Title:
Thou Shalt Call His Name Jesus
Text:
Matthew 1: 18-25
Date:
December 21, 2017
Place:
SGBC, New Jersey
Matthew 1: 18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his
mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost. 19:
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a
publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the
Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not
to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the
Holy Ghost. 21: And she shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his
people from their sins. 22: Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, saying, 23: Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and [a virgin] shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24: Then Joseph being raised from
sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25: And knew her not till she had
brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
In verse
21, we are told why his name is Jesus, “for
he shall save his people from their sins.”
Proposition: In this one statement we have the gospel that the
salvation of God’s people is of the Lord.
Divisions:
We will take each word in this sentence.
HE
Matthew 1: 18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his
mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost.
Who is
the Lord Jesus? Verse 18 declares he was
begotten in the womb of a virgin of the Holy Ghost. The fact Mary was a virgin
and the fact he was conceived or begotten in her womb of the Holy Spirit of God
tells us he is the sinless GodMan.
One, he is
Man. He is the sinless Man, the last
Adam. Had he been conceived of Joseph’s
corrupt seed, he would have been a sinner like us. But he was conceived of the holy Ghost.
Therefore, he is holy. He is the spotless Lamb of God which was required for
him to be made fit to be made sin for us.
Two, he
is God. Being conceived of the Holy Ghost declares he is the eternal God without
beginning or ending. Verse 23 declares he is Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. The Son of God
did not begin to be the Son of God at his birth. He is the eternal second
person of the Trinity. His birth is when the Son of God came
down, took flesh and dwelt among us.
Luke 1: 35: And the angel answered and said unto her, The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God.
As Man everything
he suffered and accomplished he did in the flesh like unto his brethren. He did
so as the last Adam representing all who shall be born of him. Being God,
everything he suffered and accomplished is eternal.
The fact
the Lord Jesus was “MADE of a woman”
declares it was a necessity that “in all things
it behoved him to be MADE like unto his brethren.” (Heb 2: 17)
·
It was necessary that Christ really be Heb 2:9 MADE a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death.
·
In order to redeem his people that were under
the law, it was necessary Christ really be Gal
4: 4…MADE under the law.
·
In order to be the faithful servant entirely
dependent upon God his Father, it was necessary that Christ really Php 2:7…MADE himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
·
In order to be perfectly consecrated as the
Author and Finisher of our faith, it was necessary Christ really Heb 5: 8: experience obedience by the things
which he suffered and be MADE perfect, [so that he] became the author of
eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.
·
In order to be the substitute of his people
and God be just, it was necessary Christ really be 2 Cor 5:21…MADE sin for us, who knew no sin;
·
Once made sin, in order to satisfy justice,
it was necessary that Christ really be Ga
3:13…MADE a curse for us.
·
To fulfill God the Father’s covenant promise
it was necessary Christ really be Heb
6:20 MADE an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Heb 7:26 MADE
higher than the heavens;
·
Being raised, given all authority as Head of
his church, it was necessary that angels and authorities and powers really be 1Pe 3:22 MADE subject unto him.
·
For his church to be established on the Rock,
Christ had to really be 1Pe 2:7…MADE the
head of the corner,
·
And by the obedience of Christ, of God,
Christ is really 1 Cor 1: 30:…MADE unto
us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
The
necessity that Christ really be made all these things was declared in the fact
that Christ was really “MADE of a woman.”
If his Suretyship and Substitution were only “as if” then God could have
treated him “as if” he were made of a woman, “as if” he were made these other
things. But “IN ALL THINGS it behoved him to be MADE like unto his brethren”—that
his people might be “MADE the
righteousness of God in him.”
Note, it
does not say “he” plus his people. It
says only “he.” The Lord Jesus, by himself, is “the brightness of his
glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right
hand of the Majesty on high.” (Heb 1: 3)
Acts 4: 12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for
there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved.
1 Timothy 2:5: For there is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Christ is
not a way, he is THE WAY! He is the sinless GodMan, Mediator, the last Adam
made like unto his brethren, who saves by himself.
SHALL SAVE
These two
words declare the impossibility of Christ failing to save. The Lord sent the angel to
declare this is his name. Therefore, God attached his glory to this statement. The
glory of God’s immutability is attached to his name: God changes not
therefore he shall save. The glory of God’s faithfulness is
attached to his name: God is faithful that promised so he shall save. The
glory of God’s truthfulness is attached to his name: God cannot lie so he
shall save. The glory of God’s grace and righteousness is attached to his name:
the Lord must be declared just and Justifier so he shall save.
Isaiah 42: 4: He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he
have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
John 10:28: And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 6:39: And this is the Father’s will which hath sent
me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day.
The word
“saved” declares Christ fully accomplishes everything necessary to completely
save. When a person is saved, they are
completely saved and there remains nothing else to be done. Christ is Alpha and
Omega, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
From the cross, Christ cried out, “It
is finished” meaning he fully accomplished redemption from the law for
those he represented—fully accomplished—by the Lord Jesus.
Isaiah 40: 1: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith
your God. 2: Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her
warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received
of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
Hebrews 9: 12…by his own blood he entered in once into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
When
Christ has sent the Holy Spirit and regenerated his people to faith in him scripture
says we have been saved—
Colossians 1:13: Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14: In whom we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
There is
coming a day when the Lord Jesus shall return to fully redeem our bodies out of
the grave into glory with him and present us faultless! So his name is Jesus [Savior] because he, the
GodMan Mediator, shall fully, completely save.
HIS PEOPLE
His name
is Jesus because he came to save his particular people. Seeing that he came to
save his people tells us they were his people before he came and before he came
he was designated their Savior.
We are
not made his people by our fleshly will or when we believe.
Galatians 4:6: And because ye are sons, God hath sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
We are
not made his people by the will of others. Mom and dad cannot make us a child
of God by baptism or sprinkling or any such thing.
John 1:13: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
We are
not made his people because we are of blood: the natural sons and daughters of
someone, not even all the natural sons of Abraham are his people.
Romans 9: 6: For they are not all Israel, which are of
Israel: 7: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all
children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8: That is, They which are
the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children
of the promise are counted for the seed.
Children
of promise are those who were made his people by God’s free and sovereign grace
in election in eternity, not based on anything in us.
Romans 9: 11: (For the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Ephesians 1: 3:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4: According as he hath chosen us in
him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love: 5: Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, 6:
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in
the beloved.
2 Thessalonians 2: 13: But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14: Whereunto he called you by our
gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We see this
typified in the fact that Mary was “espoused”
or engaged to Joseph. The whole elect church of God was Christ’s bride,
lawfully espoused to him in the covenant of grace. So even in the way Christ
came into the world—through a lawfully espoused bride—we are reminded that it
was his elect, espoused bride, that he came to save.
Furthermore,
seeing that he came to save “his people”
tells us not everyone is his people. If all were his people then he would save
all but it is obvious not everyone is saved. He said,
John 10: 15:
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for
the sheep. 16: And other sheep I
have, which are not of this [Jewish] fold: them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Then to
the Pharisee’s Christ clearly declared they were not his sheep.
John 10: 26: But ye believe not, because ye are not of my
sheep, as I said unto you.
Romans 9:13: As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. 14: What shall we
say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15: For he saith to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion. 16: So then it is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy.
The point
of this declaration is to declare Christ a success! This is his glory! His blood was not shed in vain. He did not
shed his blood to merely give everyone a chance. His blood accomplished the
redemption of his elect for whom he died.
His name is Jesus for he shall save his people.
FROM THEIR SINS
This
tells us who his people are. His people are sinners entirely incapable of
saving themselves from their sins.
When we
look at the beginning of the chapter we see the generation of our Lord Jesus
Christ. We find a list of his people each having this one thing in common. They
were all notable sinners. Abraham was an
idolater who was not seeking God. Jacob was a deceiver. David was the last son
Jesse thought God would have chosen who was an adulterer and murderer. Rahab
was a harlot. Ruth was a Moabitess not even of the nation of Israel. Matthew
was a thieving tax collector. And all the others were just like these, sinners,
just like you and I who he saved by his grace.
1 Timothy 1: 15: This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief.
Are you a
sinner? It takes the Holy Spirit to regenerate us and convince us that we are a
sinner, helpless to save ourselves. Joseph
Hart wrote:
What comfort can a Savior bring
to those who never felt their woe?
A sinner is a sacred thing;
the Holy Ghost hath made him so.
New life from Him we must receive,
before for sin we rightly grieve.
If you
are sinner, I have good news! The Lord Jesus saves his people from their sins. He saves us not by any goodness in us, not by
our law-keeping, not by our benevolent works, not by anything about us or done
by us.
Romans 5:19: For as by one man’s disobedience many were
made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
2 Corinthians 5: 19: God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;…21: For he hath
made him sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him.
Isaiah 53: 5: He was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of
our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
This
tells us he saves us from all our sins.
Psalms 130:8: And he shall redeem Israel from all his
iniquities.
Daniel 9:24: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people
and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins,
and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness,...
Ezekiel 36: 25:
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your
filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you…29: I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will
call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
1 John 3:5: And ye know that he was manifested to take
away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Do you
desire to be saved entirely by Christ Jesus alone? Then believe on Christ and
you shall be saved.
Ephesians 2: 8:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: 9: Not of
works, lest any man should boast.
Mark 16:16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
So as you
hear the blasphemous things people sing and say this time of year, know they
speak of another jesus. Concerning the true Lord Jesus: His name is Jesus: for
·
HE—the GodMan Mediator by himself
·
SHALL SAVE—fully and completely without
losing one
·
HIS PEOPLE—chosen of God by grace for whom alone
he laid down his life
·
FROM THEIR SINS—Acts 13: 38…through this
man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39: And by him all that believe are justified from all things,
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
May God
give you grace now to believe on him that you might receive free forgiveness of
sins and assurance that he has made you the righteousness of God in him!
Amen!