Back in Matthew's Gospel of chapter
1, we read there of the message given to Joseph concerning the
birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before this, sometime before
this, several months, the Lord appeared first, the angel of
the Lord rather, appeared first to Mary with the news concerning
her conception that would take place soon after that. And among
the words the angel was commanded to give to Mary was this, concerning
the birth of that holy thing, that holy thing that should be
conceived in the womb of the virgin was this, the angel told
her, call his name Jesus, he shall be great. He shall be great. Jesus Christ came into this world
as we read here In Matthew 1 and verse 21, the reason he came
into this world was to save his people from their sins. That's
a great undertaking. Now people today look at sin
as a small thing, as a minor thing. It's not a great thing. As I mentioned in my prayer,
I asked God that he would get our children lost. Only God can
make a sinner. I can't make a sinner. I've tried
it. I've tried it. I didn't realize
I was lost, not really, until God got me lost. Only God, the
Holy Spirit, can make a sinner. They're a rare, rare thing. They're
His work, the work of God's hands. But Jesus Christ came into this
world to save His people again. That's a great and glorious undertaking. considering what sin is, what
man is by nature. Ezekiel, can these bones live? Can they live? Religion says
that's not a problem, that's easy. Christ says that's a lie,
it's impossible. It's impossible. Salvation is
a great work. And those who are saved are great
sinners. Ask them. Ask them. Everyone that's been saved, that
has tasted, that has experienced the true grace of God in Christ
Jesus, who have been made sinners prior to that, who have been
lost before that, who have been made to fear before that, and
then their fear has been relieved by His grace, ask them, are you
a great sinner? Oh, yes, I am. They won't argue. They won't make excuses. They
won't point at somebody else, oh, like the publicans, They'll
take their place with Him. They'll stand in His shoes without
exception and confess, yes, I'm the sinner. There's no question
about that. And it takes a great God to save
such great sinners. It's a great God that we've sinned
against, and God's great justice demands satisfaction. Must be
satisfied. Oh, God doesn't set aside his
justice when he shows mercy. Oh, no, it must be satisfied.
Therefore, in the light of those things, therefore, salvation
requires a great Savior. Not just anybody can do it. No,
not just anybody can do it. Then that great Savior's name,
as we read here in verse 21 of Matthew 1, is Jesus, meaning
the salvation of Jehovah. Jehovah says, and it was after
this when Mary had conceived that God sent the angel with
this message to Joseph to ease his troubled mind. Joseph loved
Mary. They were espoused to one another.
And according to the law, when she was found to be with child,
she could have been stoned That's why Joseph was so troubled. He
loved her. He was just going to send her
away, let her sneak out privately so no one would know. And that's
why the angel was sent to speak to Joseph these words of comfort. This was the message, Joseph,
thou son of David, verse 20, don't be afraid. Your fears are
groundless. You don't have all the pieces
of the puzzle. Fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost,
and she shall bring forth a son, and that shall call his name
Jesus, because, I'd like to replace the word for with because, because
he's given this name. He was given a name telling us
what he came to do. His name is what he is, Savior,
salvation. Call his name Jesus, oh Jesus. Savior, Prince of Peace, the
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, Emmanuel, for He shall save His
people from their sins. The title of my message is this,
Jesus, our successful Savior. As I said in the Bulletin article,
the truth of that statement has been realized by multitudes ever
since it was uttered over 2,000 years ago by the angel. Only
God knows. Only the omniscient, the all-knowing
God knows how many sinners have experienced the truth of that
prophecy, have come to Jesus Christ, God's Son, and found
by the experience of grace that Jesus is mighty to save. He is
still succeeding. He is still succeeding. God is
not reluctant to show mercy. No, no, by the death of Jesus
Christ, by satisfying God's divine justice, the doors are open,
the way into the most holy place is now open, and Christ is able
to save to the uttermost. I like what one old preacher
said, God saves sinners from the gutter most, that's where
he finds them, that's where they are by nature. And he saves them
from the gutter most to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him.
How many have felt in their hearts the peace of hearing that their
sins, which are many, so many, and one was enough to damn them. Oh, but they had mountains and
mountains of sins, but their sins, which are so many, are
all forgiven them. Oh, my soul, the world can't
get that. That's a part of that peace that
our Lord spoke of that he left with his disciples that the world
didn't give and the world can't take away. I love what old Augustus
Toplady. He wrote the famous hymn, Rock
of Ages. He wrote many more, but that's
the most famous, I'm sure. But on New Year's Eve in 1767,
he wrote something in his diary that's just as pertinent to you
and I today. He said, upon review of the past
year, I wish to confess that my unfaithfulness, my unfruitfulness
has been exceeding great. My sins are still greater. Oh, but God's mercies have been
greater than both. Isn't that a delight? To look
back and take no joy in confessing, admitting, oh, I've been so unfruitful,
so unfaithful, so unbelieving, so cold-hearted, so sinful yet. Oh, wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me? Paul answered that question for
every child of God. I thank God, he said. In the
very next verse of Romans 7, I thank God through Jesus Christ
the Lord. Yes, it's grace that's brought
us safe thus far. And if grace continues to be
grace, it cannot change. It's reigning grace, it's abounding
grace, and that same grace has brought me up to this very moment
in my life in time yet bear me on the glory, will bring me safe,
will take me safely all the way to the Father's house. Jesus
Christ the same yesterday we read in verse 8 of Hebrews 13. Jesus Christ the same yesterday
and today and forever. If he had power to save yesterday,
he has power to save today. He cannot change. He's the same
in his glorious person. The same in his great and wondrous
salvation. Yesterday, looking back to everlasting. Today, equally, through all the
periods of time, forever looking forward to eternity to come.
And what a blessed thought. He is the same. He never fluctuates
like me. He's the same in his love, in
the efficacy of his redemption, in the power of his blood, his
righteousness to justify, his fullness to supply grace here
and glory hereafter. And what sums it all up, the
precious thought amidst all my changes, change and decay all
around, I see." I heard Robin and Delilah talking earlier before
service concerning how soon, that young man, seven years old,
how soon they grow up. They don't stay that young for
long, do they? My soul, Terry, it just seems
like a few days ago that I was that age. Doesn't seem that,
and here I am now, 71 years old. My, where did the time go, Billy? Oh, no wonder. The Bible describes
our time here as a vapor, a vapor. You see it, and it's gone. Did I, was it ever there? Oh,
so quickly, but among all of our changes, our frames, our
fears, our doubts, our unbelievings. He abideth faithful. He's the
same all the time. All the time. He must be ever
faithful. He's ever Jesus, Savior, the
mighty God. Brother Henry Mahan, also in
your bulletin. I love this article. And the
word was made flesh. Henry wrote, the ancient of days
became an infant of days. Isn't that something? That babe
in that stable, born that night in Bethlehem, Bethlehem means
house of bread. That's where the bread of life
came down to. There in the arms of that mother,
that Jewish dark-skinned baby boy is none other than someone
that told you, you look into there, you see that? You see
that child? You see that newborn baby in the arms of the mother?
That's God Almighty. Would you have believed that?
Someone said only a fool or a Christian would believe that. Thank God,
that's Emmanuel. That's God with us. That's the
Word made flesh. He's the mighty God. My soul,
what a miracle. The ancient of days becomes an
infant of days. The son of the most high God
became a man of sorrows. He made the world, but as a man,
he had no place to lay his head. He who made the rivers asked
the woman to give him a drink of water. He who cast out devils
was tempted of the devil. And the author of life died and
laid in a tomb. He said, I'm the resurrection
and the life, Martha. Whoever lives and believes in
me shall never die. The same one who said that, not
long after that hung up on the cross and died, gave up the ghost. The poem that Henry wrote rather
included in that article was this. I like it. The sun that
hid from him in space, by his own hand was hung in space. The
sky which darkened o'er his head, by him above the world was spread. The spear that shed his precious
blood was tempered in the fires of God. The grave in which his
form was laid was hewn in rocks his hand had made. As the angel
told the shepherds that night, of his birth. Oh, I prayed as
I thought about this so much this week, and I realized there
is so much nonsense that goes on, but I said, Lord, help it
not to affect my view, my appreciation. The wonder of the news that the
angels told the shepherds that night as they abode with their
sheep. Behold, I bring you glad tidings
of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is
born this day, this day, this moment, in the city of David,
in Bethlehem, A Savior, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. That
was prophesied 700 years before. That he would be born exactly
at the place, at the time that God Almighty had purposed. For
unto us, Isaiah 7, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Immanuel, God with us. What a wonder! God with us. that John tells us plainly was
the eternal word. The everlasting word was God. Without him was not anything
made that was made. God did it all. The God-man,
the everlasting word, the very expression of God, that word
was made flesh, made like unto his brethren, and dwelt among
us in order to redeem His brethren. Emmanuel, God with us by incarnation
in order to redeem us. God could not die, oh but God-man
could. God with us in the suffering,
what a comfort to believers' hearts. He identifies with them.
He's not aloof. He's not unaware. He's not untouched
by the filigree and infirmities. Paul tells us in Hebrews 4, oh
no, he's touched. He's touched with that which
touches you. He identifies with you because he's been there. So bring all your cares to him. He cares for you. God with us
is the dying believer's hope, is it not? The day will come when I'll go
the way of all the earth, unless Christ comes first. But I'll
go the way of all flesh. People can go so far, but they
can go no further. Oh, but the Son of God, He'll
be there. Who else would I want there?
Who else do I need there more than Him? And He'll hold my hand. I tried to imagine that. I tried
to think of what that'll be like. When I'm taking my last breath,
and I'm stepping over it, and the great God and shepherd takes
my hand and leads me across the river of death. Oh, no wonder
Paul said, if God be for us. If God be for us, who can be
against us? After I'd sent out the bulletin,
I think it was Friday, Bobby sent me a text and she said it
was, Larry, she said, it's just so amazing to me that every time
I read about it or hear about it, the word was made flesh.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, she said, that's just astounding. Ain't
it the truth? It's just astounding. Now let's
take another look at this good news from heaven. How blessed
it is to know that Jesus Christ indeed came into this world to
save his people from their sins. Who came and why? That's it. Who came and why? Jesus, he shall
save his people from their sins. Jesus, there's no other name.
Under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved. Jesus
Christ is the only saver. There's not another. There never
has been. He's the only mediator. He's
the only one that can take the hand of the fallen sinner and
the hand of the Holy God and bring them together in perfect
peace and reconciliation. He's the only advocate, lawyer. That's who I want on my case.
The advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. When
I sin, God doesn't cast me out. It's not if I sin, but when I
sin, God doesn't disown me. Why? Because I have an advocate.
Jesus Christ, that pleads my case before God, and God hears
him. God's pleased with him, and he
forgives me for Christ's sake. The only way to God is Christ,
the only door to heaven, the only hope for help for sinners.
Paul said, listen, listen, when the fullness of the time was
come, God sent forth his son, wonder of wonders, made of a
woman, the Word made flesh, made under the law, to redeem, to
redeem. Oh, I like how certain, how plain,
how matter-of-factly that's put. To redeem them that were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Not to
offer to redeem. What good would that do me? Or
to try to redeem. are only partly redeemed. Oh,
no. Children of God, I see Jesus
as he comes forth as our great God and Savior. We're great sinners,
and we have great sins, and we've sinned against a great God, and
we need a great ransom to be paid on our behalf. God's just
not going to take just anything. He's not going to take my good
work, so that's been tried and rejected. Oh, but the Son of
God, when he offered himself with that spot to God, God said,
that's enough. I'm satisfied. And Jesus Christ
said, it's finished. It's finished. And God Almighty
proved his complete and everlasting satisfaction with the redemption
our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished for us at Calvary when he raised
him from the dead and said, sit at my right hand, my son, until
I make every enemy bow before you and confess that you're God,
that you're the Lord to the glory of God the Father. Behold Jesus,
he shall say, nobody else can. Nobody else can. He better. He
better because nobody else can. Listen to this, Hebrews chapter
10, verse 4. It's not possible that the blood
of bulls and goats should take away sin. Wherefore when he cometh,
behold he comes, into the world, he said, sacrifice and offering
thou wouldest not, but a body as thou prepared me, and burnt
offerings and sacrifices for seeing you have had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written
of me, to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice
and offering, and burnt offerings, and offering for seeing thou
wouldst not, neither had pleasure therein, which are offered by
the law. Then said he, Lo, I come, I come,
Only Christ, only God the Son could speak thus to God the Father.
Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that
he may establish the second. By the witch will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,
once forever. And every priest and daily ministering
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take
away sin, but this man, But this man, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.
Now where remission of these is, there is no more sacrifice
for sin. This very same Jesus that was
born and lived and died arose, and that same Jesus right now,
right now, at this very moment, we often comment, and it's true,
the terrible, awful condition that this world is in. I sometimes
ask myself, wonder, God, how long are you going to let this
go on? How long is this going to continue before you say, that's
enough, that's enough? Well, it'll continue as long
as there's one sheep for the great shepherd to seek and to
find. That's why he doesn't come now. But at this very moment, the
Lord Jesus Christ is in the heavens, as David said, doing whatsoever
he hath pleased, and being thus exalted at the right hand of
God, he's able to save to the uttermost all that come unto
God by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession for
them. Oh, hear him speak. Hear him
speak. Such triumph, such victory, such
certainty. Never a man spake like this.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, he said. He
had no doubts about that. No question about that. They won't come left to themselves. He doesn't go out and try to
find some willing to come. No, he makes them willing. He
makes them willing in the day of his power. All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh unto me I will
in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not
to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this
is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that every one who seeth the Son, who by faith seeth the
Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life, and I
will raise him up at the last day. The loss of one soul. I mean just one. And the Lord
Jesus Christ redeemed a multitude of sinners. that no man can number,
a multitude. If just one of those sheep, just
one that the Father put into the hands of the Son, that the
Son became surety for, became responsible for, He's got the
answer for. If just one of them should be
lost, the crown of Jesus Christ would be tarnished forever, forever. But that is just impossible.
It's impossible because it's founded upon a covenant which
is ordered, as David said, in all things insure. When David
lay dying, his hope wasn't in the fact that God raised him
up from a shepherd to be a king. It wasn't in that, it wasn't
in the fact that he wrote so many psalms under divine inspiration,
but it laid in this. He looked at that covenant, that
everlasting covenant of grace made between the triune God. Paul said, that's my hope. That
can't fail. I have failed. But David says,
that can't fail. That's all my salvation. That's
all my hope. It's ordered in all things insure. Look unto me. And be ye saved,
for I am God, and there is none else. That's the words of our
great shepherd. Who is this the prophet asked? Who is this that
cometh up from Edom, with thine garments from Bosra? This that
is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength,
I that speak in righteousness, here's the answer, mighty to
say. I am the door, by me if any man
enter in, he shall be saved. save to the uttermost, save with
an everlasting salvation, save to all eternity, save from sin's
penalty, save from sin's dominion, and one day, soon, save from
sin's very existence. Save from sin's very existence. Save from sin's very being. Oh, when I stand before the throne
dressed in beauty, not my own, when I see thee as thou art and
love thee with an unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully know,
but not till then, how much I owe. When Jesus Christ gathers his
redeemed in glory and presents them back to the Father without
spot or blemish, then shall we see that Jesus Christ surely
is mighty to save all that come unto God by him. Oh, his promise,
since he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is just as
true, just as certain, as it was when he uttered it. If any
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. Anybody thirsty,
there's no question about the Lord's ability to quench that
thirst, to give living water, like he told that woman at the
well, and you'll never thirst again. Oh, that's not the question. That's not the issue. It's this,
anybody thirsty? Listen, hold. Everyone that's
thirsty, come ye to the waters. And he that had no money, come,
buy and eat. Come and buy wine and milk without
money and without price. When they had nothing to pay,
he forgave. Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which
satisfieth not? Hearken unto me, and eat that
which is good, and delight your soul in fatness. Incline your
ear unto me, and come, herein your soul shall live, and I will
make an everlasting covenant with you, even as your mercies
of David. And the last book, almost the
last line of the word of God, continues that blessed, glorious
invitation. The spirit and the bride say,
come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is
athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take
the water of life. It's free. It's free. Come and
drink. Come and drink. And live forever. I love what the hymn writer said
when he wrote, grace is a charming sound, harmonious to the ear.
Heaven with the echo shall resound, and all the earth shall hear.
Grace first contrived the way. the saved rebellious man, and
all the steps that grace displayed which drew the wondrous plan.
Grace first inscribed to my name in life's eternal book was grace
that gave me to the Lamb who all my sorrows took. Grace taught
my soul to pray, made my eyes overflowed, was grace that kept
me to this day and will not let me go. Grace all the works shall
crown through everlasting days, It lays in heaven the topmost
stone, and well deserves the praise." The reason they sing
in one voice and one heart in glory, that multitude that none
can number, they sing, worthy is the Lamb, because the Lamb
is worthy. He's the only one worthy, because
He redeemed us back to God by His own blood. Here's the second
thing, why Christ came. You say, Larry, you pretty much
answered that. I realized that. When you speak
about who came, why he came, they're interwoven. You can't
separate one from the other, can you? That's why he was given
the name that he was. When I was a young boy, I spoke
about him in and go. Doesn't seem that long ago. But living back in the mountains
of West Virginia, we didn't have all these devices. My grandson,
my great-grandson, sat next to me in the chair back
there last night. He's got his phone with games
and stuff on it. Pawpaw, look at this. I said,
I don't understand that. He was just going along, just
like a duck to water. But I said, buddy, I don't understand
that. I can't figure that out. We didn't
have all those devices to entertain ourselves with. So I read books. the little old grade school I
went to, they had a small library, so I would take home a biography. I just loved to read about explorers
or pioneers, and I would just spend hours. Find me a quiet
place, get away from my brothers and sisters, and just sit down
and spend hours reading about those adventures. I'd be right
there with them. But none of those books, all
those books combined, did I ever read anything like that. All the works that all those
men did fade into just insignificance compared to this. I never read
of anybody except this one, Jesus. Never read of anyone that came
on a mission of such magnitude, such glory as this. What an undertaking. What a work. No wonder they said,
call his name Jesus, Savior. He shall save his people from
their sins. That was the mission of the Son
of Man. That's why God sent him into
this world, not to be an example, not to be a martyr, but a Savior. If he doesn't save, then he's
a failure. That's why he came, because that's
the purpose of his coming, and that's exactly what our text
tells us. He shall save. by himself, by
himself. I have trodden the winepress
alone, and of the people there was none with me. And I looked,
and there was none to help. And I wondered if there was none
to uphold. Therefore, did it all go? Did it all become for nothing?
Oh, no, no, no. Therefore, my own arm brought
salvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me. Listen to this,
who being the brightness of his glory, and the expressed image
of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his
power, when he had by himself, single-handedly, without any
help, when he had by himself purged our sin, got the job done. Sounds like it was complete.
When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at the
right hand of the majesty on high. Sing, O heavens, for the
Lord hath done it. Shout, ye lower parts of the
earth. Break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forests, and
every tree therein, for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and glorified
himself in Israel. He shall save. Shall. Oh, I like that. I like God's
shalls, don't you? They're certain. No question
about what Christ would do. Can there be any doubt as to
what Christ would accomplish? Another shall. 700 years before
this one in our text tells us the answer to that question.
Behold my servant, God says. Take a look. Keep your eyes upon
him. Look where I look. Behold my
servant whom I uphold, mine elect and whom my soul delighteth.
I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not fail. Oh, I like
that. He shall not fail nor be discouraged. So whatever the mission of the
Son of Man was, it must be realized. It must be accomplished because
he shall not fail. You remember when Joshua, near
the end of his life, when it was time for him to come down
to die, He gathered the elders of Israel around and said, Behold,
this day I'm going the way of all the earth. And you know in
all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath
failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake
concerning you. All came to pass unto you and
not one thing hath failed thereof. Our Joshua. Joshua is the Hebrew
word for Jesus, and our Jesus shall not fail. Our Joshua's
coming into this world was to save his people from their sin,
that it must be done, because he shall not fail. Jesus Christ
accomplished all he came to accomplish. Behold, Luke 18, behold, we go
up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written in the prophets
concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. They'll be done. And he did so. He came to redeem
and that's exactly what he did. He didn't come to make a redemption
possible. He didn't come to redeem everybody.
If Jesus Christ redeemed everybody, I expect everybody to be saved.
If Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world, the
whole world must be saved. That's exactly right. He laid
down his life for his sheep. Listen, Hebrews 9 and 12, neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
in once. Oh, see our mighty Joshua, our
captain, our savior. He enters in one place, one time
rather, into the holy place, having obtained, past tense,
eternal redemption for us. He shall save his people. His
people. Christ didn't come to save everyone.
He came to save all those the Father put into His hands. You
remember what He told those self-righteous Jews, the Pharisees? They came around Him one time
and said, how long are you going to make us to doubt? How long
are you going to hold us in suspense? If you're really the Christ,
why don't you just spit it out plainly? And he said, I have.
I told you plainly. But you believe not. You believe
not because you're not my sheep. You're not my sheep as I said
unto you. My sheep hear my voice. They
recognize the voice of the shepherd. And they prove they've heard
my voice because when they hear it, they follow me. They follow me. And I know them. I'm not laying down my life for
you. I come to lay down my life for my sheep. Father, he prayed
soon after that, the hour has come. Glorify thy son, that thy
son also may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power over
all flesh, that he should give eternal life to all flesh, no,
to as many as thou hast given him. And Paul in Ephesians 5
writes, Husbands, love your wives, but no different than you would
love any woman. No, no, no. Husbands, love your wives as
Christ loved the church, especially, particularly, as Christ loved
the church and gave himself for it. And again, he did not fail. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me
for the foundation of the world. And every time, each and every
time that God calls one of his own home, that prayer is answered. It's being answered. Every time
one of his sheep is taken up to glory. And last of all, he
shall save his people from their sins. Our successful Savior shall
so save his people from their sins that there will be no trace
of sin upon them when they stand without fault before the throne
of God. We can't imagine that now. I
mean, I can't have a thought that's not filled with sin. Can't exercise one thing that's
not full of sin. Oh, but not then. Now unto him
that is able to keep you from falling and to present you fall-less. Wow! before the presence of his
glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Oh, he's a mighty and perfect
Savior, and Jesus brings a perfect salvation. Christ in you, the
hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching
every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect
In Christ Jesus, William Kalper, a fellow that is the curator
of a museum, Kalper and Newton, somewhere around London, I think
it is, heard me preach one time, and I made mention of this, and
he sent me some very interesting things about it, but he said
the actual way the name was pronounced was Cooper, So William Cooper,
he wrote so many of our great hymns, and the most famous, of
course, I think it's on page 222, isn't it? There is a fountain.
Thank God there is a fountain. Aren't you glad there is a fountain?
But because at one time in his life he had attempted to commit
suicide several times, he was confined to an asylum. And it was during that time,
who would have thought, that he wrote that hymn. that there
is a fountain. While he was in a mental institution,
a relative of his sought to ease his pain. He visited him one
day and sought to ease the man's depression by telling him of
the Lord Jesus Christ's power to save. Cooper just burst into
tears and he said, it was the first time I had seen a ray of
hope. First time. And after his friend
had gone, he opened his Bible And he read this from Romans
3 and verse 25, Jesus Christ whom God has set forth to be
the propitiation through faith in his blood. And Cooper wrote
this, there shone upon me the full beams of the sufficiency
of the atonement that Christ has made my part in his blood,
the fullness and completeness of my justification, and in a
moment, I believed. I believed. And that's when he
broke that hand. He was so thrilled. by his new
found hope, that good hope through grace that he described it in
that song, and he based it upon these words from Zechariah chapter
13 verse 1. In that day, in that day, there shall be a fountain opened,
a fountain opened up for sin and uncleanness. There is a fountain
filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners
plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. Plunge in today and be made complete. And I love the last verse, don't
you? Oh, dear dying man, thy precious blood shall never lose
its power till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin
no more. Jesus Savior, he shall save his
people from their sins. Merry Christmas. God bless you.