Bible Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Key Verse: Verse 21 - “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Key Words: save his people from their sins
In the book of
Matthew, Jesus is seen as the Messiah, the King of the Jews – the One Who was
to deliver the Jewish people from bondage; and Jesus did come to deliver from
bondage, not physical bondage, but spiritual bondage. He did that by taking the sins of mankind on
Himself and in doing so, made a way of salvation for all men.
Dr. Claude
Barlow was a medical missionary to Shaoshing, China, in the early part of the
century. During his ministry there, a
strange disease began killing people and Dr. Barlow could not find a remedy. In search of a cure, he filled his notebook
with observations of the peculiarities he had witnessed in hundreds of
cases. Then, with a small vial of germs,
he sailed to the United States. Just
before he arrived, he injected himself with the deadly disease and then hurried
to his alma mater, John Hopkins University Hospital. He had become very sick and now depended on
his former professors to find a cure.
They were able to save his life and send him back to China with a cure for
the dreaded disease. In the process, a
multitude of lives were spared – thanks to Dr. Claude Barlow.
In the midst of our epidemic called sin, Jesus
went to the cross and injected Himself with our deadly “disease.” He then committed Himself to the Father’s
care. Three days later Jesus arose with
the cure. Praise God! Death is no longer our destiny. Praise God!
Jesus came to save His people from their sins.
What to do:
✞If you have never been
born again, ask Jesus to be your Savior.
In the words of the songwriter, “He will save you now.”
✞If you are saved, thank God for the greatest gift anyone could ever receive, the gift of life – eternal life.