Lk.2:10,11 – And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will 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”.
I love the personal nature of the gospel. Christ was born for me. That is the announcement the angels made to the shepherds that first Christmas night. “There is born FOR YOU a Savior who is Christ the Lord”. Those words stuck with these shepherds the rest of their lives. Have you ever wondered how Luke heard those words when he was writing his gospel over fifty years later? He apparently talked to Mary and got her story and either Mary rehearsed the words of the shepherds to Luke or he found those shepherds himself. All they could say was that the Savior was born in Bethlehem for them. Here is how Martin Luther described this amazing scene.
“See here what the gospel is, namely, a joyful sermon about Christ our Savior. Whoever preaches him rightly preaches the gospel and pure joy. How can a heart hear of greater joy than that Christ is given to him as his own? He not only says that Christ is born, but he also makes his birth our own by saying “your Savior.” Therefore, the gospel not only teaches the history and events of Christ but also makes him our own and gives him to all who believe it, which is the true and proper nature of the gospel. What would it help me if Christ had been born a thousand times and it were sung daily in a most lovely manner, if I were never to hear that he was born for me and was to be my very own?! If the voice makes a sound, no matter how quiet and awful it sounds, my heart listens with joy; it penetrates through and indeed sounds sincere.”
So today we have to become like those shepherds, especially at Christmas time. What is Christmas? Why of course, it is the day that Christ was born for me. Like Luke 2000 years ago we write down or preach those words to whoever will listen. What is our story? This Christmas Day a Savior has been born In Bethlehem for you. He is Christ the Lord and He came to save you from your sin. He wasn’t born in some generic impersonal way, yet He came with you in mind. So you want to make this personal? Absolutely, Christ became a man to die for me.
