"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."
I pondered on how one of the reasons the Jews did not recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah is they thought he would save them from the bondage of Roman rule. Here the angel of the Lord makes it very clear to Joseph that Jesus will save his people from their sins. That was a very important distinction that had to be made. It enabled his parents to understand how to raise him. He wouldn't be raised to command armies. He was raised with compassion.
The other thing I reflected on are the careful words, "he shall save his people from their sins", it doesn't say "in" their sins. You cannot confess the Lord and be saved in sin. Repentance is needed, and sins must be forsaken to be taken from you.
"And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.
And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls."
(Helaman 5:10-11)
Day 1505
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