Back in Matthew's Gospel, chapter
1, we have this glorious record
of the birth of our Redeemer. I'm sure I've told you before,
verse 21, our text, which doesn't surprise you, I'm sure, is one
of my favorite verses of Scripture. So much there, isn't there? We
can, in history, read about men who are known for doing something
that gives them, at least in the view of their fellow men,
they've done something or accomplished something that gives them a distinction,
a certain amount of fame, fleeting but nonetheless some fame. For example, we read of that
fellow so-called Alexander the Great. We can read of the Caesars
of that dynasty and many, many others. And when I was a young
boy, when I was very young in grade school, and back in those
days, we didn't have all the things that young people have
today to entertain themselves and to distract themselves. So
I did something that is becoming more and more old-fashioned,
Todd. I read books. I read books. Real books. Paper and binding. And I loved to read biographies. Just loved to read biographies.
I would find me a quiet place somewhere when the weather permitted,
during warm weather, summer, I'd go outside, find a quiet
place, sit under a tree and read a biography. Because I had four
brothers and sisters, there wasn't much quiet time in the house.
But I would read about someone like Christopher Columbus or
Davy Crockett, the Alamo, and Abraham Lincoln. And after God
saved me, I still enjoy reading a good biography. George Whitefield,
two volumes, I've read that, just a blessing. The same with
Mr. Spurgeon. But with every biography
written by man, there's always the possibility, I should say
the likelihood, that that which is written glosses over their
faults and their failures. But when we come to the Word
of God, we have biographies of men and women, believers, but
these, unlike those others, are printed with their brush of divine
truth. Sins and all, and in all. Because we read, all have sinned. All have sinned without exception. Turn, if you will, for a moment
to Hebrews chapter 11. Here we have a roll call, as
it's been called, of some of the Old Testament believers,
children of God. We read that of Abel and of Enoch. Enoch, we're told, walked with
God, verse 5. He walked with God, we read,
and by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death. Isn't that something? He was
taken to glory. We have that record in the book
of Genesis. And was not found because God
had translated him, took him on to heaven. For before his
translation, he had this testimony that he pleased God. Janice's account tells us that
he walked with God. He walked with God in the midst
of a perverse, God-dishonoring, God-despising society, just like
the one we live in. But he walked with God. What a legacy. What a legacy. If that could be said about any
man, it doesn't matter what anyone else says or could be said. And
he was found not because God took him. God took him. God said, come up and spend the
night, Enoch, and he never came back because there's no night
there. We read of Noah in verse 7. Noah's name means rest. By faith,
Noah being warned of God of things not seen, as yet moved with fear."
Abraham, verse 8, and on down through the chapter, his name
means the father of a multitude. By faith, Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place which he should after receive
for an inheritance, obeyed. Obeyed. You mean those who experience
the call of God obey? Absolutely. Absolutely. This call of God's grace has
with it the power, the power to enable the work in us both
the will and the do of His good pleasure. Follow me and they
follow Him. And he went out not knowing whither
he went. By faith he sojourned in the
land of promises, in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles,
tents, temporary dwelling places. With Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise, for he looked for a city which
hath foundations, which builder and maker is God." They could have been written
today, couldn't they? That sounds like a pretty good
description of God's people today. This world's not our home. We're
just passing through. Down in verse 24, we read about
Moses, the lawgiver, he's been called. He received the law from
God. His name means drawn forth or
drawn out, given to him because Pharaoh's daughter found him
there in the river She drew him out, fetched him. But look what
it says concerning Moses. Verse 24, by faith Moses, when
he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter. Man. Pharaoh, that great monarch,
Pharaoh, that riches beyond imagination, Moses refused to be called his
grandson? Why? My soul, what would possess
a man, Louis, to give all that up? To just turn his back on
all of it? Look at verse 25. Choosing rather
to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin, oh, that our children knew this, the pleasure
of sin for a season, just for a little while. But look, look
what it says in verse 26, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater
riches, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. Lay up for
yourselves, our Master says, not treasures upon earth where
moth and rust doth corrupt, but lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven where Christ is. Esteeming the reproach of Christ's
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect
unto the recompense of the reward." Then back in Matthew 1, concerning
the biographies of men concerning those we have in God's own word. Some great and very instructive
things, some needful lessons. But I've never read anything. I've never read anything that
compares to this. Have you? I've never found anything as glorious, as
majestic, as wonderful, I can't find adjectives. For he, Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. My soul, 700
years before this, God spoke by the prophet Isaiah. In verse 23 of Matthew, you have
it recorded there. But 700 years before we read
this, rather in Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14, therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign. Behold, behold, a virgin shall
conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel, God with
us. God with us. And then in chapter
9 again, speaking of that unique individual. In Isaiah 9, verse
6, for unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. He's
God's eternal son. He wasn't born as God's son,
no, he was always the son of God. Unto us a child is born,
yes, but unto us a son is given. God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten son. And the government shall be upon
his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful and Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
All of that's describing the same person? Oh, yes. of the
increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon
the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even forever the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it. Gabriel first appeared to Mary
with the announcement of her conception concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ. Turn, if you will, for a moment
to Luke's Gospel, chapter 1. He appears to Joseph afterwards,
but first he appeared with this wondrous news to Mary. In Luke's
Gospel, chapter 1, verse 26. And in the sixth month, the angel
Gabriel, six months after he appeared to Zacharias, the father
of John the Baptist, Mary's cousin, announcing by divine intervention,
Elizabeth would have a son, John the Baptist, the forerunner of
Jesus Christ. Now that same angel goes to Nazareth,
verse 27, to a virgin and spouse to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And the
angel came in unto her and said, Hail thou that art highly favored. The Lord is with thee. Blessed
art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what matter of salutation
this should be. And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. No need
to be afraid. And behold, O another, behold,
well-deserved. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall
be great, he shall be great, 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 He shall reign over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no
end." Then afterwards, he sent to Joseph. We have the record
of that in Matthew chapter 1. He comes to Joseph with this
message, telling him we're in this greatness of that Holy One
in the womb of Mary. We're in that greatness lay.
Not his greatness as God. He always possessed that. But
his greatness as the man who is himself God. He shall be great,
great as our mediator. He was great as our Redeemer.
He was great because He's the everlasting God, but, oh, now
He shall be great as being made like unto His brethren. He'll
be great as their surety. He'll be great as Jesus, God,
come into flesh. Jehovah, the word means, Jehovah
come to save the salvation of the Lord. Not born the son of
God. Oh, no, no, no. Mary is not the
mother of God. No, no, no. He's born to be the son of man. The title
of my message is Jesus, that matchless name. I take that from
our text, of course, but also of the hymn that we'll close
with. On page 443, verse 5, Jesus, by that matchless name, thy grace
shall fill us never. Isn't that good news? Today is
yesterday the same, thou art the same forever. Jesus, that matchless name, first,
first remember. And I'll not say anything new
this morning. I won't say anything to believers
that they haven't heard before. Oh, but that's not a problem,
is it? Because we're dealing with the subject that never grows
old. We're speaking or attempting
to speak about a wonder that'll never lose its luster, about
a marvel that will never cease to adore. You mean while we live?
Oh, yes, but even after we enter glory. We'll never get over the
wonder of the birth and the reason for it of our glorious Redeemer. First, remember who came to save. Who came to save? Joseph, call
his name Jesus. Who's given that great work of
salvation? Who's given that great work of
salvation? Who can bridge that gulf? Oh, how wide the gulf between
the holy Lord God and sinful man. Think about that. Who can bridge that gulf? Who
can bring God and man together, reconciled? Who can do that? And if you think that's easy,
if you think that's easy, oh, I pray, and I'm serious, I do
pray for those who hear me here, for
my children, those who hear over Free Grace and so forth, pray
that they not be deluded with that lie that's being told and
has been told for years now and is being told this morning that
it's easy. No, my soul, the Lord Jesus Christ,
when asked the question by His disciples, who can be saved,
He said, with you, with man, it's impossible. My soul could,
words be plainer. So if you think it's easy, In
answer to the question, who can bridge this great gulf between
holy God and a sinful man? How can a man be just with God
if you think the answer is easy and it's dependent upon some
decision or walk up an aisle and some preacher putting words
in your mouth because you don't have enough conviction even though
you lost. No, that's easy, yes, I grant
you, but it's not salvation. It's not salvation, it's a delusion.
It's a delusion. And I declare I believe it's
concerning such people that have experienced that by the multitudes
that our Lord speaks of especially when he says, in that day many
will stand before me. I don't picture Moonies and a
bunch of nuts like that because they say, Lord, Lord, Jesus.
And he'll say, I never knew you. I never knew you. Now, who is
up to this work of the salvation of men? Because remember, God
demands perfect obedience to his law. Perfect obedience. And he also demands satisfaction
to his justice. In the precept of the law, the
keeping of it, it must be kept perfectly. You mean God requires
that I do the best I can? No. He requires that you do the
best that God can. That's exactly right. And not
only must the law be kept in its precept, it must be executed
in its penalty. God says the soul that sinneth,
it must die. And it must. It must. My, my. in consideration of that. Thinking about that. If God is
pleased to bring it home to our hearts, our reaction will be,
in light of those things, who can be saved? Who can be saved? Oh my! It requires a great Savior. A great Savior. Notice in verse 21 of Matthew
1, there's three parties mentioned in the text, isn't there? Three
individuals. It speaks of Mary. Is she the one that shall save
God's people from their sins? No, of course not. Because like
every sinner, And Mary was highly favored, yes, but a sinner still. She needed saving. When she,
after the announcement by the angel Gabriel to her that we
read about in Luke 1, she visited her cousin Elizabeth, the mother
of John the Baptist. And she said, My soul doth magnify
the Lord, and I rejoice in God my Savior. That one in the womb
of the virgin is Mary's Redeemer. She must be saved by Him. Yes, He was made of a woman and
made under the law. I come in the body that you have
prepared me, O God, to do Thy will, the Redeemer said. He was
born of a woman to be human, but not by man, that he be sinless. And then we read of this other
party, Joseph, Mary's husband. What's his part? Well, he shall
do exactly as he was commanded to do. He shall obey that command
to name this one Jesus. And then we come to the third
party. Jesus. There's that matchless
name. Jesus is the equivalent, the
same as the Hebrew Joshua. Same thing. Means that Jehovah
is salvation or the Lord of salvation. His name is who he is. His name is who he is. I don't
know that Larry means anything. I've never tried to find out.
I'm really not interested. I think it meant a heathen, because
that's what my daddy always told me. Larry, you heathen, so maybe
it means that. I was. But our Lord's name tells
us who he is. Remember what Peter said to the
Sanhedrin when he and John were called up on the carpet and arrested
because of the healing of the blind man? And he took that,
or rather, the crippled man in Acts 3, and he took that occasion
to preach Christ to the multitude, and the religious leaders didn't
like it, but he spoke to them and said, neither is there salvation
in any other name. They said, don't speak in this
name anymore. You're trying to bring that man's
blood on our hands. We'll turn you loose, but don't
you dare speak in his name." Peter said, well, it's not going
to happen. Can't help it. Can't help it. A young man came
to Spurgeon and said, I think I've been called to preach. Mr.
Spurgeon, what do you think? And Spurgeon said, don't do it
if you can help it. Peter said, I can't help it. We must speak. And he said, I'll tell you something
else. There is none other name given among men, whereby we must
be saved." Another name, Jesus, the Word made flesh. That glorious person who is himself God, he was made flesh that he might
be made sin. The Incarnation is a prophecy
of salvation, of redemption, of atonement. He came to save
his people. Mr. Spurgeon said, those who
denied the Godhead of Christ, that he was indeed God, those
who denied the Godhead of Christ are consistent in rejecting his
atonement. And he was exactly right. Because
if he was less than God, he could not atone for any one's sins. God alone could not die, and
man could not satisfy, but the God-man does both. He does both. He by himself bridges
that gulf between God and His people, and through the cross,
they are brought together in perfect peace. Glory to His name. Jesus, oh, that matchless name. Why did He come? Well, we've
already talked about that, haven't we? You can't talk about who.
Jesus. without talking about why he
came. His name tells us what he is
and what he does. He came to save his people from
their sins. Oh, I like that. And there's
not a question mark after that statement, is there, Joe? No
ifs, no maybes, no contingencies, He'll save his people if they
let him. Do you read that there? Do you
see that there? He'll save his people if they
cooperate. He'll save his people if they
contribute their part. Doesn't say that. It's not there,
is it? Oh, how he deserves the name. He lived up to his name,
didn't he? And that's why we sing. Glory
to His name. His name. Not Moses, not Mary,
not any other man, but only Him. Not me, not you. Let His name be exalted. Not
unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy glory and Thy namesake
be honor forever and ever. To save His people from their
sins. He didn't come. Another popular
lie in our day. The Lord Jesus didn't come here
to make people healthy and wealthy. Multitude of religious hucksters,
that's what they are. If they were sitting here, I'd
tell them to their face, religious hucksters that are making merchandise
out of men's souls by telling him that. But that's not why
he came. He didn't come to help men be
saved or assist them to save themselves or attempt to save
them. He came to save them. Oh, that's
where our comfort lies, does it not? He obtained eternal redemption
for us. He put away our sins upon the
cross. By his cross, we're brought nigh
to God. I don't hope to be clothed in
his righteousness. I am right now clothed in his
righteousness, my soul. Is that not good news? No. It doesn't speak of an attempt
concerning this holy one, but what he should do. Anyone can
make an attempt. I could go out and climb up on
the roof and say, I'm going to attempt to fly. And y'all would
say, well, we better start looking for another pastor. If he survives, We'll need to
put him somewhere. But yet, the attempt would be
true, wouldn't it? I'm going to attempt to do it,
splat! But the attempt was true. But
it accomplished nothing. Our Lord Jesus Christ didn't
make an attempt. He by Himself purged our sins
in His own body on the tree. He came to save. And Gabriel
said, Joseph, he shall. He shall. That's why name him
Jesus. Call his name Jesus. He shall. Not him and me. No, as prophesied
again in Isaiah. And God help us to remember this. He hath trodden the wine press
alone. And of the people, there was
none with me. I looked, this is our Redeemer
speaking. I looked and there was none to
help. I thought about this last night. I was thinking about this when
I fell asleep. indescribable loneliness the
Lord Jesus Christ endured upon the cross. He endured the loneliness of
being the only one on earth without sin. Did no sin, knew no sin,
in him was no sin, but then, but he said to his disciples,
you'll forsake me, you'll forsake me, you'll leave me alone. but
my Father is with me." In John 6, we're told when Jesus sent
his disciples across the sea after the feeding of the multitude
and a great storm arose, we read there that it was now dark and
Jesus was not come to them. I've been there, haven't you?
But John, he didn't come at that moment, but he came. It was now dark and Jesus was
not come, not yet. But he came, didn't he? And I've been on some stormy
seas. And he's not come when I've wanted
him to. But he's always come. He's always
come at the very best time for my good and his glory. It was
now dark and Jesus was not come to them, but he did. He promised them and you and
I that are believers, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake
you. Lord Rogers, your Redeemer will
never leave you. He will never forsake you, never. But on Calvary, on Calvary, It was darkness. Oh, my soul,
what darkness? Black, dark. Was there ever a
darkness like that? Never. Something was happening
there that had never happened before, unheard of, can't be
explained, can't be comprehended. We can only bow down and wonder
and offer our praise and adoration, but we can't understand it. We can't explain it. God made
His Son sin. I know 2 Corinthians 5 and 21
says, rather, God made His Son to be sin, but 2B is in italics. It says, God made His Son sin. Sin itself. How do you explain
that? That awful, rebellious, God-hating, damning
thing called sin. God made him sin. Like the rays of the sun just
are spread over the earth. Our sins were all brought to
focus like the rays of the sun, except they were all brought
to focus on one individual, the Son of God. The sinless one was
made sin. Awake, O sword, against the man
who is my fellow! Smite the shepherd! I've trodden the winepress alone. What depths of loneliness. I just can't. I can't enter into
that, can you? How alone the Son of God was. God, his disciples left him alone.
They all forsook him and fled. The thieves mocked him. Those
on the ground said, oh, he believe in God, come on down, we'll believe
you. Let's see if God will have him. Look at him, God doesn't
want him. Many swords were raised to wound
him, many hands rather. None would interpose to save
him, oh, but the awful stroke, the awful stroke that found him.
was the stroke that justice gave, when God took the sword of His
absolute, unmitigated justice and plunged it right into the
very heart of His Son. Dark, dark. Isaiah said, all we like sheep
have gone astray. Does God smite the sheep? They
deserve it. No, no, no. he smites the shepherd. He had laid upon him the iniquity
of us all. He was smitten, and he was afflicted,
and he opened not his mouth. It pleased the Lord to bruise,
to crush his son is the word. When he cried in his darkest
hour, God didn't deliver him. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? The billows have gone over my
head. I'm a worm and no man, he cried. Psalm 22. All my transgressions, our Lord
said. Again, Mr. Spurgeon said, O son
of man, O son of man, I know not which to admire more, thine
height of glory or thy depths of misery." Though he was rich, he became
poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. But remember,
Jesus shall save his people from their sins And as the darkness
rolled away, he lifted his glorious, glorious
head and, My King, what they written there was true. This
is Jesus, the King of the Jews and everyone else. He cried as
the victor, as the champion, as the captain of my salvation.
It's finished, bless His name. It's done. He shall save his
people from their sins. Oh, the bliss. Oh, the bliss
of this glorious thought. And it is bliss. Child of God,
is it not bliss? Is it not bliss? Is it not bliss
to lay down at night and to know, to have experienced in your heart
this blessed truth, the bliss of this glorious thought? My
sins, not in part, but the whole, were nailed to His cross, and
I bear them no more. Oh, praise the Lord! Praise the
Lord, O my soul! A little bit ago, I think we were
singing the hymn in the bulletin, and I missed a word. And I think
I do that often. Sometimes I add a word. Not intentionally. And I hope I'm not throwing Joe
off. I may do it. If I do, he covers
it up. And if I do, I'm not surprised
that I do. I think it was said of Billy
Bray. I think it was his name. But I read concerning some believer,
after God had saved him, he couldn't get over it. Just praising the
Lord. Just thanking God for his mercy
and grace. And some overly religious folks
pulled him aside and said, Billy, don't you think you're overdoing
this? I mean, don't you think people can get into just a habit
of praising God? Billy said, well, I don't think
God has much problem with those kind of people, because it doesn't
happen. He said, I can't help it. He's
not walking down the railroad tracks and his foot rests on
a tie and says, saved by grace. And then this one comes behind
him and says, amen, forever and ever. He said, I can't help it.
Oh, let everything that hath breath praise the name of the
Lord. Last of all, it says, his people. He shall save his people from
their sins. And who are they? Who are these
people that are so loved, that have always been loved by God? They didn't begin to be loved
by Him when He sent His Son. That's why He sent His Son, because
He loved them already. There's never a time He didn't
love them. Who are these that are so blessed, so blessed of
the triune God? David said, blessed is the man
to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Who are these ones, these
people that our text speaks of, His people, for whom He prayed,
Father, I will also, also, in addition to everything else,
I will also that those whom you've given Me, His people, be with
Me where I am, that they may behold My glory." Who are they? For whom He lived
and died and rose and intercedes. It's not everybody. It's not
everyone. It's His people. If that means
everybody in our text, then all would be saved. If He bore the
sins of the whole world, I expect the whole world to be saved. It would be wrong and unjust
of God to demand payment two times for the same offense. But
it's not so. It's not so. It was also said
concerning our Redeemer that He shall not fail. No, His people
are His church and His bride and His elect. But listen, yet
sinners every one. Every one of them were sinners.
His people are sinners. So that's the question, isn't
it? Not for an unbeliever to ask, am
I God's elect? What can I do to figure that
out? No, am I a sinner? Am I a sinner? Do you need such
a Savior? Do you need Him? Do you really
need Him? Something like a sleeping pill
that'll make you rest your guilty conscience. I don't mean do you
want a fire escape out of hell or a doormat to heaven named
Jesus. No. Are you a sinner with the
burden of your sin on your back and you can't get off? Nothing
you've done has taken it off. All your decisions, everything
you've ever done, every religious move you've made, nothing has
got rid of that burden. Is there a sinner like that? Oh, then there's a Savior. A
Savior. Let's read it one last time.
Call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Ever since my children were practically
out of diapers and old enough to sit still, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day,
I would read them the story, Matthew's account, Isaiah, Luke,
of the birth of my glorious Redeemer. Now they're grown and married
with children of their own, but I was so happy when I visited
my son's house and he said, Dad, I want you to keep doing that. I want you to keep doing that.
And now my grandchildren, his children, they sit and listen.
And I don't think I've ever missed a Christmas doing that. And usually
they're all there except on the occasions when my daughter didn't
live near enough to be with us as it will be the case this year. But Lester, I have mixed emotions when I
do that. I'm thankful for the opportunity to read God's Word
to them, witness. But every time before I read,
and while I'm reading, I'm asking God Lord, reveal your Son to
them, the Word that was made flesh,
the Word that I'm reading. Oh, reveal Him to them. Be merciful to them. I read that He came to save His
people from their sin. Save them. Save them. That's what I want to share. I've been told, haven't lately,
but there's been a time or two, someone's told me that my sons
looked a lot like their father, that they resembled me. And I
think, such handsome lads. And I suppose they have some
characteristics. But what I want to share with
them more than anything else, is my Redeemer. I want to be able to sit down
with Him and share the wonders of His mercy and His grace. I want to have that in common.
And perhaps this year, perhaps this year, that may happen. And I have good reason to hope.
You know why? Because Jesus came to save His people from their
sins. Bless his glorious name. Amen.