"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

A Savior. That was the first title the angel gave. And it matters more than you might think.
You cannot save yourself. I don't care how hard you've tried. I don't care how many self-help books you've read. I don't care how many times you've promised yourself you'll do better. You cannot save yourself.

Scripture is clear about our condition. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). We were dead in our trespasses and sins, following the course of this world, by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3).

That's the bad news. And we have to face it honestly before the good news can do its work.

But then comes the incredible turn. "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ...by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Jesus saves. Not with a cape. Not by avoiding the cost. Not without a bruise on His body. He saves by stepping all the way down into the worst situation you could ever achieve and then rescuing you from it.

Isaiah painted the picture centuries before it happened. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief...Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows...But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:3-5).

Just like a lifeguard who jumps into dangerous waters to save someone who is drowning, Jesus entered our world, our mess, our sin...and rescued us. We weren't strong enough to swim to safety. We weren't good enough to earn rescue. We were drowning. And He came.

This is where joy begins. Not in our ability to save ourselves, but in the reality that a Savior has been born. A Savior who actually saves.

So stop trying to rescue yourself. Stop pretending you can fix everything if you just try harder. Stop carrying the weight of being your own savior.

A Savior has come. And He is enough.

Tomorrow, we'll discover what it means that this Savior is also Christ...the faithful One who will never let you down.

1. In what areas of your life have you been trying to be your own savior?
2. What would it look like to stop carrying that weight and trust the Savior who has already come?

Write down one area of your life where you've been trying to save yourself. Then physically hand that paper to God by placing it in your Bible or laying it on your desk as a reminder that you've surrendered it to the Savior.