Bible Text: "Jesus is our Savior, but not just ours; he's the Savior of the whole world." 1 John 2:2
Have you ever been outside with your Mom or Dad on a clear, dark night to see the sky full of stars? ... How did it make you feel? ...
I don't know if you still do it, but when I was a little boy we had a game we played. A game and a rhyme. When we could see the first star in the sky, we'd say, "Star light, star bright, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight." And we'd make a wish on that star. Do you still do that? ...
Well, wishing on a star may be fun – but stars can't make wishes come true. Scientists tell us that stars are really suns like our sun, but are so far away from us out in space that they look like little twinkling stars. Stars are not going to make things happen in our lives.
When Jesus was born there were some men who saw a special star in the sky. They lived far away from Bethlehem, but they knew that the Jewish people were waiting for a promised King to come from God and help them. When these men saw this special star they didn't wish on it. But it made them hope. They hoped that the star meant the King had been born, and they hoped they would be able to find him and worship him.
You know the story about the three who came on their camels to find Jesus. What do we call them? ... Well, wise men and women and children still look for Jesus and they still find him today.
The interesting thing about the Wise Men is that they weren't Jews, but they came to find and worship the King of the Jews. They help us see something very important. We here in this church this morning are not Jews either. Can Jesus be our King? ...
The Bible tells how God led the Wise Men to worship Jesus so we can see that Jesus came to be the King and the Savior of all people. It says, "Jesus is our Savior, but not just ours; he is the Savior of the whole world."
Is Jesus just the Savior of people who are Jewish? ... Is Jesus just the Savior of Americans? ... Is he just the Savior of Lutherans? ... No, he's the Savior of all who believe in him. That means he's your Savior, and my Savior, the Savior of everyone here this morning, and he's the Savior of all our friends and neighbors.
When you see the stars at night, instead of just making a wish, thank Jesus for his love. Ask him to help everyone who sees the stars know that he's their Savior, too.
Let's do that now. Bow your heads and pray after me: "Dear Jesus, ... thank You for being our Savior. ... Help us tell others ... so they will know ... You are their Savior, too. ... Amen."