salvation from sin. Open your Bibles if you would
to Matthew chapter 1. Matthew chapter 1. We'll read verses 18 to 25. This
will be our portion of scripture for this morning. Matthew chapter
1 verses 18 to 25. Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was on the wise, this wise. When as his mother Mary was a
spouse to Joseph before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being
a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was
minded to put her away privately. 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 hers
of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. And all this was done, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,
saying, Behold, the 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. Emmanuel. Then Joseph, being
raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden
him, and took unto him his wife. and knew her not till she had
brought forth her firstborn son. He called his name Jesus. Jesus. Now the subject of our
text before us is the miraculous conception and birth of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Also brought forth in these verses
is the purpose and plan of God and the mission of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He was on a mission. He willingly came to this earth.
The Word of God, the second person of the Trinity, willingly came
to this earth for a purpose. To die in the room and place
of all those who God had given him, the Father had given him,
a chosen people, a people of God's own choosing. And He was
to be the sinless, spotless sacrifice for their sins. Because He is
the Lamb of God. He is Emmanuel. Emmanuel, God
incarnate in the flesh. May this never become commonplace
to us. If it becomes commonplace to
a believer, we're in trouble. Let this just sink in. Let this
fill you with awe that God Himself The almighty God. The one who
spoke all things into existence. The word of God. Became a man. Became a man. This should fill we who are believers
with awe and wonder. We should be carried away with
this, shouldn't we? Because we know why he came.
to do that which we could never do. We could never pay for our
sins, could we? Not one of them. But he came
to save his people from their sins. That's why he came. And what a vast blessing is here
proclaimed before us for God's people. We would not be saved,
we would not be redeemed if Christ had not come to this earth. He is the one who has purchased
our eternal souls. He is the one who shed His precious
blood. And we would also not be able
to stand in the presence of God when we die and leave this earth.
We would not be able to stand in the presence of our great
God unless Christ had died for us. Unless Christ had come to
this earth and lived that perfect life and weaved that perfect
coat of righteousness for us. So this should leave us in awe.
This should leave us in awe. The fact that he actually did
this. And he did it willingly. God himself. And we are clothed
in that perfect righteousness which he wove for us by living
a perfectly obedient life in our place as our substitute.
So not only did he die as our substitute, but he lived as our
substitute. And if our great Savior, Redeemer
and King had not come to this earth and gave himself as an
atonement for us, we would never be saved. So marvel in this. Marvel in
this precious truth here before us, marvel in this, the word
of God again, the second person of the Trinity became a man,
but yet fully God. And he dwelt upon this earth. And he lived a perfect life.
A perfect life. And he died before God as the
substitute of his people. Again, may this just fill us
with awe. Look at verses 18 to 20 here. Now the birth of Jesus
Christ was on the wise, when, as his mother Mary was a spouse
to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the
Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and
not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her
away privately. 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 that
Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the
Holy Ghost. Now turn to the section I had
Brother John read over there in Luke chapter one. And note
in verse 18 of our text, it says, Mary was found with child of
the Holy Ghost. So here before us, we have the
miraculous conception of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the parallel
passage is what I had Brother John read over there in Luke
chapter one. Let's read verses 30 to 35. And the angel said unto her,
fear not, Mary, for thou has found favor with God. And you know, all of God's people
have found favor with God, haven't we? In Christ. In Christ, in
Christ alone, that's the only that's the only place we find
favor with God is in Christ. And behold, thou shall conceive
in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus.
He shall be great. Oh, and he is great, isn't he?
He's great to his people. He's wondrous and shall be called
the son of the highest. And the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever in his kingdom. And of his kingdom,
there shall be no end. And there is no end to his kingdom.
And there never will be. He's still ruling and reigning
right now, isn't he? Kingdoms have come and kingdoms
have fallen in this earth. And our Lord is still reigning.
And beloved, he will forever. He will forever. There'll be
no end to his kingdom. No end. Then said Mary unto the
angel, how shall this be? See, and I know not a man. 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 thing which shall be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God. And then go back over to our
text in Matthew chapter one, and it says she was found in
verse 18, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Now
this in itself is miraculous. It's amazing. She knew no man, and yet she's
pregnant. Oh my, oh my. So we see very clearly then that
the conception of our Lord Jesus Christ is without the intervention
of a human father. It is the work of God the Holy
Ghost. A work of God. And this is why
the angel proclaimed over in Luke 1.35, therefore also that
holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
of God. And this is also why the angel
in our text proclaims that that which was conceived in the womb
of the Virgin Mary was of the Holy Ghost. Was of the Holy Ghost. And we see in Matthew 1.20, she
was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
40, verse 6, and then put your finger in Hebrews, chapter 10.
Psalm 40. Psalm 40, we read verses 6 to
8, and then the book of Hebrews, chapter 10. Psalm 40, verses 6 to 8. Sacrifice
and offering thou didst not desire. Mine ears has that open burnt
offerings and sin offerings has now not required. Then said I,
Lo, I come in the volume of the book. It is written of me. Well,
we know that's Christ, isn't it? That's Christ. That's speaking
of our that's speaking of our redeemer. That's speaking of
our redeemer. I'd like to do that. I will.
And all he did was the will of the father while he was here.
That's all he did. Perfectly. Perfectly. I delight to do thy will, O my
God. Yea, thy laws is within my heart. Now turn to Hebrews
chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. And the book
of Hebrews brings forth very clearly, as we've seen in our
text, where it's mentioned that a body was prepared for the Lord.
We'll see here. We'll see here. A body was prepared
for the Lord, for the Word of God to become incarnate. And
He is Christ Jesus, our Lord, the God-man. Look at this in
Hebrews chapter 10. We'll read verses 4, It's a 10. For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. They could never
take away sin. All those Old Testament sacrifices
we're doing, we're pointing to Christ. We're pointing to the
one who would take away the sins of his people. Wherefore, when
he cometh into the world, he say a sacrifice and offering,
thou wouldest not look at this, but a body has thou prepared. Oh my, that's what we read about
over there in Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter one. That's
exactly what we read about. In barn offerings and sacrifices
for sin, thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, here it is again.
Lo, I come in the volume of the book that is written of me to
do thy will, O God. He came again to do the will
of God. And what's the will of God? To redeem his people from
their sins, to save his people from their sins. We know that,
because that was the mission of the Lord, wasn't it? That's
why he came here, beloved. To save us. To save us. It leaves us in awe that he would
do this. But he loves us. And he's always
loved us. From eternity. Even when we were
dead in trespasses and sins. Oh, my, this is love beyond measure. It says above. He he said, sacrifice
an offering and burn offerings and offering for sin. Now, what
is not neither had that as pleasure therein, which are offered by
the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do
thy will. Oh, God. He take it away the first that
he may establish the second by the which will we are sanctified
through the offering the body of Jesus Christ once for all. He offered himself up once for
all of his people. Once, so sufficient was his sacrifice. He is the perfect, spotless Lamb
of God. But no, the body has thou prepared
me, it says in that text there. Oh my. Oh, in verse five, for
the body has thou prepared me. The perfect, sinless sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ, who has
come to do the will of the Father, which is to die for the sins
of God's elect. die for the sins of God's love,
to go to Calvary's cross, to redeem them, to purchase them
with his own precious blood. To offer the one sacrifice that
God would accept for our sins. To do that which is impossible
with us, but we know all things are possible with God. Oh, what
a Savior. So the conception of Christ was
miraculous. It's a work of the Holy Spirit
of God. Turn, if you would, to Genesis
chapter 3. Genesis chapter 3. He's the seed of the woman. He's
the one spoken of who would bruise the serpent's head. Spoken of in Genesis chapter
3, verse 15. See, we're born sinners because
of our dad and mom, aren't we? We're sinners because they're
sinners. But Christ was conceived of the Holy Ghost. He's perfect. He's spotless. He's sinless. Look at this in Genesis 3.15,
"...and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel." To fulfill this promise spoken
of here in Genesis 3, verse 15, He must be the seed of the woman.
He must be the seed. He must be miraculously conceived.
His incarnation in Mary's womb fully fulfilled this promise. And the incarnation of Christ
being without a human father was wholly accomplished by the
work of the Holy Spirit of God. Remember that. It was wholly
accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit of God and the Father. God the Father planned it and
purposed it, didn't he? He planned it and purposed it.
He promised it. And God the Holy Spirit executed
it. Oh my. And the mere act of conception
was all that Mary bore in this great deed. The Holy Spirit did
it all. He did it all. This deed was
a complete work of God. A miraculous birth. A virgin
has given birth to a child. A virgin hath conceived. It's
a work of the Holy Spirit of God. And we read where, a body
hast thou prepared me. And who did this but the Holy
Spirit of God? Only He did that. Only He did. The Scriptures proclaim,
again in what Brother John read over in Luke 1.35, I'll read
it again. 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. This is the work of God. A complete
work of God. Therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. the
Son of God, the pure, sinless, spotless, holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, Lamb of God. That's who Christ is. Made higher than the heavens,
the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of
the Trinity, made flesh. What a name! God with us. God with us. Why has He come? Why has He come? Why did He leave
heaven? We'll look at verse 21 and marvel
at this. Marvel at this. Marvel at this
wondrous statement here before us. the great Savior, the Word of
God, the Rescuer of His people. He has come to save His people
from their sins. And she shall bring forth a Son,
and thou shalt call His name Jesus. For He shall save His
people from their sins. What a statement. There's no doubt there, is there?
He shall. He's called Jesus. And what a
precious name to the born-again, blood-washed believer. What a
precious name this is. Jesus. There's no name more precious
than this name to we who are the people of God, is there?
No name more precious. Jesus means Savior. Savior. The Gospel's hidden in His name,
beloved. It's hidden in His name. He's
the Savior of His people. And He has saved us from all
our sins. From all our sins. He's also
saved us from the law of God, hasn't He? which had a rightful
claim on every one of us. He's satisfied. He saved us. You know what else He saved us
from? The wrath of God. Because it was poured out on
Him in our place. But He saved us from that too,
hasn't He? Because we will not feel a drop of the wrath of God.
Because it was all extinguished in Christ for His people. Wonder
of wonders. Wonder of wonders. Jesus, Jesus,
Jesus. What a precious name. What a
precious name. He's the bread of life to His
people. He's the water of life to His people. He's our rescuer. He's our redeemer. He's our surety. He's our justification. He's
our holiness. He's everything. He's everything
to the believer. And He's come, the Scripture
says here, to save His people from their sins. Well, I can't save myself from
my sins, let alone anyone else. Can you? No. None of us could. None of
us could save ourselves. There are people out there who
think they can, don't they? In their self-righteousness. But
not one person on this world could save themselves from their
sins. Not one. But there's one who saves his people from their
sins. And that's the Lord Jesus Christ, and he's done it. He's
our rescuer. Let's look at the verse again.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus. For he shall save his people. from their sins. Now note the words here, His
people. Two little words. His people. And note that this is even before
His birth. This is before His birth. And
these people that He's come to redeem are called His. That's
a marvel. That's a marvel. So if anyone
says, well, God hasn't chosen people. No, no. Well, how come
the scriptures right here says he will save his people from
their sins? Yes, he has a chosen people.
We don't know who they are. Therefore, we preach and proclaim
the gospel to all. But he knows who they are. He's
purchased them with his own precious blood. This is wondrous. His people. What also does it imply, this
verse? Well, it implies that we're sinners because look what
we're saved from. Our sins. So God has a people and they're
born sinners. That's what it says there, basically. So marvel at what's being brought
forth here. Again, he's had a people before
his incarnation and they were sinners. We know we are. They
were sinners. And how do we know they're sinners?
Because they must be saved from their sins. They must be. Because we can't save ourselves.
And they must be saved from their sins. And we who are living now
in this day marvel at this. That he came and saved us from
our sins before we were even born. That just takes it to a whole
nother level, doesn't it? Oh my goodness, here we are born
dead in trespasses and sins, having no hope and without God
in our minds and all the time we were children of God and we
didn't even know it. And He purchased us on Calvary's
cross. It's amazing. So take this too
from the birth of Christ that our Lord was born to die. He was born to die. We're born
and we die. He was born to die. And he was born to die for his
people. To redeem us from our sins. To purchase us with his
own precious blood. What a marvel. So marvel at this, you who are
the blood-bought people of God. that a provision was therefore
made in the grace of God for our recovery, for our recovery,
even before we were alive. Even before, because we all fell
in Adam, didn't we? We all fell in Adam. But a purpose and plan and provision
was made in eternity by the grace of God for our recovery. We were chosen in Christ before
the world began. And our text here says that Christ
has come when he was born into this world to redeem his people
from their sins, to purchase them, to save them. To save them, and how? By the
shedding of his own precious blood. And every single blood-bought
believer can say, he did that for me. He did that for me. Oh, how precious then is the
name of Christ to God's people? How precious? I ask you who are
born again, you who are one of his people who've been purchased,
is he not precious to you? Is his name not precious to you?
Is the fact that he came to redeem you from your sins before you
were even born not precious to you? Does it not fill you with
awe and wonder knowing who we are and what we are? Does it not fill you with awe
and wonder that He did this because He loved
us? Oh, how precious is His name. And how this was foreshadowed
in the book of Genesis. Turn if you would to Genesis
chapter 22. How this was foreshadowed. in
the book of Genesis when Abraham was going to offer up Isaac unto
the Lord. Genesis chapter 22. We'll read
verses 8 to 18. And this is but a picture. This is but a picture of the
father offering up his own son. Look at this, Genesis 22, verses
8 to 18. And I love this verse eight.
And Abraham said, my God, my son, my God, my son, God will
provide himself a lamb. He did, didn't he? God, the word
of God provided himself is the lamb of God. Take away the sins
of his people. God provided a lamb. And it was
the Lord Jesus Christ. God incarnate in the flesh, Emmanuel,
God with us. My son, God will provide himself
a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together
and they came to the place which God had told them of and Abraham
built an altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac,
his son, and laid him upon the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham
stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said,
Abraham, Abraham. And he said, here am I. And he
said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything
unto him. For now I know that thou fearest
God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from
me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes
and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket.
A substitute. Oh my. And Abraham went and took
the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead
of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-Jireh.
Oh, as it is said unto this day, in the mound of the Lord it shall
be seen, the Lord shall provide, and he has. And the angel of
the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time
and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou
hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son. that in blessing I will bless thee and multiply and I
will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the
sand which is upon the seashore and thy seed shall possess the
gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all nations of the
earth be blessed, that's speaking of Christ, because thou hast
obeyed my voice. But note in verse 8 the wondrous
statement God will provide himself A lamb for the burnt offering. Truly God has provided himself
a lamb. The Lord Jesus Christ, the believer's
Passover lamb is God incarnate in the flesh. Emmanuel. Emmanuel. And he offered himself
up to the Father as a sacrifice for the sins of his people. Sinless. Think of this. He's absolutely
sinless. Spotless. Perfect. Undefiled. Holy. Harmless. And he offers himself up for
the sins of his people. And God only accept the perfect
sacrifice. Say, he's perfect. Oh, my. He's perfect in his life. He's
perfect in his death. He's perfect in his resurrection.
But he's perfect. He's the perfect spotless lamb
of God, and the believer in Christ can look at these scriptures
and say, he's done that for me. He did that for me. Oh, my. And we don't know who
God's lost sheep are, and therefore we say flee to Christ. He is
the only sacrifice that God will accept. The only sacrifice. May God make your will. If you
don't know. Oh. What a savior. What a redeemer
is Jesus Christ, our Lord. It is the office, work, and responsibility
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as the God-man, our
mediator, as the surety of His people, and as Jehovah's righteous
servant to save all those who were given to Him by the Father
in the covenant of grace in eternity. And He shall not fail. And He hasn't. And He never will. He is a successful Savior. He
redeemed his people from their sins on Calvary's cross. That's
why the words are so precious. It's finished. Because it's done. Salvation's work is done. It's
complete. And again, this is what offends
man's pride. When you say that salvation is
only in Christ, it's a complete salvation. It offends man's pride. We're here to proclaim the truth,
aren't we? We desire to hear the truth proclaimed. And this
is the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
only sacrifice that God will accept. The sinless, perfect,
spotless sacrifice and his salvation in him is a complete salvation. He's done it all. That's why
the scriptures proclaim salvation is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. If you're trying to work your
way to glory, stop. Cast yourself upon Christ. Cling
to Christ. Because our works, or supposed
good works, are only like filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord. He is the almighty, effectual
Savior. And He has saved His people from
the penalty of their sins. How? By His blood atonement. He shall not fail, the Scripture
says. He shall save His people from their sins, the Scriptures
proclaim. And He did. He did it. Turn to Daniel chapter 9, if
you would. Daniel chapter 9, if you wouldn't. Daniel chapter 9. We read verses 24 to 26. Daniel chapter 9. 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, and to seal up
the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know
therefore, understand that from the going forth of the commandment
to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince
shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks. The streets shall
be built again, and the wall even in troublous times. And
look at this, and after three score and two weeks shall Messiah
be cut off, but not for himself. But not for himself. And the
people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a flood. And under
the end of the war, desolations are determined. Look at what
verse 24 proclaims right there. What the Lord Jesus Christ has
done for His people. By the offering of Himself once,
He offered, offering up Himself, He finished transgression. He
made an end of sin. He made reconciliation for iniquity. That's our iniquity. Because
He's perfect, He's sinless, He's spotless. And He brought in what?
Everlasting righteousness. That's what He's done. That's
what the Lord said. The believers called in the everlasting
righteousness of Christ. And then look at verse 26, Messiah
shall be cut off, but not for himself, because he's sinless. He's spotless. He's perfect. He's the lamb of God. He was
cut off and he died for our sins, beloved. For our sins, for the sins of
his people. And this everlasting righteousness,
again, is spoken of in verse 24, is to all His people, and
upon all His people. All that believe upon Him. And by the offering of Himself,
He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. And we're
sanctified in Him, aren't we? Now, we're still sinners while
we're on this earth. But as far as God looks at us, and He sees
Christ. That's amazing. Absolutely incredible. Let's go back to our text after
reading that in Daniel. And we'll read verses 22 and
23 now. 22 and 23. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall
call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with
us." God with us. And here before us we have a
fulfillment of the prophecy that was made by the prophet Isaiah. Turn there to Isaiah chapter
7. Isaiah chapter 7. This is a fulfillment of the
prophecy made by Isaiah. It's wondrous. Absolutely wondrous. Isaiah chapter 7, we'll read
verses 10 to 15. Moreover the Lord spake again
unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, ask it either
in the depth or in the height above. But Azed said, I will
not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. And he said, hear ye
now, O house of David. It is a small thing for you to
weary men, but ye weary my God also. Therefore, the Lord himself
shall give you a sign. Now think of this too. Christ
coming into this world was undesirable by us in our natural state. We
didn't desire Christ, did we? Man didn't seek God. The scripture
says no man seeks God. No man understands God. There's
none righteous, no not one. So this is an unsought after
Savior. But by God's mercy and grace,
he sends his son into this world. Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. Butter and
honey shall he eat, that ye may know to refuse the evil and choose
the good. Think of how man's unworthiness
of salvation magnifies the riches of God's grace. Our unworthiness magnifies, our
unworthiness of this salvation that we have in Christ magnifies
the riches of God's grace. And it's been so from the beginning.
as the fall of Adam made way for the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ, who would save his people from
their sins. The Lord Jesus Christ, Emmanuel,
which means God with us. God with us. A virgin shall conceive, again,
without the intervention of a human father. This wonderful child shall be
called by a name which testifies of His nature. He's the God-man. God and man in one person. Emmanuel. Emmanuel. And He's distinguished from others.
Look at verse 15. Butter and honey shall ye eat,
that ye may know, to refuse the evil and choose the good. He's
distinguished from others in the fact that He's holy and sinless,
yet in common circumstances of life He shall be as others. Butter and honey He eats. He's
a man. He's Emmanuel, He's God, but
He's a man too. He eats and drinks just like
we do, yet Oh, he's holy. He's subject to
all natural wants. He hungers, he thirsts, he grows
tired, and yet he's fully God, too. Fully man and fully God. And why did he come here? To
save his people from their sins. To save his people from their
sins. Emmanuel. God with us. What a wonderful
name. What a wonderful name. Emmanuel declares the union of
two natures in the person of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It declares the union that He is God and man. Emmanuel. Oh, what a name. Salvation is found in Him, in
Him alone. The book of Acts declares this.
It says, neither is there salvation in any other. That means we can't
save ourselves. And that means there's salvation
in no one else. Neither is there salvation in
neither, for there is none other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved. Salvation is in Christ, in Christ
alone, the Lord Jesus Christ. May God grant you faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. If you do not know Him, who is
Emmanuel, God with us, who came into this world to save sinners,
to save His people from their sins. And praise God, beloved. He finished the work. He finished
the work. All that He was sent to do, He
accomplished. he accomplished and now he is
risen now he's risen and he is seated at the right hand of the
father where he receives all glory honor
and praise and he's the only one who's deserve heavenly father we thank thee
for the wondrous subject which we looked at today, the incarnation,
O Lord, of you, how you left heaven to come to this world
to redeem your people from their sin, to do that which was impossible
with us. And you have saved us, and you
purchased us with thy own precious blood, given your life for us. as a ransom, shedding your blood
as a ransom, a payment for our sins. Oh, Lord, may we marvel
at this during this time and during all the times of the year.
May we marvel and we pray, Lord, if it's your will that you give
us a door of utterance to our family members and friends, if
it's your will, Lord, that we can proclaim this wondrous truth,
the wondrous truth that you God incarnate in the flesh came to
save your people from their sins. And we who are your people can
proclaim the wondrous things that you've done for us. Glory
to your name, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.