Matthew 1:18-21:
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
There is a Christmas song that is addressed to Mary the mother of Jesus.
It begins with the question: “Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?”
I believe Mary would answer, “No, I did not know that.”
The song continues, “Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?”
I believe Mary would answer, “Yes, I did know that.”
“That is why I named him ‘Jesus’.
Congregation do you know what the name ‘Jesus’ means?
It means, “God saves.”
An angel told Joseph, the husband of Mary, to name her baby “Jesus”.
He was given the name “Jesus” because he would save his people.
But what does he save them from?
There is more than one correct answer to that question.
It is correct to say that Jesus saves his people from the wrath of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 says that Jesus saves us from the wrath to come.
Jesus experienced the wrath of God on the cross so that his people would never have to experience it.
It is also correct to say that Jesus saves us from the fear of death.
Hebrews 2:15 says that Jesus frees those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
A person who belongs to Jesus Christ is not afraid to die.
Jesus saves his people from the wrath of God.
Jesus saves his people from the fear of death.
Is there anything else that Jesus saves us from?
Yes. I will tell you the most important thing that Jesus saves us from.
In the text that we read, it says in Matthew 1:21 that Jesus will save his people from their sins.
This is not the only verse in the Bible that speaks of salvation from sins.
Psalm 130:8 says that God will redeem Israel from all his sins.
Titus 2:14 says that Jesus gave his life to free us from every kind of sin.
Why do I say that salvation from sin is the most important salvation?
Let us think about it.
Suppose you were free from the fear of death, but you were still a corrupt sinner.
Is that how you would want to approach the end of your life?
Would you want to come to the end of your life unafraid, but still full of selfishness, envy, hatred and contempt?
Or suppose that you were free forever from the wrath of God.
He would never punish you.
But for all eternity you would be just as bad a person as you are now.
Is that how you would like to spend your eternity?
Deep within the hearts of some people there is a longing to be good.
It is a longing so deep that it is like the hunger or thirst of a person who has had nothing to eat or drink for a long time.
The Bible says that such people are blessed by God.
Jesus said, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Jesus himself is the one who will fill them.
He said “I am the bread of life.”
He said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”
This morning I have a question for you to consider.
Do you want to be good?
Please notice what I am not asking.
I am not asking if you want to go to heaven.
Everyone wants to go to heaven.
I am not asking if you want to have peace, joy, satisfaction and a sense of purpose in your life.
Everyone wants peace, joy, satisfaction and a sense of purpose in their lives.
I am not asking if you want to have good luck and a prosperous new year.
I am not asking if you want health and a long life.
I am not asking if you want an honorable family, or to be highly esteemed by your great grandchildren.
I am asking, “Do you want, more than life itself, to be a good person?”
Do you want to be saved from your sin?
I know a pastor who once asked a little girl the following question.
He said, “If you had to choose, would you rather be happy, or healthy, or holy?”
She said, “I know the right answer is holy, but I would really rather be happy.”
He thanked her for her honesty.
If some of us were as honest as that little girl, we might admit that we would rather be happy than holy.
Today I want to urge you to want holiness more than you want anything else.
More than success, happiness, or peace of mind.
More than a good spouse or worthy children.
More than health and long life.
I can think of four answers to the question, “Do you want, more than anything else, to be good?”
Answer number 1: “No. I like my sin and do not want to change.”
Answer number 2: “I want to be good, but there is something else I want a lot more.”
“What I really want is to get a job that pays me enough money.”
“What I really want is for my husband to stop misbehaving.”
“What I really want is for my children to show me some respect.”
“What I really want is to be healed of my disease.”
Answer number 3: “I am already good. Or at least, good enough.”
“I am not as bad as some other people.”
“I am a decent, respectable person.”
“I treat other people right.”
“Asking me if I want to be good is like asking me if I want to be Chinese.”
“I am Chinese!”
Answer number 4: “Yes. I am not good but I want to be.”
“I hunger and I thirst for true goodness in my heart.”
“Who will free me from my sin?”
If that is your answer, I have good news for you.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, saves his people from their sins.
His name means “Savior”, and he is a savior from sin.
He and he alone has the power to make you eternally good.
If you go anywhere else in your quest for eternal goodness, you will not find it.
If you go to anyone else, you will only find another sinner like yourself.
But Jesus never sinned.
1 John 3:5 says, “In him there is no sin.”
1 Peter 2:22 says, “He committed no sin.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He knew no sin.”
And 1 John 3:2 says that the children of God will be like him.
Will we be like him because we look like him?
Will we be like him because we share his power or deity?
No. We will be like him because we too will be without sin.
We who belong to Jesus will finally be good.
The Bible says this will happen when we see him.
It says in 1 John 3:2 that when he appears, we shall be like him.
If you want to be good forever, believe in Jesus Christ.
Be baptized as a sign to all that you belong to him.
He will save you from your sins.
Let us pray.
Father, we echo the words of your servant the Apostle Paul when he asked, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
We thank you that we know the answer as well as he.
Jesus your Son offered up his sinless body to save our sinful ones.
Deliver us from our evil deeds and thoughts and make us good forever.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
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