(Matthew 1:18-25)…..Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Jesus was no ordinary baby. His name is Jesus, a very common Jewish name often given in memory of Joshua. Jesus (Joshua) means “God is Savior.” The son of Mary was rightfully called that because “He will save His people from their sins” (v.21). But how would He do this? By offering His blood as the atonement for our sins (Romans 5:8-9). So when one’s sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus, Jesus is then their Savior. The believer is then set free from the power of sin (Romans 8:1-2) (Romans 8:12-14), and is set free from the punishment of sin (Romans 5:9) (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Oh how wonderful it will be someday to be set free from the presence of sin (Revelation 7:13-17).
How important is this name that God has revealed to us through the birth of His only begotten Son? Well for sure it is very important (Acts 4:12). His Name Is Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14) (Matthew 1:23), Immanuel literally means “God is with us.” He is the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6). He is “God,” possessing the “glory of God” (John 1:1-3;14) (John 8:58) (John 10:25-30) (John 14:6-9) (Philippians 2:5-11).
Human minds, which are finite and feeble, wrestle with this great mystery, but Jesus is “God manifested in the flesh” for us (1 Timothy 3:16). He came to defeat evil, and deliver us from the bondage of sin and death in which we were subject to the wrath of God to come. He did for mankind what we could never do for ourselves (John 18:36-37) (Hebrews 2:13-18) (Luke 19:1-10).
Our Lord has the power to save sinners! The praises that should come from our lips for that wonderful gift should be in abundance. I want you to know that there are four things that the Lord will do in the heart and life of every sinner that will come to Him by faith……….
- He will cleanse you by His blood – removing your sin – (Psalm 103:12) (1 John 1:7)
- You become a child of God – (1 John 3:1-2)
- He changes you forever – (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- He will not lose what He has purchased – (John 6:37-40) (John 10:27-29) (1 Peter 1:3-5)
So let us keep this all in mind when we see the world feverishly running around looking for peace and hope in things of worthless value, we have both peace and hope in Him. Let us magnify our God and thank Him for the Prince of Peace He provided for us from all eternity.