A Saviour is Born


"She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins" Matthew 1:21

The context of Joseph's dream is significant. The Jews were under the oppressive occupation of the Roman empire. They were awaiting the Messiah, their Savior, to deliver them from a ruthless regime, like the Lord delivered Israel from her enemies in their history.

Contrary to what they were expecting, the Lord announces to Joseph that the Messiah will save Israel from their sins, not from the Roman occupation. In God's view, sin is far more destructive to us and far more threatening than external difficult circumstances.

It is far more important to God to set us free from our sins. His goal is to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29),that Christ is formed in us (Gal 4:19)

In fact, sometimes it is difficult circumstances that both reveals our own hearts to us and makes us realize our need for a Savior!
A cardiac stress test is a medical analogy that illustrates this principle. A stress test checks the patient's heart under stress or excessive work load by having him/her exercise on a treadmill. If the patient has blockage in his/her coronary arteries, the stress test will reveal that. The patient is then diagnosed as needing to be saved from his condition, by either medication or cardiac surgery. Stressing the patient's heart revealed his/her condition and the need for a remedy.

At times, difficult circumstances could be spiritual warfare that needs to be resisted in prayer and fasting, and God absolutely delivers us from such adversity. At other times trials are allowed by the Lord for His purposes in our lives. We need to discern the difference in prayer.

God doesn't merely want to save us from hell, He wants to save us from our sins, so we can behold His glory without a veil. The apostle Paul's concern was not merely to be saved from hell, but from his sinful nature, "What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24

Thank you Jesus for coming to save us from our sins, and thank you that even if you allowed difficulties to come our way, you are Emmanuel, God with us in those times as well!