a temporal physical level as the patience and forbearance of God meant to lead you to personal repentance.

Can't you see if God is so gracious to the nation that he will also be gracious to the individual sinner. God is a Savior by nature, and he has saved that nation through the years because it's his nature to deliver temporally and physically from the immediate and just consequence of sin, which would be instant death and hell, but his nature is not to give sinners what sinners deserve, even in this life and that's still true that's true the outside of Israel. The world is predominantly populated by non-Christians. Is that true massively populated by non-Christians who flourish to 1° or another in this life. They enjoy life.

They smell the flowers. They see the sunrise in the sunset. They drink the cool water.

They needed a good meal they fall in love. They kiss a baby. They see a mountain. They enjoy the richness and the fullness of life. They breathe the air. Why does God by nature delivers them from the immediate consequence. The just an immediate consequence of what they deserve. That's why first Timothy 410, Paul says God the living God, who is the Savior of all men. The whole world of people today exist because God is a saving God.

He has delivered them from what they deserve. Is that not true. People asked me to select why do bad things happen to good people, ready for this. They don't because there are no good people. The question is why do good things happen to bad people. Now that's a book that I need to write a happen because God is by nature what a Savior is a deliver is a rescuer now, especially first Timothy four tenses, especially of those who believe especially of those who believe what what it was at me well. He delivers all men from the just and immediate consequence of their sin temporally and physically, but he delivers those who believe from their sin, spiritually and eternally. That's what really matters in you can look at the Old Testament you'll see God delivering Israel temporally and physically and you'll see God delivering individual Jewish people and even Gentile believers, spiritually and eternally look at the world today, and God deliver sinners from the just an immediate consequence of their sin and you will also see all over the world.

Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. They've been delivered from the consequence of their sin, spiritually and eternally. God is by nature a Savior. Titus one. Titus two and Titus three refer to God our Savior God our Savior God our Savior.

There is no discrepancy between the God of the New Testament and the God of the Old Testament God is by nature a Savior. That is why Jesus is a Savior because Jesus is God. That's a syllogism you can work with. When we read in second Peter 111, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ were not surprised. These are Savior because he's our Lord. If these God the Lord that he's a Savior because God is a Savior's not us.

Some people say you know that God is the bad guy and Jesus is the good guy and that you know Jesus gets up there really really pleads with God. Try to soften them up. Not that is much as Jesus is a Savior, so much as God is Savior so much. As the Holy Spirit Savior is no diminishing that saving nature and any member of the Trinity, God shows us his goodness is kindness to all.

He restrains evil in the world. He provides families maintain social order by government provides beauty and joy shows compassion to call sinners to repent. He offers the gospel, salvation in Christ is offered to all sinners. He is by nature a saving God and folks will say again, there is many other God in the spectrum of deities who is by nature Savior. So when the angel said there has been born for you Savior.

Boy, this was just loaded with significance. The Savior that all been looking for. They'd all been waiting for. This was consistent with God, and that's why Joseph was told Matthew 121 you shall call his name Jesus. That means Savior, for he will save his people from their sins. And that's why Luke records the words of Jesus. Later in Luke 1910, who said the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost of all things. He's a Savior he's the Savior.

See we can't, he can't be our king until these are Savior right you can't fulfill the Davidic covenant with all of its kingly features. He can't be our bless her, and fulfill the Abraham it covenant with all its blessings until he fulfills the new covenant and becomes our Savior.

All Davidic promise all Abraham's premise is predicated upon him a Savior.

He can't be the bless her and he can't be the king until he's the Savior.

And so the covenant that dominates everything the covenant that opens the door to Abraham.

It promise and Davidic promise is the new covenant in his blood because it is in his blood on the cross that he takes the wrath of God.

The fury of God pays the penalty for sin satisfies the justice of God and therefore rescues us from sin and death and hell, and once he is our Savior. Then he opens to us all the promises that come in his kingdom and through Abraham it blessing well one little phrase in their close with this, there has been born for you that good for us, and if I'd been out there with those shepherds you kidding you don't know much about us and I'll tell you about them you to be amazed, but they were the least likely of all to have received such a promise. Notice another thought here. The pagan world. They also understood this idea of a Savior. They understood that the Greek word so tear Savior.

They understood that in fact member I told you Caesar Augustus, what was he called the Savior of the world. That was the title. But Caesar Augustus had its inscribed some ancient monument Savior of the world. They also gave that title Savior to philosophers who delivered them from ignorance to doctors who delivered them from death and like Caesar to great leaders who delivered them from their enemies and certainly Jesus as Savior would speak to the Greek mind the wanted delivers us from death. The one who delivers us from ignorance. The one who delivers us from danger. That word was loaded with significance in the Jewish world and even in the Gentile world and certainly Caesar Augustus wouldn't have willfully set up the credentials for the true Savior of the world, to whom Caesar Augustus, by the way, is eternally bowing.

This is what God does because she controls history in the end, what is it matter if you don't take the words for you person the Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born if he's not born in the thy soul is still forlorn, set some bullet what is it matter matters not. But there was a Savior born for you and this is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us along with teaching here on the radio. John serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary.

His current study is looking at the promise of Christmas and friend.

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