it was the year 1977 I was a lad a wee little lad was I and my dad brought us
to see Star Wars and my life was changed I loved it Luke Skywalker was awesome I
loved his hair but way back in 1977 I had no idea that this would be one of seven
films no idea none and so 38 years later 2015 I brought my family to see the
latest kind of installment in the Star Wars area last Monday and looking back
through what's what's the what's the movie called what's the latest one the
Force Awakens so looking back through the Force Awakens all the way back to 1977 to
that first Star Wars I realized I had no idea I had no idea that Luke Skywalker
was going to point to Ray I didn't know that spoiler alert sorry no no idea 1977 there
was there was a foreshadowing George Lucas knew this there was there was a
foreshadowing going on of someone who would come and fulfill it later in this
episode 7 in 2015 it really only makes sense when you look back through it and
so this morning we're gonna look at a passage in Matthew chapter 2 verses 13
through 23 in which we're gonna look back Matthew's gonna help us look back at
some Old Testament passages and we're gonna see how they point to Jesus they're
gonna show us how they foreshadowed this Jesus the Christ our King and what you're
gonna see is Jesus is the great fulfiller he's the great fulfiller of so many Old
Testament passages and where we're gonna land this plane is not only is Jesus the
great fulfiller of the Old Testament but he's the great fulfiller of your deepest
longing he came for you if you look at Matthew chapter 2 verses 13 what I want to
point you to right out of the gate is the word fulfill it's used three times in this
passage if you notice in verse 15 and they remain there until the death of Herod
this was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet out of Egypt I called my
son so note that the word fulfill there and then in verse 17 then was fulfilled
what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah and then if you look at verse 23 and then
and he went and lived in a city called Nazareth that what was spoken by the
prophets might be fulfilled he shall be called a Nazarene and so in this passage we
have three fulfillments pointing to Jesus I want to show you how now this isn't the
first time the word fulfilled was used in Matthew Matthew's already used it a
couple times if you look back in Matthew chapter 1 we see it in verse 22 where
Matthew is talking about the the miraculous conception and in Mary and the
birth of this son whose name is Emmanuel and he's saying that fulfilled Isaiah 7 14 and
then we look down at chapter 2 verse 6 verse 5 actually they told him in Bethlehem of
Judea for so it is written fulfilled by the prophet and he points to Micah 5 2 the
Messiah is going to come from Bethlehem fulfillment in these two
fulfillments it's very clear that they're talking about the Messiah and so what we see
early on in Matthew is this kind of God spoke a prophecy about the Messiah and it
very specifically came true in Isaiah 7 14 and Micah 5 2 when we turn to chapter 2
verses 13 through 23 it's not that clear of a fulfillment it's a different kind of
fulfillment that's happening of the Old Testament instead of saying God saying
something specific and specifically pointing to the Messiah in these three
little fulfillments Matthew is saying that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament
scripture in a different kind of way a more general way it's like the Old Testament
sets kind of a trajectory it's a foreshadowing that only looking back through
Christ do we see the fulfillment of it this is classically known as typology
we're not going to quizzy on that don't worry about it but typology is a
legitimate way of understanding fulfillment of the Old Testament in the New Testament
and so just a little bit more on that when we see New Testament writers using
scripture this way what they do is they're showing how Jesus fulfills kind of
general themes general ideas in the Old Testament a classic example would be this
remember the sacrificial system in the Old Testament the ongoing killing of animals in
order to cover over sin well that is a type of sacrifice and it's a foreshadowing of something
that will be fulfilled in Christ's one time sacrifice for all that's the point of Hebrews 10 and so we see
this kind of fulfillment being used by New Testament writers and it's fulfillment of particular people
institutions themes and so when we get to Matthew chapter 2 I want to help you to understand there's a
different kind of fulfillment of Old Testament going on here typically not what we usually think of
fulfillment of prophecy it's a little broader than that and so I just thought we could just jump right in
this morning and we'll look at these three fulfilleds you ready let's go
fulfilled number one we see this in verse 13 through 15 now when they the magi had departed behold an angel
of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said rise take the child Jesus and his mother Mary and flee to
Egypt and remain there until I tell you for Herod remember he is a Simonizing politically savvy killer
for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him and Joseph rose it was immediate he is
quite the man he arose and took child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until
the death of Herod this was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet out of Egypt I called
my son now what's being quoted there is Hosea chapter 11 verse 1 out of Egypt I called my son in what
the Hosea is talking about out of Egypt he's referencing the Exodus remember Pharaoh let my people go Moses
Exodus Exodus and so what it is is a deliverance from the captivity in Egypt that's what's the backdrop
there that's what's being talked about what I want you to dial in on is those words my son out of Egypt
I called my son and there's two points I want to make here first one is this this is the first time
in Matthew that this phrase my son is being used by God to speak about Jesus and so this is the first time
we Matthew uses a prophet to communicate that that God is saying this is my boy this is my son conceived of
the Holy Spirit and so Jesus this boy fully God fully man in one person
here's the second thing I want you to see out of Egypt I called my son it's a reference to the people of God
my son the Israelites it's a reference to a body of people and so my son is being used in Hosea 11 1 as a
reference to God's people that he's delivering out of captivity from Egypt and the question becomes well how does
Jesus fulfill that well he is the new my son he is the embodiment of God's new people God's new people the
church all who bow the knee to Jesus become Christians they are located in the son
my son my son he's the embodiment of a people delivered not from the captivity of Egypt
but from the captivity of sin
remember
Matthew 1 21
it's in the name Jesus
she shall she will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people
from their sins
Jesus
Jesus was sent to Egypt not only to get away from the slaughter of Herod the evil king
but to come out of Egypt
as the my son the embodiment of a new people
and that's how he fulfills
Hosea 11 chapter chapter 11 verse 1 it's
it's this foreshadowing fulfilled in Jesus
the second fulfillment I want you to see
is chapter or chapter 2 verses 16 through 18 this is a really interesting passage
and I I'm telling you I had a lean heart this past week on people far wiser than me and helping understand this
it says then Herod when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men the magi became furious
remember he was paranoid
and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem in all that region who were two years old and under according to the time that
he had ascertained from all the wise men and that was based upon when the star raised from
we talked about that last week
and then verse 17 he says then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah
a voice was heard in Ramah weeping in loud lamentation Rachel weeping for her children she refused to be comforted
because they are
no
more
verse 18
what's being quoted from Jeremiah is Jeremiah chapter 31 that may ring a bell we'll come back to it chapter
Jeremiah 31 verse 15
now
could you imagine
being a mother
in Bethlehem
of one of these babies
that was slaughtered
by Herod
could you imagine the pain
could you imagine that
it would have been horrendous
it would have been horrific
deep sorrow
it was a horrible wrong
what I want you to see here is Matthew is very careful to make a distinction for us
and so what's going on here is fulfillment of God's plan right
but look who he blames
verse 16 then Herod
when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men became furious and he Herod sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem
Matthew is very clear to be putting the blame on Herod not God for the slaughter of these baby boys
I just want to make sure you see that distinction
but what Matthew is saying is that this this weeping this deep sorrow going on
this is fulfillment of something
this is God
God brought this in a way
in a sovereignty and human responsibility that we don't get
but God is sovereign over this
their weeping
points to something
Jeremiah 31 15
pictures Rachel
sister of Leah
who apparently some believe died in Ramah
they
Jeremiah 31 pictures her as kind of the matriarch of the children of Israel
and she's weeping for them
why is she weeping for them
she's weeping for them because God's people are being
exiled
Jeremiah 31 is speaking of the
exile of God's people from the land
Jerusalem's been sacked
and God's people are now being deported
and Ramah was a staging point
for the deportation of God's people to the nations
to Babylon
and so what we see going on here in Jeremiah
in this section is not the exodus
being called out of Egypt
it's the exile
and so why
Rachel
as a representative is weeping so much
is because
it looks like her people are seemingly no more
and more significantly
perhaps
is that
it looks like
the kingly
line of David
has now
come to an end
has ceased
and so if you flip over to
Matthew back to the genealogy
Matthew's already hinted at this
in chapter 1 verses 11 and 12
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah
and his brothers
at the time of the deportation to Babylon
that's what we're talking about right here
and after the deportation of Babylon
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel
and the point that we're seeing here
is that
there is great weeping going on
in Ramah
because God's people are being
sent out
and there's no more good king
David on the throne
in fact
there's an evil king on the throne
Nebuchadnezzar
back in Jeremiah
and here
the evil king of course
is Herod
so the parallels
between what's going on in Jeremiah
and what's going on in Matthew 2 are
we've got moms weeping for the children
suffering under the reign
of a foreign king
because a good King David
is no longer on the throne
it's a fulfillment
of pain and longing
it's pointing to something deep
it's not avoiding pain
it's addressing pain
and pointing to hope
D.A. Carson
help me out
he's
prof down at Trinity
and to summarize what he said
is
the weeping that started with Rachel
in this exile
climaxed
in the weeping
of these Bethlehemite mothers
it was the fulfillment
of hardship of life
under a foreign king
it anticipates
Messiah's reign
coming to an end
of life under exile
the coming of a
Davidic king
out of Egypt
so what I want you to
be thinking about here is
there's real pain here
and pain is part of God's plan
but pain is not the final word
Jesus is the final word on pain
stepping back from Jeremiah 31 15
I want to remind you of Jeremiah 31
Jeremiah 31 is a chapter of hope
again and again
God is saying to his people
going into exile
you're my kids
you're my family
you're my peeps
I'm going to bring you back
I'm going to regather you someday
there's a future hope for you
it's all around it
verse 9
17
20
there's a future hope
for God's people
even with them going into exile
and do you know where he ends up
pointing to
and this is where Jeremiah 31
might have rung a bell in your head
Jeremiah 31 is home
of the new covenant promise
and so Jeremiah 31 talks about
33 talks about God establishing
a new covenant one day
with his people
in which he will write
his law on their hearts
it's a new way of God
relating to his people
he's going to bring them back
and he's going to relate
with them in a new way
now this is where
I want to aim you at Jesus
the night before Jesus was crucified
he was in an opera room
having a meal with his disciples
do you remember what he did?
he broke bread
he poured out wine
he said of the bread
this is my body
given for you
take and eat
do you remember that?
and then he said of the wine
this is my blood
of the covenant
the new covenant
which is poured out
for many
for the forgiveness
of sins
Jesus
is the fulfillment
of the new covenant
he's the hope
even in the face
of great pain
he's the hope
new way in which
God relates
with a new people
Matthew is saying
that the weeping
of these mothers
in Bethlehem
is the fulfillment
of the misery
of God's people
living in exile
under the reign
of a non-David king
and ultimately
the longing
we see in these moms
the longing we see
in Rachel
is our longing
longing to come
under the life-giving
reign of Jesus
to know him
and trust him
and experience
the goodness
of his ways
and so what we see
happening in this
little section
it's like this dark
backdrop
on a stage
it's very dark
but
in comes
the spotlight
on Jesus
the fulfillment
of this
experience
anticipates
King Jesus
one last fulfilled
the return
to Nazareth
chapter 2
verses 9
through 23
but when Herod died
behold an angel
of the Lord
appeared in a dream
to Joseph
in Egypt
saying rise
take the children
and his mother
and go to the land
of Israel
for those who sought
the child's life
are dead
now so
the holy family
is in Egypt now
an angel of the Lord
appears to them
in a dream
says okay
it's time to go back
go back to Israel
Herod's dead now
and so
Joseph again
immediately obeys
he rose
took the child
Jesus
and his mother
Mary
and they went
back to the land
of Israel
presumably
seeking to get
back to Bethlehem
but when he heard
that Archelaus
was reigning
over Judea
Archelaus
was one of
Herod the Great's
jerky sons
he was awful
terrible
and he was
in this position
of authority
for like two years
and then he got canned
he was so bad
but when he heard
that Archelaus
was reigning
over Judea
in the place
of his father
Herod
Joseph was afraid
to go there
and being warned
in a dream
God intervenes
he withdrew
to the district
of Galilee
so they're going
to go back
to Bethlehem
in southern
Israel
but God intervenes
and they go
up to Galilee
which is in northern
Israel
and in the district
of Galilee
is this little town
called
Nazareth
and he went
and lived in a city
called Nazareth
more like a town
that what
that what was
spoken by the
prophets
plural
might be
fulfilled
he shall be
called
a Nazarene
so I want you
to see that
it's prophets
plural
so there's more
than one prophet
that is apparently
spoken of Jesus
being from Nazareth
and whatever
the fulfillment is
it's got something
to do with Nazareth
the challenge is
that if you
search through
your Old Testament
there is no
specific quote
he shall be
called a Nazarene
stated like that
in your Old Testament
it poses quite a
challenge
and so we got
to ask the question
well what's being
said here
and what I want
to help you to see
is that there is
a trajectory
a foreshadowing
in the Old Testament
that points to
Nazareth
and Jesus being
a Nazarene
fulfillment of it
there are
two really good
explanations
for this
and
they
don't have to be
one or the other
so let me
give you the
explanation for
this he shall
be called
a Nazarene
if it's not
explicitly stated
in the Old Testament
that word
Nazareth
sounds like
a Hebrew word
Nazer
which means
branch
and if you
flip back
in your Bibles
to Isaiah
chapter 11
verse 1
Isaiah
uses
this
unique word
Nazer
to describe
the Messiah
there shall
come forth
a shoot
from the
stump
of Jesse
talking about
the David's
line
and a branch
a Nazer
from his roots
shall bear fruit
and the spirit
of the Lord
shall rest upon
him
the spirit
of wisdom
and understanding
the spirit
of counsel
and might
the spirit
of knowledge
and the fear
of the Lord
and he
in his delight
shall be the fear
of the Lord
I just love that
speaking of the Messiah
and so what
Matthew appears
to be doing
and he can
because he's an
inspired writer
of scripture
he's saying that
there's a word
play going on
here
and Nazareth
should make you
think
branch
which makes
you think
Messiah
which helps
you to see
that Jesus
he's the Messiah
and his ending
up in Nazareth
was part of
God's plan
there's another
passage
another passage
in Jeremiah
another prophet
that speaks of
doesn't use
Nazareth language
but uses
the word
branch
to speak
of
the Messiah
it's
Jeremiah 23
5-8
Samir pointed
this out to me
this past week
I'm so grateful
for him
but what it
points to
is the Davidic
Messiah
will come
back
and he will
set up shop
let me just
read it
behold the days
are coming
declares the
Lord
when I will
raise up
for David
a righteous
branch
and he shall
reign as
king
and deal
wisely
and shall
execute
justice
and righteousness
in the land
in his days
Judah will be
saved
and Israel
will dwell
securely
in this
is the name
by which
he will be
called
the Lord
is our
righteousness
he's going to
deliver God's
people out of
captivity to sin
and so
one way of
understanding
this Nazareth
quote is that
it's actually
pointing to
branch language
the other way
to explain it
is by
understanding
what Nazareth
represents
Nazareth
was a
despised
place
and
despised
places
produce
despised
people
generally
speaking
and so
what
Matthew
according to
this
understanding
explanation
is
what
Matthew
is doing
is
talking
about
the
reputation
of the
Messiah
that he
would be
despised
do you
remember
back in
John 1
Philip
he runs
to his
brother
Nathaniel
and he
says
Nathaniel
we
found the
one
that the
law of
Moses
was speaking
of
Jesus
of
Nazareth
and then
in
146
do you
remember
what
Nathaniel
said
does
anything
good
come out
of
Nazareth
it was
a backwater
town
didn't have
a good
reputation
at all
and so
the idea
here is
that
Matthew
by saying
that
Jesus
is a
Nazarene
actually
is a
fulfillment
of the
passages
in the
Old
Testament
that talk
about the
Messiah
as being
despised
Psalm 22
Psalm 69
and of course
the great
one
Isaiah 53
2-3
for he grew
up before
him like
a young
plant
like a
root
out of
dry
ground
he had
no
form
or
majesty
that
we
should
look
at
him
and
no
beauty
that
we
should
desire
him
he
was
despised
and
rejected
by
men
a
man
of
sorrows
and
acquainted
with
grief
and
as
one
from
whom
men
hide
their
faces
he
was
despised
and
we
I love
this
explanation
I like
the
Nazar
explanation
too
they both
are very
helpful
but the
fulfillment
would be
this
Nazareth
represents
the reputation
of
Jesus
he's a
Nazarene
and I
just want
to remind
you
this
Isaiah 53
it's
messianic
it's
it's a
prophecy
of the
coming
suffering
servant
he
would
be
despised
he
would
suffer
he
would
be
shamed
by
people
but in
verse 5
and 6
of
Isaiah
53
but he
was
wounded
for our
transgressions
he was
crushed
for our
iniquities
upon him
this
despised
one
was the
chastisement
that brought
us peace
and with
his stripes
we're
healed
all we
like
sheep
have gone
astray
we have
turned
everyone
to his
own
way
and the
Lord
has laid
on him
the
iniquity
of us
all
this
despised
one
is our
savior
substitute
who died
in our
place
these
are
two
options
of
explaining
this
he
will
be
called
a
Nazarene
he brought about by the shedding of his blood.
And so the point of all this,
and I thank you so much for hanging in there.
I know this was kind of heavy lifting mentally.
The point of it all is that
what was written long ago
in a country far, far away,
what Matthew is saying about Jesus
is that he fulfilled God's eternal plan
for the salvation of sinners like you and me.
Jesus is the great fulfiller.
He is the focal point of God's plan of salvation.
He's the great king from David's line
whose kingship brings eternal life and joy
to those who know pain
and suffering and heartache
and the consequences of sins.
He fulfills our greatest longing.
And so this morning I want to walk away
with three things on your mind.
In light of Matthew 2, 13 through 23,
we can walk out of here knowing that God is sovereign.
Sovereign over it all.
Fulfill, fulfill, fulfill.
He reigns over it.
It's his plan being carried out.
But what I want to just put in your head in there is
pain is part of his plan.
But it's not the final word.
It's not the final word.
Jesus is the final word.
We sang it already.
Revelation 21.
When Jesus comes back,
he's going to take his finger
and wipe away every tear from our face.
He's the final word on pain.
He knows pain.
God is sovereign.
God is loving.
This plan that we see being fulfilled here
in Matthew 2,
this plan is a loving plan of fulfillment.
It's aimed.
It's a glorious plan for our greatest good
to rescue sinners from their sins.
That's what it's all about.
And God's doing it out of love for us.
So God is sovereign.
God is loving.
And Jesus is worth it all.
He's the fulfillment of God's plan
for the ages
and the fulfillment of your deepest longing.
It's all about Jesus.
He's the great fulfiller of Scripture.
And He's the great fulfiller of sinners' hearts.
Let's turn to Him in prayer.
Lord Jesus, we are so grateful
we feel the limits of our brains
when we read passages like this, God.
But we're so glad that You're sovereign,
that You're loving,
and we see that Jesus is worth it all.
God, we're so grateful
that You sent Jesus for us.
We're so grateful
that You don't bypass our pain.
We know that You can use it for good.
Lord Jesus, we recognize You
as the great fulfiller,
and we are looking forward
to seeing how You fulfill
the law and the prophets
that all would be accomplished
in Matthew 5.
Thank You, Jesus, for this time.
Amen.