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Salvation from Sin
(Matthew 1:18-25)
Yearly Theme: “Kindness is… Atonement”
Series Title: “The Kindest Gesture the World Has Ever Known”
December 3rd, 2023

Something to think about:
As we look to the birth of Jesus this Advent season, our attention is drawn to the reason for His birth. Though it’s a cute story of a young couple betrothed, making the long journey by foot from Nazareth to Jerusalem to be recorded in the Roman census, and finding the only place to bed down to be a stable where Mary would ultimately give birth to the long-awaited Messiah, there is significantly more to the narrative. Because the story has become so common in our culture, we all too often miss the point of the story for the commercialized babe in a manger. And what was the purpose for the birth of Christ? To save His people from their sins.

Let’s take a closer look:

Here’s the point…

Key Point: “GOD sent Jesus to bring salvation from sin.”

So, what are the components of Jesus’ birth that led to the fulfillment of GOD’s promise that salvation would come through Him? Let’s take a look…

· ______________ are recorded in the genealogy of ______________.

Matthew 1:3, 5-6 (NLT), 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar [an Aramean]). Perez was the father of Hezron. …
5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab [a Canaanite]). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth [a Moabite]). Obed was the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba [a Hittite], the widow of Uriah).

· Joseph was a ______________ and ______________ man.

Matthew 1:19 (NLT), Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

· Joseph was ______________ to GOD even when the odds were stacked against him.

Matthew 1:24-25 (NLT), 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Something to take home:

“Longfellow could take a sheet of paper, write a poem on it and make it worth sixty thousand dollars. That is talent. Rockefeller could sign a piece of paper and make it worth millions. That is capital. A sempstress can take material worth $5 and make it into clothing worth $50. That is skill. A merchant can buy an article for eighty cents, put it on his counter and sell it for a dollar. That is business. But God can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it, cleanse it, put his Holy Spirit within it and make it a blessing to all humanity. That is salvation. And that salvation is available for all who choose to accept it.”[1]

Romans 10:9-13 (NLT), 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

GOD sent Jesus into the world to bring salvation from sin, all because of His love for humanity. And the way He did this is not only curious, but significant. Strategically, Jesus was born at just the right time, to just the right virgin girl, who was betrothed to just the right man, in just the right town (Bethlehem) to save the world. So, let us this Advent season not just focus on the commercialized version of the birth of Jesus, but, rather, let us celebrate the GOD of Love who sent Jesus into the world as a baby to experience what we experience, to do what humanity has been unable to do, and to deal with the problem of sin that separates humanity from Him.

Key Point: “GOD sent Jesus to bring salvation from sin.”


[1]Lou Nicholes - Missionary/Author.

Why is it so important that no other person on earth, besides Jesus, has ever been or will ever be physically fathered by the Holy Spirit (God)? Why is Jesus called “the only begotten Son of God”?

Our concept of the Christmas story has become so sanitized over the years that we often fail to grasp the human reality of it. What would Joseph’s reaction have been to learn that Mary was pregnant?

How can this entire situation be considered an act of “kindness” by God? Can you identify any other areas of this account which might be easier to consider kind? What are they?


What kindness or privileges did God provide for Joseph regarding this coming child? Why might Joseph’s naming of Jesus be considered a kindness?

What are the acts of kindness Joseph shows to Mary and Jesus upon waking from his dream? Why might those things be considered kind?

Pause for a moment and reflect on Joseph’s situation... Do you think he was operating out of sheer obedience to the angel’s instructions? What is in the passage that makes you think Joseph is a man of impeccable character?

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