Christ Alone the Savior

It is December 19, 2017, deep into the Christmas season. Christmas, what is it? A national holiday? Sure. The biggest commercial event in a year? Sure. An opportunity to spend time with family and friends? Sure. All of these are true. But surely it doesn’t escape your attention that there is a “Christ” in every “Christmas.” Yes, Christmas is about Christ. He is the reason for the season. The origin of Christmas, the birth of the Christ child, is recorded in the Bible. About 2000 years ago an angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds and said to them:

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

This is the original Gospel, The Good News. It’s a universal news, not only for the Jews, but all the people. It’s an emotional news, one that will cause great joy. It’s a personal news, about a Person, the Savior, the Messiah. It’s about God Himself taking the form of a human baby, wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger. He is Christ the Lord, the Savior.

The second aspect of Solus Christus is about the Savior. Not everyone can be the Savior of the World. To qualify one needs to be able, willing, and perfect. Who is able to deliver us from the bondage of sin? Who is willing to pay with his own life for our salvation? Who is the perfect lamb whose sacrifice is required for the atonement of sin? The answer is Christ. He alone is able, willing, and perfect.

The Messiah: Who He Saves

The Hebrew word “Messiah” literally means The Anointed One, “Christ” is the Greek equivalent for that word. Anointing is a way the ancient Hebrews used to show a person has been designated by God. He could be a high priest, a king, or a prophet. When it came to Jesus’ time the word Messiah took on an additional meaning: He is to be God’s designated Savior. Unbeknownst to the people that time this Savior is to save not just the Jews, but the whole world. This is a total surprise to the Jewish people. An even bigger surprise, or a blasphemy to them, is the claim that this Messiah is God Himself.

The Bible bears witness to the truth that the Messiah, one who saves the world, is God Himself. The holy God, who separates Himself from sinners, has come to them.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1,14

The truth that the Messiah is God Himself makes “Christ Alone” the only logical conclusion. There is only one God, He became the Messiah, only He can save. He alone is able to deliver us from the bondage of sin. There is no other savior. There is no need for other savior. Christ alone is able and sufficient.

The Cross: How He Saves

The baby in the manger grew up to be the man Jesus. He preached the gospel (Mark 1:14) to the multitude, healed the sick, befriended the socially alienated, and eventually went to the cross for all of them. This is how God saves us: He became one of us, lived a perfect life that we could not live, paid a terrible price that we could not pay, so that we can live a life that we don’t deserve.

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14

The true meaning of Christmas is the cross. The Messiah was born to die. The adorable baby in the manger and the disfigured man on the cross was the same person. It was for our salvation that He came. The baby in the manger was the unblemished lamb to be slaughtered on the altar, the holy God to be nailed on the cross.

The Sinners: Whom He Saves

All have sinned. All can be saved through faith in Christ. The fact that we are all sinners, with no exception, is the reason why Christ came:

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24

Dear brothers and sisters, the cross is a showroom for God’s love. The death of Christ shows us how much God loves the sinners. He died for us without our awareness. We don’t know that we are sinners. That’s the nature of sin, it numbs you to a degree that you lose awareness of its existence in you. We don’t know there is a God. Sin alienates us from the Divine that eventually we lose the awareness of Him. But these didn’t stop God dying for us. With or without our awareness, He died for us anyway. He Loves us.

Christ Alone the King

The third and final aspect of Solus Christus is Christ alone is the King. He is the one who sits in the celestial throne, one who rules the universe. His will always prevails.

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever. Revelation 11:15

It’s important for Christians to know that our Lord is the King of the world. Not only we obey Him, but the whole world obeys Him too. There is no greater power, there is no higher authority. By His authority we go to the ends of the world to preach the gospel and make disciples. Christ is our King and the world our field. He empowers and emboldens us. The risen Lord has given us His far-reaching command:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20

Dear brothers and sister, there is only one King. Christ is the King. We bow to no one but this King. By His authority we go far and near, high and low. We are not ashamed of the gospel. We fear no one. We are bold. We are Christians, the Master’s servants, the Teacher’s disciples, the King’s soldiers.

Christmas is near. There is a Christ in every Christmas, let’s celebrate Him. He alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.