The ‘Why And What’ Of Our Salvation - Matthew 1:20-21

    
 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:20-21

    It is Easter, to most Americans. To some, just another ‘religious holiday.’ To others, a time to hide eggs from the children in the morning and to entertain family and friends with a festive meal in the afternoon. Still, for others in their ‘Sunday best’ and their gaudy ‘Easter bonnets,’ it is often the one day of year they attend church.
    I won’t get into the details of such spiritual mediocrity. What I want to address this fine Spring morning is the reason we recognize the day - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was, in fact, the only reason Jesus was born at all. “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” - 1 Timothy 1:15.
    To understand this fact we need to know why we need saving and what we need saving ‘from.’
    First of all we need saving because in our natural state we are sinners from birth. If we were to go about our lives indifferent to salvation our lives would prove to be nothing but enmity with God. Proof? Every creature on earth fulfills it’s natural role as God has ordained. Every creature but man. Because of man’s sinful transgressions we need borders, armies, police, courts, jails, fences and doors with locks. No other animal requires such corrective stop gaps because of the transgressions we commit as humans. We must have moral laws to protect us from ourselves.  
    “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” - Romans 1:28-31. Clearly, we can see ourselves in this sinful state if we are honest with ourselves.
    What we need saving from are the wages of our sins, spiritual death - eternity in hell. But ours need not be a lost cause. Hell need not be our eternal judgement because of what Jesus Christ has provided for us. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” - John 3:18.
    There are those who believe that there are many roads to heaven. “Certainly,” they say, “Jesus can’t be the only way to heaven.” Then they rattle off the names of a dozen or so idolatrous religions. But Jesus has already told us in His own words - “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” - John 14:6. Only through Jesus! This is why He came into the world; for this reason and this reason alone: to die for our sins. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11. When we take a moment to reflect upon our lives we come to the realization that not only did Jesus die for our sins but He also rose for our salvation. Happy Resurrection Day!