Jesus Shall Save His People From Their Sins

Matthew 1:18-25

We’ve been going through Matthew Chapter 1 in great detail. We’ve seen the generation of Jesus Christ. We’ve seen a large list of people in this chapter. We’ve learned many lessons from them. And now we’re to the birth of Jesus Christ. This is one of the greatest days in all of eternity.

If that day never happened, we wouldn’t be here right now. But it happened. And it was always going to happen. Let’s take a close look at the details here.

The Birth of Jesus Christ Went Like This

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.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise.” That statement means that this is how it happened. On this wise or in this way. Jesus Christ is going to be born a baby just as we were born into this world as a baby.

Notice the Bible says, “When as his mother Mary.” Is Mary the mother of Jesus Christ? Yes she is the mother of God manifest in the flesh. Jesus doesn’t have a father or a mother, as we do, because Jesus is God. But, He’s God manifest in the flesh. In the flesh, Jesus has a mother.

The day Jesus is risen from the dead, is the day Jesus is begotten of the Father with a new and glorified body. God the Father is eternally the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is eternally the Son of God.

But yes, in the flesh, Jesus Christ has a mother. And her name is Mary. But we all know Jesus existed long before he was born of the virgin Mary. All things were created through Jesus.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was espoused to Joseph. But the Bible says they hadn’t yet come together. “Before they came together.” They had not yet become one physically. Notice that the Bible doesn’t use explicit terms to describe this. They hadn’t been together yet.

Joseph and Mary Had Not Yet Been Together

Joseph and Mary were husband and wife, but they had not yet been together. She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a Ghost or a Spirit. Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit is the same thing. The Holy Ghost is God. He isn’t flesh and blood. He is a Spirit. He can do miracles.

Now, imagine you were in the same situation. If you are a woman, you are espoused to a man but you haven’t yet come together. You end up pregnant, but you haven’t been with a man. You are getting your defense ready. “Hey, I promise I wasn’t with another man!”

If you are a man, you are espoused to this woman but you haven’t been with her yet. She is pregnant. What are you thinking? “She’s been with some other man.” What would you do?

Hey, in this life, sometimes things aren’t what you believe them to be. You might judge a situation incorrectly. We all do this many times. You don’t know all the details. You’re on the outside of some situation, looking at others, and judging incorrectly. Be careful doing this. It’s good to mind your own business and not to worry about the business of others.

Let’s see what Joseph plans to do in this situation. Let’s see what he’s thinking.

Matthew 1:19
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

Joseph is the husband of Mary. Some people will say that he wasn’t her husband yet. The Bible says, “Joseph her husband.” Some people will say they weren’t husband and wife yet. The Bible says there were.

The Bible says that Joseph is a just man. So, what he’s going to do here is going to be right. If you look up the phrase, “just man” in the Bible, you’ll find 10 matches in 10 verses.

The Bible tells us that Noah was a just man. A just man will increase in learning. A just man walks in his integrity. A just man falls seven times and riseth up again. A just man gets back on the right track. The Bible says there is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. Joseph was a good man but he was a sinner.

A Just Man = A Saved Man = A Good Man

Jesus is mentioned as a just man by Pilate’s wife. “Have thou nothing to do with that just man.” Herod feared John the Baptist because he was a just man. And the last just man mentioned in the Bible is Cornelius the centurion that Peter spoke with. Cornelius was a just man that feared God.

Men who are mentioned as just men within the Bible in this order are Noah, Joseph, Jesus, John the Baptist, and Cornelius. That’s good company for Joseph. So we know Joseph was a good man. Not perfect but good.

So, he thinks Mary has been with another man because she’s pregnant. We all would believe the same thing there. He is going to do the right thing and put her away privily or privately. He doesn’t want her to be a public example. Even though he believes she has done him wrong, he is going to divorce her, or put her away, privately.

Many people can’t do that because they want to shame someone else. Some people will even do this when someone has done nothing wrong to them. But they like to make a public example of people, with lies, in an attempt to make themselves look better. This is evil and wicked. It makes me sick. Don’t do those things.

If someone does you wrong, get over it. Give it to the Lord. He’ll take care of it. And He’ll do a better job at it than you’ll ever be able to do. Joseph was going to do this privately.

And I want to stop here for a few minutes.

Joseph was going to divorce Mary because he thought she had been with another man before they had come together as one. Listen, God’s design for marriage is perfect. The man and woman who are getting married should be virgins when they get married. This means they should have never been with anyone else before getting married.

Once Married, Always Married

And once married, they should be married until death. God, in His perfect words and in His perfect law, tells us that there’s only one valid reason for divorce. And Joseph was going to divorce Mary because of this one valid reason. Listen closely please so we get this right. And then you can choose to do right in your life.

Mark 10:6-9
But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Biblical marriage is between a man and a woman. I don’t care what anyone else thinks out there. I don’t care if they believe we’re living in a new age. God’s words are eternal and they never change. That Scripture right there was there 1 trillion years ago. That Scripture right there will be there 1 trillion years from now. It’s not changing.

God made a man and a woman. He didn’t make one million different genders. He made man. He made woman. Gender identity is foolishness. It is written. God made them male and female.

A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And they twain shall be one flesh. They come together. They join. They are one flesh. Once they are joined together, they should never be divided. Marriage is for life. Multiple marriages is not Biblical. And God is not happy with multiple marriages.

If you’ve already made that mistake, that’s okay. Now you know. And now do not make that same mistake. Look at the next verses in the same chapter.

Mark 10:10-12
And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Divorce Leads to Adultery

If a man divorces his wife and marries another, he commits adultery against her. If a woman puts away her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. Adultery, according to God’s perfect law, is punishable by death. So this tells you God is very serious about this sin. Once you come together with someone, you are one flesh with them.

But, Joseph and Mary hadn’t yet come together. And Mary is found with child. So Joseph believes Mary has been with another man. What about this situation? Is it okay for Joseph to divorce his wife that he hasn’t been with yet?

Matthew 5:31-32
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

This is Jesus Christ speaking. God in the flesh is speaking here and teaching his disciples how to live.

Jesus says, “That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”

Now, did I come up with that? No, I didn’t. When we get to these things in the Bible, as we see here in Matthew Chapter 1, we’re going to teach what the Bible says. Now, is this going to convict some people? Yes.

Will some people believe I am preaching right at them? Yes. Am I? No. I’m going to teach and preach what the Bible says. If you get mad at me, understand who you’re actually getting mad at. I’m preaching what Jesus taught. If you don’t like it, take it up with Jesus your Creator. Instead of getting upset, take what Jesus says, learn from it, and do it the right way from here on out.

Fornication is the Only Valid Reason for Divorce

Jesus says the only valid reason, that’s what saving for the cause means, one reason, one cause, and that reason is fornication.

We know that fornication and adultery are different because the Scriptures right there are saying they are different. And there are more Scriptures that say the same thing.

Matthew 19:9
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Jesus says the same thing again. Fornication is a sexual relationship outside of marriage. According to God, don’t have a sexual relationship with anyone outside of marriage. If you come together with that person, that’s who you should be with to the death.

Once you are married, you become one with that person through that sexual relationship. You come together. And once you are together, God said to never divide. Never get divorced.

Fornication is a sexual relationship outside of marriage. Adultery is a sexual relationship with someone other than the person you are married to. Fornication and adultery are different. The only valid reason for divorce is fornication. And you might ask me, “Well, what about this? Or what about this? Or what about that?”

Jesus is very clear. “Saving for the cause of fornication.” One reason for divorce that is valid in God’s eyes: fornication or a sexual relationship before marriage.”

So, Mary is found with child. Joseph and Mary had not yet come together. They had not yet become one. Joseph believes Mary has committed fornication. She’s pregnant. He was going to divorce her because of that fornication he perceived she committed. He was a just man. Let’s continue in Matthew Chapter 1.

Matthew 1:20
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.

Joseph was thinking on what had happened with Mary. While he was thinking, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream. The angel says, “Joseph, thou son of David.”

Remember, we just went over the generation of Jesus Christ in this same chapter and Joseph comes from the line of David, the line of the kings of Judah, and he was from the tribe of Judah. He is a physical son of David because the angel of the Lord spoke the truth.

The Child Within Mary is Conceived of the Holy Ghost

He says to Joseph, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

Now, I want to make something clear. Let’s say you’re married to someone who tells you they are a virgin. Then you find out they aren’t a virgin. According to the Bible, this is a valid reason for divorce. But, does the Bible say you have to divorce them? No, you don’t.

The angel of the Lord tells Joseph that the child is conceived of the Holy Ghost and not by a man.

Mary is a virgin. She’s never been with a man. But she has conceived a child through the Holy Ghost. This was prophesied of in the Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah wrote about this long before it ever happened. I want you to see this today. Now, I want you to take a look back at verse 9 in Matthew Chapter 1.

Matthew 1:9
And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

There are 4 kings of Judah listed there. Achaz is one of those kings listed in the generation of Jesus Christ. Achaz or king Ahaz was not a good king. But the prophecy of Jesus Christ being born into this world was given to king Ahaz from the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah Chapter 7. Watch this.

Isaiah 7:10-13
Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. 13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

God says He will give them a sign. This king Ahaz is listed there in the generation of Jesus Christ in Matthew Chapter 1. He gives Ahaz this prophecy.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Now, is this something that happens very often? Do virgins conceive children? No. It’s only happened once in all of eternity. And that once is with Jesus Christ.

Isaiah Prophesies of the Savior to King Ahaz

Did Joseph know Isaiah Chapter 7? Mary is a virgin. The angel of the Lord shows up to him and tells him that the child conceived within her is of the Holy Ghost. Let’s see what else the angel of the Lord says to Joseph.

Matthew 1:21-23
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 shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

The Bible tells us that this fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah Chapter 7. Isaiah prophesied this about 750 years before it happened to king Ahaz. Imagine that.

The angel of the Lord now tells Joseph that Mary will bring forth a son. Not a daughter. A son. And thou shalt call his name Jesus. What does that name mean? The name Jesus means “for he shall save his people from their sins.” Jesus in Greek is pronounced “ee-ay-sooce.” Jesus.

His name is called Immanuel with an I in the Old Testament and Emmanuel with an E in the New Testament. Jesus has many names. Emmanuel means God with us. Jesus is God in the flesh. God came here and lived among us. Why? To save His people from their sins.

Now, did Jesus die for the sins of the whole world? Yes, He did. He paid for the sins of the whole world. But will everyone go to heaven? No. Only the people who will believe in Jesus Christ alone will go to heaven. Those are the people who become children of God or the people of Jesus.