Our family is caught up in a debate. It’s a debate that has plagued families long before mine, and it’s a debate that will no doubt continue into the future. It’s a debate that threatens to divide mothers from daughters, fathers from sons, and can make dear friends into foes. It’s a debate over one seemingly unanswerable question: At what point in the year is it appropriate to begin listening to Christmas music? As you might imagine, my son has a strong opinion on the matter and is a strict “post-Thanksgiving only” Christmas-music listener, while my daughter is predictably more flexible on the issue. Have you taken a side?

One reason this debate is so hotly contested is because we love Christmas music and Christmas carols. Even if tonight is the one time this year you’ve attended a church service and you’re not particularly religious, you probably have a Christmas song or carol that you like—one that means something to you. Personally, I love the carol O Holy Night. I love it because it reminds me that Jesus Christ is the Savior I need. The lyrics are beautiful:

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

I have disobeyed and ignored God so many times. My conscience often aches, making my soul weary. But I love O Holy Night because it reminds me that Jesus is the Savior I need—the only One who can bring me the thrill of hope and eternal joy for my sinful soul. I love O Holy Night because it reminds me that God has sent the Savior I need.

And that message—that God has sent the Savior we need—is taken directly from our passage this evening. Luke 2:10–11:
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The big idea of our passage—the big idea of Christmas—is this: God has sent the Savior we need. God has sent the Savior we need.

Honest question: How do you know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior we need? After all, there are a lot of would-be saviors out there. I once heard a pastor say that even those who don’t believe in a literal heaven, hell, and Savior still have a functional heaven, hell, and savior. We all have a functional heaven, hell, and a savior we think we need.

For some of us, heaven is having a great-looking body, hell is being ugly or out of shape, and the savior we think we need is the right regimen of sleep, exercise, nutrition, and self-care.
For others, heaven is being respected, hell is being thought little of, and the savior we think we need is one more dollar, one more accomplishment, or one more thing that will finally earn the respect we long for.
For others, heaven is security and stability, hell is the unknown, and the savior we think we need is enough wealth to handle any possible problem—which is always just a little more wealth than we have.
And for still others, heaven is feeling at peace, hell is being anxious, and the savior we think we need is pleasant circumstances.

Which so-called savior do you often feel like you really need for hope and happiness, significance and security? With so many would-be saviors, how do we know that God has already sent the Savior we need—and that His name is the Lord Jesus Christ?

Our passage this evening provides three reasons we can have certainty that God has sent the Savior we need, and we don’t need another:
(1) Where He was born
(2) What the angels sang
(3) What the shepherds saw

Let’s take those one at a time.

WHERE HE WAS BORN (vv. 1–7)

Where someone is born can tell you a lot about them. For example, if you tell me that you’re from New Jersey—the armpit of our great nation—I can immediately tell a lot about you. I’m just kidding. Joe Pesci is from New Jersey! But you really can tell a lot about someone from where they were born.

When it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, you can tell that He is the Savior you need from where He was born. Way back in the Old Testament, about seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah foretold where the Savior would be born. He wrote:
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2).

God promised that the Savior would be born in the city of David—Bethlehem—from the royal line of King David. Therefore, the Savior we need must be born in Bethlehem.

The only problem is that Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus though a virgin, and her fiancé Joseph lived in Nazareth. Nazareth and Bethlehem are about ninety miles apart. That was roughly a one-week journey in the first century. How was Jesus possibly going to be born in Bethlehem? How could He be the Savior we need?

Luke 2:1, 3–7:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered… And all went to be registered, each to his own town. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. [7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Isn’t that amazing? The seemingly all-powerful and merciless Caesar made a decree that everyone living under Rome’s thumb must travel to their hometown to be registered, ensuring they paid proper taxes and tributes. Caesar and Quirinius thought they were making a strategic move to enrich themselves. Little did they know they were instruments in God’s hands, bringing Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem—exactly where God promised the Savior would be born.

The first reason we can know that God has sent the Savior we need is this: God promised for centuries that He would be born in Bethlehem, and then, in His overruling providence, moved Mary and Joseph there just in time for Jesus Christ to be born.

So what savior do you think you need? What so-called saviors in this world do you think will give you hope and happiness, significance and security, remove your guilt, and give you a right standing with God on the day of judgment? Was that so-called savior promised for centuries? Was that so-called savior born in Bethlehem to a virgin? He, she, or it is not the savior you need.

God sent the Savior we need, and we know it first by where He was born—and second by:

WHAT THE ANGELS SANG (vv. 8–14)

Have you ever had to use an interpreter? I’ve traveled to the Middle East a couple of times and can tell you that a good interpreter can be a lifesaver. Thankfully, when it comes to the Savior’s birth, we have heavenly interpreters to tell us what it means and why we can be sure that God sent the Savior we need.

After an unnamed angel appeared to shepherds watching over their flocks by night and announced the good news of great joy—that a Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in Bethlehem—a multitude of angels appeared with him. And their song tells us why we can be sure God sent the Savior we need.

Luke 2:14:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

We can know that God sent the Savior we need because the angels sang peace. Christ is the only One who can bring us peace.

Isn’t peace what we’re all after? Think again about the pseudo-saviors you believe you need. Isn’t the reason you pin your hopes on them because you think they’ll give you peace? But honestly—how’s that going? Don’t they leave you feeling like you just need a little more, a little less, or a little better, and then you’ll finally have peace? It’s not working. Why?

A Christian theologian named Augustine of Hippo once wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” The reason the false saviors of money, intimacy, achievement, moralism, and comfort can’t give you peace is because they can’t give you peace with God.

The Bible teaches that we are by nature enemies of God—estranged from Him—because we have disobeyed and ignored Him in the world He created. We were made for God, and our false saviors leave us restless because they cannot reconcile us to Him.

But God so loved the world that He gave the Savior we need. He was born in Bethlehem’s manger and crucified on Jerusalem’s cross. All who receive and rest in Him as Savior receive forgiveness of sins and are reconciled to God in perfect and eternal peace.

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And when you have peace with God, you can begin to experience the peace of God in all circumstances—even bad ones.

We can know God sent the Savior we need, first, because of where He was born—Bethlehem; second, because of what the angels sang—peace; and finally, because of:

WHAT THE SHEPHERDS SAW

After the angels sang, they went away, and the shepherds immediately went to Bethlehem to see what the angels had told them. What were they told they would see?

Luke 2:11–12:
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Swaddling cloths were completely normal. Saying, “You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths,” is like saying today, “You will find a baby in a onesie.” That’s what nearly all babies wear.

But a baby lying in a manger—that’s unexpected. A manger was an animal’s feeding trough. Everyone dresses a baby in a onesie, but no one lays their newborn in the dog bowl. Yet that’s exactly what they found.

Luke 2:16:
“And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.”

We know God sent the Savior we need because of what the shepherds saw: a humble Savior lying in a manger.

Think one last time about the pseudo-saviors that tempt you. Has your career, your marriage, your children, your finances, your achievements, or your relationships ever humbled themselves to save you?

Jesus Christ is the Savior you need because He is God who came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. He is the humble Savior, lying in a manger.

How humble is He? Consider how He humbled Himself for His bride—His people, the church. Mark Chanski writes:

“For His Bride, He left heaven’s glory. For His Bride, He was willing to wiggle in Bethlehem’s manger and work in Nazareth’s workshop… For His Bride, He had no place to lay His head. For His Bride, He marched fearlessly toward the Jerusalem slaughterhouse. For His Bride, He broke the bread in the upper room. For His Bride, He was drenched in blood-like sweat. For His Bride, He said, ‘Not my will, but Thine be done.’ For His Bride, He handed Himself over to a kangaroo court. For His Bride, He was again and again spat upon and struck… For His Bride, He was stripped naked. For His Bride, He accepted the spikes into His hands and feet. For His Bride, He was lifted up between heaven and earth as an accursed spectacle. For His Bride, He hung His head before wagging scoffers. For His Bride, He gasped for breath and cried out, ‘My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ For His Bride, He finished it and died.”

God has sent the Savior we need—born in Bethlehem’s manger and crucified on Jerusalem’s cross—to bring the good news of great joy: peace with God through Him, now and forever.

Is He your Savior?

We’re going to take a minute of silence for you to consider that question and receive Him as your Savior for the first time. There is a sample prayer on your connect card to help give you language to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior for the forgiveness of sins. Let’s take a minute of silence, and then stand to sing with joy to our Savior.