In 1897, a young girl named Virginia wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun asking him if there really was a Santa Claus. The published response has become one of the most reprinted editorials of all time, popularly titled, “Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus.” For today’s post, I am taking this concept in a different, and more accurate direction: “Yes, Virginia, There Is A Savior.”

In the hustle and bustle of Christmas, amongst the masses of humanity, all clawing, grabbing and reaching for everything we can get, we can lose sight what Christmas actually commemorates. In a lowly stable, over 2,000 years ago, a baby was born with a special identity and a special mission. He was the Son of God and He was sent to save the world from the curse of sin. To put it bluntly, He was born to die. But not just die, but to rise again from the dead. However, today, with the evident evil in the world; hatred, murder, and disaster on every side, I imagine there are many who become discouraged and wonder, “Is there really a Savior?”

Yes, there is a Savior, and His name is Jesus. He is God, but He chose to lower Himself to become a human being like us. He lived a sinless human life, then He died in our place and took the punishment for our sins. And when anyone calls on His name, He comes to them and makes His home within their heart. He saves and rescues them from the penalty of sin and gives them eternal life.

For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah. Luke 2:11 (The Passion Translation, TPT)

There have been many who have claimed to be God or to be the Savior of the world- and there will continue to be pretenders who will make this claim. However, only Jesus came to liberate mankind from being enslaved to sin. All others required man to work and try to save himself, but only Jesus actually did the work Himself to free us. If we consider all the gods ever mentioned throughout history, from the pagan gods of the Old Testament, to the Greek and Roman gods of the New Testament to the gods of the many false religions of today (Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, etc)- none of those gods came with good news. None of them came to save. None of them came in love, but came demanding that man somehow measure up to impossible standards. Jesus came because the Creator of the universe, our Heavenly Father, loved us and wanted to provide a way for us to be in relationship with Him. Love motivated God to sacrifice Jesus for us. Love is what makes Jesus the one true Savior, and not just some other run-of-the-mill fake deity.

If you don’t know Jesus; if you have never accepted Him as your personal Savior, you can do it today. If you aren’t sure about Jesus, just ask Him to make Himself real to you. If you are sincerely seeking to know the truth about Him, He will show you He is real. He’s not hiding; He wants you to know Him.

If you are ready to make Jesus your Savior, simply pray out loud to Him. Tell Him you believe He died for you and that He rose again. Tell Him you are sorry for your sins and that you need Him to wash you clean. Tell Him you will live for Him and ask Him to give you the help you need to do it. That’s all there is to it- You’ve been born-again, and saved. And your life with the Savior has just begun. Life will not be easy-breezy all the time, but He will be with you every step along the way. And at the end of life’s road, He will be there to escort you into an eternity with Him- forever.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Savior. He is Jesus. He is real. He is God. And He loves you with an undying love.