GOD PROTECTS SALVATION
BIBLICAL FOUNDATION
Matthew 1:21
INTRODUCTION
One of the most widely celebrated festivals in the world is Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ. Out of the world’s population of 7.8 billion, about 2 billion people celebrate Christmas.
The history of Christ’s birth is recorded in three of the Gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author of the Gospel of Matthew describes the birth of Jesus Christ in a slightly different way, based on the Old Testament. For example, in Matthew 1:22 and 2:18, he compares events to prophecies from the Old Testament. The Gospel of Matthew was written for the Jews to help them understand the life of Christ. Therefore, the author of Matthew includes a detailed genealogy. For the Jewish people, genealogy was very important. That is why, in the Old Testament scriptures, they often refer to God as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” emphasizing their ancestral lineage.
There are many characters involved in the birth of Jesus Christ, Mary, Joseph, Herod, the wise men, the manger, the shepherds, and many others. Along with these, one significant element that runs through the story is dreams. In the story of Jesus Christ’s birth, dreams play a very important role. Through these dreams, God acted to protect the salvation that was to come through the birth of Jesus Christ. On this blessed Christmas day, let us reflect on how God used dreams to safeguard the salvation brought about by the birth of Christ.
DREAM-1: MATTHEW 1:20-24
This was the first dream given by God to protect the salvation i.e, to protect Jesus Christ. The Jews practiced marriage in two stages:
1. The formal betrothal ceremony, similar to an engagement in our culture.
2. The bride being taken to the groom’s house to live with him as his wife.
Joseph and Mary were betrothed (Matthew 1:18), but not yet married. Before the marriage took place, Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit. When Joseph learned of this, he planned to quietly separate from her. Joseph was a righteous man beyond the letter of the law. According to the law, if a woman was found to be pregnant before marriage, she was to be put to death. However, Joseph did not want either himself or Mary to be disgraced. He wished to protect her dignity and decided to dismiss her quietly. At that moment, God gave Joseph a dream. According to that dream, Joseph accepted Mary as his wife. Through this, God protected the salvation. He became a shield so that nothing would hinder the work of salvation.
DREAM - 2: MATTHEW 2:12
The second weapon the enemy used to destroy redemption was betrayal of trust. The wise men came to King Herod’s palace, eager to see the one who was born King of the Jews. Herod, with deceit in his heart, spoke to them cunningly, pretending to share their intentions. The wise men trusted Herod, but he planned to use that trust for his own advantage. In this world, the most dangerous and violent weapon is betrayal of trust. However, through a dream God gave to the wise men, they were warned not to return to Herod. They went back to their own country by another route. Thus, for the second time, salvation was protected through a dream.
DREAM - 3: MATTHEW 2:13-16
When the wise men did not return to him, Herod became furious and ordered that all male children under the age of two be killed. To destroy one little child, Herod acted like a child himself. By killing innocent children, he brought disgrace upon himself something most unbecoming of a king. Little children act without knowing whether what they do is right or wrong; Herod did the same. At that time, Joseph received a dream from God: “Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.” Through this dream, God protected the child Jesus the Redeemer from Herod’s cruelty. For the sake of one child, many children lost their lives. In Matthew 2:16, we see that the death of these little ones became the means through which redemption was preserved. Through the sacrifice of many innocent children, salvation was granted to us.
Therefore, beloved children of God, we must never treat lightly the salvation that has been graciously given to us by God.
DREAM - 4: MATTHEW 2:19-21
While Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Christ were living in Egypt as refugees, this dream came as a call for them to return to their own country. God protected the redemption until the death of Herod. God Himself was a wall of protection around the child Jesus the Redeemer.
DREAM - 5: MATTHEW 2:22
This dream was the one that took away Joseph’s fear. The dreams we have reflected on so far were dreams through which God protected Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. But this particular dream was given by God to remove the fear of Joseph, who journeyed with Jesus Christ. God protected the redemption through dreams. Once they reached a stage where they could live on their own, dreams no longer came to them for the rest of their lives.
CONCLUSION
Beloved children of God! Look carefully at the marvelous and miraculous way in which God guided everything. In order to grant us salvation, see how beautifully He protected Christ, the Redeemer. We must understand one thing are we greater than God? There is no limit to His power. The child Jesus faced many kinds of threats and unsafe circumstances, yet God’s power was greater. God’s might surpasses all the deceit and schemes of the world. That is why salvation was preserved.
Through many trials, through the suffering of many lives, and through the sacrifices of many people, God has placed this salvation into our hands. Let us protect the salvation that has been given to us during this Christmas season. That is the true honor we can give to the birth of Christ. Amen!
©2025, I. Ananda Balakrishnan
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