Christmas 2024: The Name that Promises What is to Come

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Galatians 1:3-5, ESV)

This year, we’ve been looking at the name of our Savior, the name of the baby we remember in the manger– the name of Jesus Christ. It’s a name that casts out fear and embodies peace. It’s a name that inspires the praise of all creation and every redeemed man. It’s a name that saved us from our sins and allowed us to enter into the presence of God the Father. It’s a name that only the Son of God could truly bear and carry out.

Jesus, God saves. Immanuel, God with us. Christ, the anointed One.

His name indicates His work. It points us to the cross in bright, neon letters. It proves to us that God’s plan wasn’t something He made up as He went along. It wasn’t something He was surprised by or had to strongarm together. 

It was His intention from the beginning of time. He laid out all creation and knew we’d fall. He fashioned and built and passionately made, knowing we would sin. And as He said it was good, He knew His Son would go to a cross for a very unworthy, yet vastly desired people: us. Jesus, the Son of God. His very name told us how much He loved us from the beginning. Indeed, He came as a baby. He came from the very heights of glory and condescended down to us to become the lowest of low and the meekest of meek. 

For us. To be with us. To save us. 

And on this day, of all days, we should feel the depth of that sin. We should look upon our Savior’s newborn face and realize just how unworthy we are to have Him, and yet, He still gives Himself for us to receive. Because He didn’t just save us from our sin, He saved us from our sin so totally and thoroughly.

He saved us from the punishment of sin; from the condemnation and eternal death it brings. God’s children were saved from even the charge of that sin. Their debt was paid in full and there is no memory of it. It was wholly forgiven and expunged. 

He saved us from the poison of that sin, because after salvation comes sanctification and transformation. This means that not only are we saved and forgiven of our sins, but we are also put on a path that gradually transforms us to be more and more like Christ. And in doing so, the more we become like the One who saved us, the less we desire the wicked pleasure of our sins. We begin to become sensitive to our wrongdoings against God, and we now delight in things that please the Lord. We strive for holiness. We live in righteousness and desire purity of spirit.

He saved us from our tendency to sin. He saves us by His Spirit and roots out our evil ways. He helps us to overcome old habits and principles. He brings every one of our thoughts captive to Him. He helps us to live for Him.

And He saves us from ever coming away from His perfect salvation ever again. Those whom He saves remain saved. There is no backsliding or falling away. To do so would indicate that salvation was never received in the first place. We don’t have to walk in fear of losing the saving grace that He gave us. We don’t have to live on edge, worrying if He would revoke His love for us. Does that mean that we can sin and He will forgive us? Does that mean that we can live by grace in a flippant manner? No. But it does mean that He will empower us to continue to walk by faith and will strengthen us when we need it.

Spurgeon writes, “Christ Jesus came into the world, not to half save you, not to save you in this direction or that, and in this light or that, but to save you from your sin, to save you from an angry temper, to save you from pride, to save you from strong drink, to save you from covetousness, to save you from every evil thing, ;and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.’ This is a glorious truth, ‘ Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ He came to Bethlehem’s manger, and afterwards to Calvary’s cross, with this as his one business, that he might save sinners.”

So this Christmas, when we rest in the peace of togetherness and family, when we withdraw into the comfort and joy of our homes, and when we enjoy the warmth and the wonder of this season, let’s not forget that with this baby in a manger comes the fullness of God’s love for us. With this infant Jesus, comes the promise of rescue and grace, mercy and kindness. 

His name is the indication of why He came to us. His name is worthy of praise and awe and reverence. His name is a treasure and a promise to us. 

When we see the manger, we must also acknowledge the shadow of the cross that is to come. When we see the precious child, we must also remember the God that became man to die for the payment of our sins. And when we see that beautiful baby in a stable, we should remember the grave from which He arose, conquering death and evil itself. 

Merry Christmas, friends. May the Lord’s peace find you wherever you are, and may you draw near to Him closer and closer this season. I pray that you would see Him in a way that moves you to worship Him and honor Him in all you do. 

Praise the Lord! He is with us, our Jesus Christ, Immanuel.