MATTHEW 1:18-21 THE SAVIOUR FOR ALL MANKIND

From this grand book, Jesus Christ is the principal person, being linked to two noble characters of the Old Testament, David and Abraham.  In this book, Matthew will present Christ as the Messiah, the King of the Jews.  He will trace the long ancestry of Jesus, indicating that He (Jesus) is a legal heir to the throne of David through Joseph, his legal father, not birth father.  Jesus Christ will come through forty-two generations as the rightful heir to the throne of David.

Having proven that Jesus is the legitimate heir to the throne of David, in verse 16, we are introduced to the fact that Mary and Joseph were married.  In those days, and according to Jewish custom, marriages were planned and sealed by parents.  The couple was considered married, but didn’t live together; that is, the woman remained with her parents and the man obviously lived with his parents for a period of one year.  The one year betrothal period proved the faithfulness of the couple.  During this most crucial year, the bride especially had to remain faithful to her spouse.  If her faithfulness to her spouse was violated, the marriage would be considered annulled.  However, if the bride had remained true to the marital pledge of fidelity during the one year period of betrothal, then the marriage would be consummated, and the couple would then begin to live together.

At the outset of our text, Mary and Joseph were in that one year period called the “betrothal period,” and Mary was found with child (v.16, v.18).  Mary and Joseph had not come together to engage in a sexual relationship, yet she was found with a child.  Joseph, being an honorable man, did not want to embarrass Mary publicly, so he decided to “Put her away privily” (v.19).  In essence, Joseph was contemplating divorcing the one to whom he loved.  He certainly loved Mary, but he did not want to publicly embarrass her.  On a serious note, Joseph could have had her stoned to death for violation of the pledge of fidelity (Deut. 22:23-30).

While Joseph was deeply considering this situation, and in a dream, an angel informed him that her state was due, not through human mean, but through a Divine agent (the Holy Spirit) (v.20).  This child that Mary was carrying would be called Jesus, and He will be Saviour for His people (v.21).  These words from the angelic being must have been a great source of joy to the heart of Joseph.  This verse (v.21) informs us that Christ’s central reason for coming into this world was not to gain popularity, but to “save His people from their sins.”  In verse 21, the context denotes that Jesus came to save the Jews from their sins.  Moreover, not only has He come to save the Jews, but He has come to save the Gentiles, as well.  Our Saviour has come to save all men from their sins.

If mortal man would only believe in Christ’s finished work on the cross, and His burial and resurrection, he can be saved, for Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”   The same Saviour who offers salvation to His people also offers salvation to all men, for John 5:24 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.  Through trust in Christ, every man born spiritually lost can be saved eternally, and that man will spend eternity with God.  The only Saviour qualified to die for you and I, had to be virgin-born.  Thank God that He used a God-fearing and chaste woman as Mary to bring a Saviour into the world.  Our Saviour is God and He became man with the express purpose of paying the full penalty of death imposed upon us.  Thank God for sending His Son to die for us.  It is truly amazing!

May God Bless!