The angel's message to Joseph, who was soon to be a step dad to the Virgin born Jesus, in Matthew 1:20, 21, "Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
Roy Lessin observes:
"If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness. "God sent us a Saviour."
Billy Graham writes:
"Jesus came into the world to save all kinds of people; rich or poor, black or white, educated or illiterate, sophisticated or ordinary - or anyone in between.
Only two groups of people gathered at God's invitation to pay Him homage when He was born. One was the shepherds - lowly, at the bottom of the social ladder, uneducated, unsophisticated. The other was the wise men - intellectuals, from another race and country, wealthy, respected. The two groups could hardly have been more different!
God brought both groups to Bethlehem - one by an angelic announcement, one by the appearance of a miraculous star. And by bringing both, God was telling us that Jesus is the Saviour for everyone. Every person stands in need of His forgiveness and new life - and every person can know it, if he or she only repents and makes that journey to the Christ of Christmas.
No matter who you are in the eyes of others, you need Christ. And no matter what you have done, He loves you and stands ready to welcome you."
We would be delighted to have you join us for Christmas Eve service and Christmas day dinner.
Pastor John Giesbrecht
