The amazing news of Christmas is that God himself came to earth to deal with our greatest problem.

I wonder what you think our greatest problem is? Or if you’d even think there was a problem with the world?

“The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

If you were to ask a Christian what is at the heart of what they believe is, this would be it.

You may well ask - are you calling me lost?! Well, yes -this is how the Bible defines all those who do not know and trust in Jesus.

It sounds offensive doesn’t it?

“I’m not lost, I know exactly what I’m doing and where I’m going. I know the plan for my life.”

“I’m happy, I’m talented, I’m successful.”

“I’m the best in my team or my club, sure some other people I know you could describe as lost, but not me.”

You might be thinking all these things when you encounter Jesus’ words about why He came to earth; about why the Son of God came from heaven, humbled himself to become a human baby and eventually died a criminal’s execution on a cross. Doesn’t seem like someone who had the power to find/save anyone.

Or maybe when you read those words from Jesus you actually hear a ring of truth.

Maybe you’ve tasted success - you’ve won leagues and cups, you’ve dominated races, and yet you’ve recognised that the buzz and the thrill you were chasing hasn’t ultimately satisfied.

We often read in famous athletes biographies of this exact phenomenon, where after the initial euphoria wears off, they’re left with a feeling of emptiness.

Maybe you do recognise a lostness, an insecurity, a brokenness as you read this this Christmas season.

Life hasn’t quite matched up to what you hoped - maybe injury has hit hard and put you back on your career plan, maybe a coach has stunted your development by benching you or playing you out of position, or maybe events outside of your sport have made you see the brokenness of the world around us.

“The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

This is great news. No other religion has it this way round. No other life philosophy has it this way round.

They tell us to seek, to strive, to better ourselves, to pursue happiness and we will find it. We are told to bridge the gap between us and God ourselves, to seek it ourselves, it’s all in our power and up to us.

Jesus says these words in Luke 19 just after he has visited the house of Zacchaeus who was a corrupt tax collector in Israel who would have thought exactly as above. He would have thought his life was coming along well and according to his plan but, he was so curious about this man Jesus who was in his town he famously climbed a tree to try and see Him.

When Jesus sees Zacchaeus he calls on him to come down as he says “Come down immediately, I must stay at your house today.”

Jesus sought out Zacchaeus. He didn’t see the effort in his tree climbing and decide this man was worth visiting, he didn’t look to see if Zacchaeus was good enough before he could eat with him. Jesus came, he looked, he sought and he found Zacchaeus, the lost tax collector.

Whether we recognise it or not, we are all like Zacchaeus. If we do not trust and follow God we are called ‘sinners’ (whether we think we are or not - the act of turning away from God is sin).

At Christmas we remember that God so loved us that he sent his only son to earth to come find us and save us. He lived on this earth sharing the news of God’s love, he lived a perfect life and at Easter suffered in our place on the cross, was dead, buried and then he rose again in order to bring us back to God and save us from the punishment of turning away from God which is eternal separation from Him.

Jesus, King Jesus, who came and was born in a manger now says to you this Christmas time, “Will you trust me? I have come to seek and save the lost.”

He doesn’t look for our success or our talent nor does he look at our mess or our brokenness. He comes to seek and save everyone and bring them into a right relationship with the God of the universe.

The bad news is we’re all lost without him, the greatest news in the world this Christmas time, is that Jesus came to earth to do something about it.

This Christmas time - why don’t you find a local church and head along and think afresh about the Christmas story?