Sin Salving Saviour
Sermon for Fourth Sunday of Advent – Sunday 21 December 2025 – All Saints, Kesgrave
Text: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1v21)
God give you peace my sisters and brothers
Sin isn’t what it used to be!
Well people still sin but the consequences of sin are not what they used to be.
In the Old Testament, long before angelic visits to a frightened fiancé of a supposedly ‘sinful’ bride-to-be, sin was – and I use the word intentionally – deadly serious.
Before the first Christmas there was no remedy for sin other than death at the hands of the community against which you had sinned. Break any one of the Ten Commandments and you would be headed to the market place where public stoning would take place.
These ‘Sins with a high hand’ had no remedy. There were contingencies in case you broke a commandment by accident. Cities of Refuge[1] where you could go to avoid vengeance from the family of someone you had accidentally killed were established at Kadesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan. But you still had to face a jury and possibly pay for your sin with your own blood.
Lesser or venial sins were seen to be more ritual in nature; eating with hands unwashed, walking on top of a grave, touching a leper. These did not require death but a price had to be paid with a sin offering or a ritual washing in a holy place or burnt sacrifices on days such as Yom Kippur.[2]
This is not just something for the Old Testament though. The Church in some parts of the world still holds that the commission of one of the Seven Deadly Sins[3] demands attendance at confession to remove your soul from mortal danger.
It seems that, to plagiarise Paul’s words in Romans 6v23, despite inflation the wages of sin remain the same…
We, together with Paul who goes on to remind us that, ‘…the gift of God is eternal life inChrist Jesus our Lord’, know that this is not the end of the story, for we have been sent a Saviour.
This is the message of the angel that turns the righteous Joseph’s ‘bad news’ about his betrothed’s supposed infidelity – though Mary was demonstrating the greatest faithfulness of all – into courage, determination and eventually joy.
From now on there is to be no public stoning for ‘Sins with a high hand’.
From now on there is no need for Cities of Refuge.
From now on there is no need for repeated washings and offerings and sacrifices for accidental or even intentional sin. (cf Hebrews 6v1-2).
Listen again to the good news of great joy from the angel to Joseph;
‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1v20-21)
..and the good news is all in the name: Jesus.
A name which the angel goes on to explain. He is to be called ‘Jesus’ because He will be ‘Jesus’, loosely translated ‘Yahweh is my salvation’, to the people.[4]
We have medicine for our wrongdoings.
We have a weal for our woe.
We have a salve for our sin.
The angel announces a saviour, a way of salvation, that transcends the old laws of punishment and revenge replacing it with the gentle healing touch from the hand of a baby.
Jesu is the ointment for our healing, the salve for our souls.
How does he bring this healing ointment to our lives?
Jesus has three different ointments in his First Aid kit.
When we stand too close to the fire of life and the fierce heat of our human condition. When we fall into the sins of selfishness and wilfulness. Jesus comes amongst us like Sun Cream. Not always removing the pain, sin may be forgiven but it still hurts, but the touch of the Saviour lessens the pain and restores us to wholeness.
When, through no fault of our own, we are assaulted by the ways of the world and the wiles of the evil one and find ourselves infected with diseases of all sorts, Jesus comes amongst us like the Calamine lotion which loving mums gently dabbed on our spots to help us recover. This salve will not prevent the evils of those who see committing the Seven Deadly Sins as a life goal, but it will enable us to stand up to them and show them a different way of living.
And finally, Jesus salves us with the gentle lotion of a hand cream; Nivea is my go-to brand. Our lives are transformed from wilfulness and wounding to become people who are ready to serve. Jesus restores us and equips us and calls us to bring salvation for others. His gentle saving touch helps us become healers of others.
What needs salving in our world today?
Places of war and greed? Places of prejudice and neglect?
What needs salving in our church today?
Unforgiveness? Holding on to past grudges and grievances? Lack of generosity and thankfulness?
What needs salving in our own life today?
Unhealed family relationships? Determined selfishness? A habit or addiction that damages and heals those we love as well as ourselves?
These, whoever we are and wherever we live, are long lists over which to cry.
But we have a chance to write them down, offer them in prayer, and then see them wiped clean by the birth of a child in just a few day’s time.
Listen again to the angel’s words to Joseph:
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1v21)
We have someone who will rescue us.
We have a Sin Salving Saviour.
Halleluiah! What a Saviour!
[This blog ‘Sin Salving Saviour’ is copyright © Andrew Dotchin 2025 and may be reproduced without charge on condition that the source is acknowledged]
oooOOOooo
Joseph accepts Jesus as his son
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’
22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25 – NIV)
[1] See this article about Cities of Refuge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_of_Refuge
[2] Details of ancient and modern practice can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur
[3] The origin of these is found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins
[4] For a short interpretation of the name ‘Jesus’ read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus
Suffolk Vicar 