The Greatest Name
The Greatest Name: Is Jesus Your Savior?
In the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, young Linus stands on stage and recites the Christmas story from Luke's Gospel. In that simple, childlike moment, he answers Charlie Brown's desperate question: "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" The answer rings clear through the centuries—it's about a Savior.
But here's the question that matters most: Is Jesus your Savior?
More Than Just Another Name
Jesus carries many beautiful names throughout Scripture. He is the Son of God, the Son of Man, Emmanuel—God with us. He is the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World. He is Alpha and Omega, King of Kings, and Prince of Peace. Each name reveals something profound about His character and purpose.
Yet among all these magnificent titles, one stands above the rest: Savior.
The other names describe who Jesus is and what He offers. But "Savior" is different. Savior requires a response. You must personally ask Him to save you. He may be many things in the abstract, but the critical question remains: Have you accepted Him as your Savior?
God's desire is crystal clear in Scripture: He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). It is not God's will for anyone to die without Him. Life is fragile and uncertain—we don't know what tomorrow may bring. The urgency of this decision cannot be overstated.
The Exclusive Path to Salvation
The angel's announcement to Joseph carries profound significance: "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). This is what separates Jesus from every other religious figure, teacher, or prophet in history. Jesus alone can forgive sins.
We don't pray to intermediaries. We don't seek forgiveness through other channels. There is one mediator between God and humanity, and His name is Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12 states it plainly: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." This isn't politically correct. It isn't popular in our pluralistic culture. But it is truth.
Some will say this is narrow-minded or intolerant. But consider what Jesus Himself declared: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). These aren't the words of an inclusive philosopher offering one path among many. These are the words of the only Savior.
The Ancient Promise
This isn't a new development or a Christian innovation. Seven hundred years before Christ's birth, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah: "I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior" (Isaiah 43:11). The exclusivity of Jesus as Savior was God's plan from the beginning.
People have always tried to create alternative paths to peace with God. They construct elaborate religious systems, perform good works, or blend various spiritual practices. But the truth remains unchanged: apart from Jesus, there is no Savior.
Complete Salvation
Hebrews 7:25 offers a beautiful promise: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Notice two powerful truths here:
First, Jesus saves completely. Not partially. Not conditionally. Not temporarily. When you come to God through Jesus, you are saved completely.
Second, Jesus "always lives to intercede" for us. Our Savior doesn't just save us and walk away. He stands before the Father on our behalf, advocating for us, interceding for us. What a beautiful picture of ongoing relationship and care.
The Narrow Road
Jesus taught about two roads in Matthew 7:13-14. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
This is perhaps the most sobering truth in all of Scripture. More people will spend eternity separated from God than will spend it in His presence. Not because God desires it, but because they choose the broad road.
The broad road has many on-ramps. "I'm a good person" is one of the most common. But our goodness, compared to a holy and sinless God, falls desperately short. Romans 3:23 reminds us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Even the best among us needs a Savior.
Other broad roads include: "I believe certain things about Jesus but also embrace other spiritual paths," or "All roads lead to the same place eventually," or simply the path of indifference and delay.
But there is only one narrow road, and it runs exclusively through Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
A Movement Among the Young
Something powerful is happening among young people today. In sports, entertainment, and everyday life, young men and women are boldly declaring their faith in Jesus. A Heisman Trophy winner speaks openly about his Christian faith and desire to be more like Tim Tebow. A professional quarterback publicly commits to stop using profanity because it doesn't reflect well on his Christian witness.
At a college softball tournament, one young woman's request for baptism sparked a movement that led to over sixty people being baptized—players from multiple teams, parents, grandparents, all gathering around a hotel pool to witness new life in Christ.
Young people aren't looking for what's cool or trendy. They're looking for what's real. And they're finding it in Jesus.
The Question That Matters
As we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Mary herself, pregnant with Jesus, referred to "God my Savior" (Luke 1:47). She recognized that the child in her womb was her Savior.
But is He yours?
Whatever else you're banking on to get you to heaven—good works, religious affiliation, family heritage, personal morality—it simply doesn't matter if Jesus isn't your Savior. All other roads, no matter how well-intentioned or sincere, lead away from God.
The good news—the "tidings of great joy" announced by angels—is that "today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
He came for you. He died for you. He rose for you. And today, He offers you complete salvation.
The altar is always open. The invitation stands. Is Jesus your Savior?
In the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, young Linus stands on stage and recites the Christmas story from Luke's Gospel. In that simple, childlike moment, he answers Charlie Brown's desperate question: "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" The answer rings clear through the centuries—it's about a Savior.
But here's the question that matters most: Is Jesus your Savior?
More Than Just Another Name
Jesus carries many beautiful names throughout Scripture. He is the Son of God, the Son of Man, Emmanuel—God with us. He is the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World. He is Alpha and Omega, King of Kings, and Prince of Peace. Each name reveals something profound about His character and purpose.
Yet among all these magnificent titles, one stands above the rest: Savior.
The other names describe who Jesus is and what He offers. But "Savior" is different. Savior requires a response. You must personally ask Him to save you. He may be many things in the abstract, but the critical question remains: Have you accepted Him as your Savior?
God's desire is crystal clear in Scripture: He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). It is not God's will for anyone to die without Him. Life is fragile and uncertain—we don't know what tomorrow may bring. The urgency of this decision cannot be overstated.
The Exclusive Path to Salvation
The angel's announcement to Joseph carries profound significance: "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). This is what separates Jesus from every other religious figure, teacher, or prophet in history. Jesus alone can forgive sins.
We don't pray to intermediaries. We don't seek forgiveness through other channels. There is one mediator between God and humanity, and His name is Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12 states it plainly: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." This isn't politically correct. It isn't popular in our pluralistic culture. But it is truth.
Some will say this is narrow-minded or intolerant. But consider what Jesus Himself declared: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). These aren't the words of an inclusive philosopher offering one path among many. These are the words of the only Savior.
The Ancient Promise
This isn't a new development or a Christian innovation. Seven hundred years before Christ's birth, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah: "I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior" (Isaiah 43:11). The exclusivity of Jesus as Savior was God's plan from the beginning.
People have always tried to create alternative paths to peace with God. They construct elaborate religious systems, perform good works, or blend various spiritual practices. But the truth remains unchanged: apart from Jesus, there is no Savior.
Complete Salvation
Hebrews 7:25 offers a beautiful promise: "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Notice two powerful truths here:
First, Jesus saves completely. Not partially. Not conditionally. Not temporarily. When you come to God through Jesus, you are saved completely.
Second, Jesus "always lives to intercede" for us. Our Savior doesn't just save us and walk away. He stands before the Father on our behalf, advocating for us, interceding for us. What a beautiful picture of ongoing relationship and care.
The Narrow Road
Jesus taught about two roads in Matthew 7:13-14. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
This is perhaps the most sobering truth in all of Scripture. More people will spend eternity separated from God than will spend it in His presence. Not because God desires it, but because they choose the broad road.
The broad road has many on-ramps. "I'm a good person" is one of the most common. But our goodness, compared to a holy and sinless God, falls desperately short. Romans 3:23 reminds us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Even the best among us needs a Savior.
Other broad roads include: "I believe certain things about Jesus but also embrace other spiritual paths," or "All roads lead to the same place eventually," or simply the path of indifference and delay.
But there is only one narrow road, and it runs exclusively through Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
A Movement Among the Young
Something powerful is happening among young people today. In sports, entertainment, and everyday life, young men and women are boldly declaring their faith in Jesus. A Heisman Trophy winner speaks openly about his Christian faith and desire to be more like Tim Tebow. A professional quarterback publicly commits to stop using profanity because it doesn't reflect well on his Christian witness.
At a college softball tournament, one young woman's request for baptism sparked a movement that led to over sixty people being baptized—players from multiple teams, parents, grandparents, all gathering around a hotel pool to witness new life in Christ.
Young people aren't looking for what's cool or trendy. They're looking for what's real. And they're finding it in Jesus.
The Question That Matters
As we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Mary herself, pregnant with Jesus, referred to "God my Savior" (Luke 1:47). She recognized that the child in her womb was her Savior.
But is He yours?
Whatever else you're banking on to get you to heaven—good works, religious affiliation, family heritage, personal morality—it simply doesn't matter if Jesus isn't your Savior. All other roads, no matter how well-intentioned or sincere, lead away from God.
The good news—the "tidings of great joy" announced by angels—is that "today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
He came for you. He died for you. He rose for you. And today, He offers you complete salvation.
The altar is always open. The invitation stands. Is Jesus your Savior?
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