Jesus (Matthew [1]18-25)

Jesus

Text: Matthew 1:18-25

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (12/15/02)

Introduction:   

JESUS. This was the proper name of the Son of Mary amongst men.

It was common enough with the Jews; as much so as James or Thomas is among ourselves.

But the angel who directed Joseph to call Him JESUS, lifted the name high above the familiar level, by the glorious meaning which he attached to it.

The world has seen many wonderful births, but none that deserves to be named at all in comparison with this.

Consider the first child that was ever born; oh! with what new, joyful feelings must Adam and his wife have gazed upon him!

They fancied they already held in their arms the promised Seed!

Moses was an extraordinary child, and regarded by his parents as one born for a great work.

Then there were Samson and John the Baptist, both announced beforehand by an angel from heaven, and hailed as prodigies by their parents.

But whatever peculiar circumstances attended the entrance of these into the world, they were mere human children.

But here you see the Great Lord of Angels, the Glorious Ancient of Days, Jehovah Himself, stooping to be born in our nature.

This INFANT is the MIGHTY GOD, The ETERNAL FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE, The SON OF DAVID and his LORD.

What a birth is here!

No Wonder the angel say to the shepherds, "Fear not, for I bring GOOD TIDINGS!" and cherubic hosts shout, "Glory to God."

No Wonder the shepherds say, "Let us go now even to Bethlehem to see this great sight,"

No Wonder wise men arrive from far countries with gifts and gold, asking, "Where is He?"

No Wonder old Simeon crys out, "Now let me die for I have held in my arms the greatest Wonder in the world, the Holy Child Jesus."

And what an honor was conferred on Mary, that she should be singled out to be the mother of the promised Seed! She might well say, "My soul doth magnify the Lord!"

And how highly was little Bethlehem exalted in being made the birthplace of the Savior, and so becoming the most renowned city in the world!

But the honor is shared by us all.

There are many thousands of worlds, but ours is the favored stage on which the Proprietor of the vast creation ministers to His own creatures.

Our disgraced and guilty race is the chosen bride of the Son of God. "Unto US the Child is born, unto us the Son is given."

And what was the great work which He came to do: "Thou shalt call His name JESUS; for He shall save His people from their sins."

First, He saves from the GUILT of sin.

I do not mean that He changes the nature of sin, and makes that innocent which is vile.

Sin must always be an abominable thing, an atrocious affront to God.

Romans 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

And once committed it can never be undone.

But I mean that the moment a sinner receives Christ, his sins are no longer charged to him. They are reckoned to Christ's account, for He suffered for them: while His righteousness is reckoned to the sinner.

Thus "by the obedience of One many are made righteous." So there is salvation from the guilt of sin. But this is not enough.

ILLUS: Yonder is a garden railed in on all sides; beyond is a field, and in that field there is a deep and dangerous pit. The owner gives his children leave to play in the garden, but cautions them by no means to venture into the field beyond, on pain of his displeasure and severe punishment. Well, to play they all go. By-and-by, one boy, more forward than the rest, sees a butterfly and is determined to have it. So he gets over the rail, and running heedlessly across the field, falls over the sides of the pit. At first he is stunned by the fall, but on coming to himself he makes loud lamentation. His cries draw the attention of the other children, who make haste to report the accident and convey the boy's penitent apology to his affronted parent. Suppose now the father, on hearing the story, merely sends word to him that he forgives the trespass. Will that save him? Will a pardon lift him out of the pit and healed his bruises? Not at all. Someone must come with ropes and ladders to get him out. Else, notwithstanding his repentance and forgiveness, he must suffer the penalty of his transgression and be starved to death.

And so it is with mankind. It is not enough that they be saved from guilt, therefore...

Secondly, JESUS saves them from the PUNISHMENT of sin.

By punishment I mean all those sufferings which flow from sin and are the penal wages of it.

Suffering is inseparable from sin, and always follows it.

But JESUS comes between the sinner and his punishment, and receives it in Himself. He has borne our griefs and the chastisement due to our sin, and so delivered us from it.

LOOK UP & READ Isaiah 53

He drank the dregs of the cup which contained the curse, leaving none for His followers.

That cup of suffering which is sometimes put into their hands contains only wholesome medicine.

There is no more curse in it!!

Thus He delivers from punishment.

But even this is not all. It is not enough that we be delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin; something else still is necessary. Therefore....

Thirdly, JESUS saves us from the POWER of sin.

ILLUS: An unfaithful servant was imprisoned for robbing his employer; but he found a friend who was willing to pay what he had taken away; and on this footing he asked to be re stored to his situation. "No," replied his master, "I do indeed free you from punishment, since the amount stolen away is restored to me; but perhaps you are still a thief at heart, and therefore I can never receive you into my service again."

What was wanting in this case that would have made it safe to take back the offender? What? Why a change of disposition; which, you know, no man can produce, and none answer for in another.

But JESUS not only pays our debts and delivers us from punishment; He also changes our hearts.

·         He turns the thief into an honest man

·         The liar into a lover of truth

·         The swearer into one that feareth an oath.

Having raised lost sinners out of the gulf of despair and freed them from condemnation, He cleanses them from the pollution of sin, and delivers them from the power of hurtful lusts and evil tempers and bad habits, and fully reconciles them to God.

Lastly, JESUS will save us from the PRESENCE of sin.

That will be Heaven!!!

Conclusion:

Now you must have the whole of this salvation or none at all. All its parts are joined together.

And if even it were not so, a part of it would be of no service.

What good would pardon do you by itself? It would leave you in all the filth of your natural state.

God could hold no communion with you nor admit you into heaven; or if you were to enter heaven, your unholy disposition would effectually render you miserable.

Then what good would regeneration do by itself?

The burden of sin would still be on your conscience and be recorded against you in God's book.

Or of what service would both be, if the pains and sorrows of this life, to say nothing of hell, were entailed on you forever?

If therefore you will have Jesus to be a Savior to you, it must be in His own way.

You must allow Him to take away the love of sin as well as its guilt and its wages.

And He cannot and will not save you in any other way!!!