Salvation from Sin

Salvation from Sin

(Matthew 1:18-25)

Yearly Theme:  “Kindness is… Atonement”

Series Title:  “The Kindest Gesture the World Has Ever Known”

December 3^rd, 2023

Something to think about:

As we look to the birth of Jesus this Advent season, our attention is drawn to the reason for His birth.  Though it’s a cute story of a young couple betrothed, making the long journey by foot from Nazareth to Jerusalem to be recorded in the Roman census, and finding the only place to bed down to be a stable where Mary would ultimately give birth to the long-awaited Messiah, there is significantly more to the narrative.  Because the story has become so common in our culture, we all too often miss the point of the story for the commercialized babe in a manger.  And what was the purpose for the birth of Christ?  To save His people from their sins.

Let’s take a closer look:

Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT)

¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born.  His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.  But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement^* quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.  “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^* for he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look!  The virgin will conceive a child!

She will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Immanuel,^*

which means ‘God is with us.’ ”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.  ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Here’s the point…

Key Point:  “GOD sent Jesus to bring salvation from sin.”

So, what are the components of Jesus’ birth that led to the fulfillment of GOD’s promise that salvation would come through Him?  Let’s take a look… 

•  are recorded in the genealogy of  .

Matthew 1:3, 5-6 (NLT),  ³ Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar [an Aramean]).  Perez was the father of Hezron. … 

⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab [a Canaanite]).  Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth [a Moabite]).  Obed was the father of Jesse.  ⁶ Jesse was the father of King David.  David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba [a Hittite], the widow of Uriah).

• Joseph was a  and  .

Matthew 1:19 (NLT),  Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

• Joseph was   to GOD even when the odds were stacked against him.

Matthew 1:24-25 (NLT),  ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.  ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Something to take home:

An unknown author wrote,

“Longfellow could take a sheet of paper, write a poem on it and make it worth sixty thousand dollars.  That is talent.  Rockefeller could sign a piece of paper and make it worth millions.  That is capital.  A sempstress can take material worth $5 and make it into clothing worth $50.  That is skill.  A merchant can buy an article for eighty cents, put it on his counter and sell it for a dollar.  That is business. But God can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it, cleanse it, put his Holy Spirit within it and make it a blessing to all humanity.  That is salvation.  And that salvation is available for all who choose to accept it.”[1]

Romans 10:9-13 (NLT),  ⁹  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  ¹⁰  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.  ¹¹  As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”  ¹²  Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.  They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.  ¹³  For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

GOD sent Jesus into the world to bring salvation from sin, all because of His love for humanity.  And the way He did this is not only curious, but significant.  Strategically, Jesus was born at just the right time, to just the right virgin girl, who was betrothed to just the right man, in just the right town (Bethlehem) to save the world.  So, let us this Advent season not just focus on the commercialized version of the birth of Jesus, but, rather, let us celebrate the GOD of Love who sent Jesus into the world as a baby to experience what we experience, to do what humanity has been unable to do, and to deal with the problem of sin that separates humanity from Him.

Key Point:  “GOD sent Jesus to bring salvation from sin.”

^* 1:19 Greek to divorce her.

^* 1:21 Jesus means “The Lord saves.”

^* 1:23 Isa 7:14; 8:8, 10 (Greek version).

[1] Lou Nicholes - Missionary/Author.