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Matthew 1:21 - Jesus Saves Us From Sin.Matthew 1:21 (KJV) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.Matthew 1:21 (AMP) She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God]. INTRODUCTION Jesus established the way of salvation for the human race. 'Jesus' means "the LORD saves." Jesus came to earth to save us because we can't save ourselves from sin and its consequences. No matter how good we are, we can't eliminate the sinful nature present in all of us. Only Jesus can do that. Jesus didn't come to help people save themselves; he came to be their Savior from the power and penalty of sin. Thank Christ for his death on the cross for your sin, and then ask him to take control of your life. Your new life begins at that moment. [Life Application SB] COMMENTARY PEARLS "When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son." Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. The nations were united under one government. One language was widely spoken, and was everywhere recognized as the language of literature. From all lands the Jews of the dispersion gathered to Jerusalem to the annual feasts. As these returned to the places of their sojourn, they could spread throughout the world the tidings of the Messiah's coming. At this time the systems of heathenism were losing their hold upon the people. Men were weary of pageant and fable. They longed for a religion that could satisfy the heart. While the light of truth seemed to have departed from among men, there were souls who were looking for light, and who were filled with perplexity and sorrow. They were thirsting for a knowledge of the living God, for some assurance of a life beyond the grave. DA32 Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory. DA37-38 Jesus died, not to save man IN his sins, but FROM his sins. Man is to leave the error of his ways, to follow the example of Christ, to take up his cross and follow Him, denying self, and obeying God at any cost. [4T250] COMMENTARY How You Can Get to the Heart of Christmas As a kid, I used to love getting up on Christmas morning and rushing into the living room to get ready to hopefully receive all the gifts I had requested. But as I look back as an adult on those Christmases, something sticks out as much more important and much more treasured than just opening presents: opening the Word of God. Every Christmas morning before any of those presents were opened, our family would spend some time opening God's Word, reading the story of that first Christmas, and praying and thanking God for the gift He had given us in His Son. It's so easy in our day and age for Christmas to become more and more about what's under the tree. But let's never forget the real reason for the season: Jesus Christ. He's the one the prophecies of the Old Testament pointed towards, and the one who ushered in the covenant of the New Testament. As you and your loved ones prepare to celebrate Christmas, I want to encourage you to take the step of reading God's Word together as a part of your celebration. Don't neglect the heart of the Christmas season. Put Christ first in your Christmas and you'll create memories that last forever! Open God's Word With Your Loved Ones This Christmas Season And Experience The Heart Of What Christmas Is Really About. [PowerPoint Today by Jack Graham; https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/powerpoint/] CLOSING THOUGHT No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. [Albert Einstein] LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY Matthew 1:21 - Jesus Saves Us From Sin. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050916-0913.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |