Good morning, church family.
If you're a guest here or you've never been to Maranatha, my name is Luke Fawcett.
! I'm a pastoral intern here. I have the privilege of serving you guys in that way.
Thank you once again for giving me the privilege of opening God's Word with you
and considering the implications of it for our lives.
The title for the message this morning is
Jesus is the Promised Son.
We're finishing our Advent series by looking at the final section of Matthew 2, verses 13 to 23.
Matthew 2, verses 13 to 23.
This time of year reminds me a lot of my childhood,
when I would ride with my mom in her old minivan and listen to a lot of classic Christmas tunes.
For you teens, this was before Spotify and commercial-less streaming,
so that was how I enjoyed music.
But more than any other holiday, I think Christmas is set apart by its festive songs.
While many are concerned with Santa Claus and sleigh bells and snow,
others actually reflect true elements of the biblical storyline.
Wise men and wonder,
shepherds and stars,
angels and anticipation,
heaven and earth.
Some are tender and serene.
Perhaps your favorite song is in these kind of lyrics.
Some of these we just sang.
Silent night,
holy night.
All is calm,
all is bright.
Round yon virgin,
mother and child,
holy infant,
so tender and mild.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Or this one,
away in a manger,
no crib for a bed.
The little Lord Jesus
laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky
look down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus
asleep on the hay.
Or this one,
O little town of Bethlehem,
how sweet we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep,
the silent stars go by.
But other songs are cheerful and triumphant.
O come all ye faithful,
we just sang this,
joyful and triumphant.
O come ye,
O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him,
born the king of angels.
O come,
let us adore him.
O come,
let us adore him.
Or joy to the world,
the Lord is come.
Let earth receive her king.
Let every heart prepare him room.
And heaven and nature sing.
What centers each of these Christmas classics
are themes like joy and love and peace,
like light and life for the world.
Our souls are calmed
and they're lifted up
because of the incarnation of Jesus.
He is God with us.
He has entered into our story.
But that is only half of the story.
They conclude Matthew's account
where we left off last week
with wise men bowing down
and worshiping the blessed baby.
But what about the other half of the story?
Our passage has a completely different feel to it.
Instead of peaceful safety,
we see murderous threats.
Instead of sweet sleep,
there is urgent escape.
Instead of joyful song,
there are sorrowful lamentations.
Instead of Bethlehem,
we get Egypt.
What kind of Christmas is this?
Perhaps we have virtually no songs
that tell about this
because even among the biblical authors,
the gospel writers,
Matthew is actually the only one
who gives us this account.
But this too
is part of Jesus' story.
It is part of our story.
And while our stories,
perhaps even
this Christmas experience for you,
is mingled with sorrow
and joy,
pain and peace,
loneliness
and comfort.
We will see that this half of the story
is not just necessary.
This half of the story
is glorious
for those who are in Christ Jesus.
So if you have not already,
I would encourage you to open
a physical copy of God's word
to Matthew chapter 2,
verse 13 to 23.
You can find our passage
on page 808
of the Pew Bible
in front of you.
Page 808
of the Pew Bible
in front of you.
You can follow along
as I read this passage.
Now when they had departed,
behold,
an angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph
in a dream
and said,
Rise,
take the child
and his mother
and flee to Egypt
and remain there
until I tell you.
for Herod
is about to search
for the child
to destroy him.
And he rose
and took the 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.
Then Herod,
when he saw
that he had been tricked
by the wise men,
became furious
and he sent
and killed
all the male children
in Bethlehem
and in all that region
who were two years old
or under,
according to the time
that he had ascertained
from the wise men.
Then was fulfilled
what was spoken
by the prophet Jeremiah.
A voice was heard
in Ramah,
weeping
and loud lamentation.
Rachel weeping
for her children.
She refused
to be comforted
because they are no more.
But when Herod died,
behold,
an angel of the Lord
appeared in the dream
to Joseph in Egypt
saying,
Rise,
take the child
and his mother
and go to the land
of Israel
for those who sought
the child's life
are dead.
And he rose
and took the child
and his mother
and went to the land
of Israel.
But when he heard
that Archelaus
was reigning over
at Judea
in place of his father
Herod,
he was afraid
to go there.
And being warned
of him in dream,
he withdrew
to the district
of Galilee.
And he went
and lived
in a city
called Nazareth
so that what was spoken
by the prophets
might be fulfilled,
that he would be called
a Nazarene.
You may have noticed
that there are
three scenes
in this narrative.
Three scenes.
Each indicated
by the word
when.
You can see these
in verse 13.
Now when
they had departed,
that's the wise men.
Verse 16.
Then Herod,
when he saw
that he had been tricked
by the wise men.
And verse 19
and 22,
kind of combined there.
Now when Herod died,
and in verse 22,
but when he heard
that Archelaus
was reigning
over Judea.
These scenes
or situations
carry along
the narrative
and they each
close with
a prophetic fulfillment.
So Matthew here
is merging
situation
and scripture.
He's merging
the providence
and the sovereignty
of God together.
Something that
we'll look back at
toward the end.
So the important thing
is that when
something happens,
it happens
to fulfill
what God
has said.
When something
happens,
it happens
to fulfill
what God
has said.
So let's start
with point one.
God's people
live
in exile.
God's people
live
in exile.
verse 13
gives us
this first
situation.
Now when
they had
departed.
The they here
is referring
to the wise men.
These wise men
who God
had previously
told
not to return
to Herod.
So the question
is,
what happens
when the wise men
leave
without telling
Herod?
Well,
Matthew shows
us
verse 13b,
Behold,
or look,
an angel
of the Lord
appeared to
Joseph
in a dream
and said,
Rise,
take the child
and his mother
and flee
to Egypt
and remain
there until
I tell you.
For Herod
is about
to search
for the child
to destroy
him.
Notice
that there
are four
commands
given here.
Rise,
take,
flee,
and remain.
And there's
one reason.
Herod
is looking
for Jesus.
Herod
is looking
for Jesus.
Do you
sense the
urgency
and the
danger
here?
He's saying,
get out,
Joseph.
Herod
is coming
to kill
your son.
And God
does not
give Joseph
a return
date.
He just
says,
remain here
until I
tell you.
This is
not unlike
when God
called Abraham
in Genesis
chapter 12
verses 1.
He said,
go from
your country
and your
kindred
and your
father's
house
to where?
To the
land that
I will
show you.
Leave
everything,
Abraham,
your country,
your family,
your community
and go.
I will
show you
where I
will take
you.
I will
take care
of you.
You can
hear here
echoes
of the
story.
Leave
everything,
Joseph.
Leave
your family,
leave your
country,
leave your
community,
leave your
culture
and go.
I will
take care
of you.
You
might
imagine
Joseph's
fear.
I mean,
who would
not fear
their child
in danger?
Always
looking over
your shoulder,
wondering
what's going
to happen.
Even
though Joseph
is later
obedient,
he is not
absolved
of emotion.
And we
know from
previous stories
that Joseph
has had
cause for
fear,
right?
Mary has
gotten
pregnant.
He doesn't
know who
got her
pregnant,
but he
knows it's
not him.
There's
going to
be a
divorce,
potentially.
There's
going to
be
complications
and Joseph
is afraid.
So an
angel has
to come
to him
and the
first thing
that the
angel
says is
do not
be afraid.
Do not
be afraid,
Joseph.
But later
as well
when Herod's
son Archelaus
assumes the
throne,
Matthew
tells us
that Joseph
was afraid.
He knows
what Herod
is like.
He knows
what kind
of father
Herod
is like
and what
he's
passing on
to his
sons.
And so
God redirects
the story.
God directs
Joseph to
relocate
outside of
Bethlehem.
Joseph's
concern here
reminds me
of something
that happened
my freshman
year at
Cedarville
University.
Some of
you may
have heard
of it.
It's called
COVID-19
pandemic.
The students
had just
returned from
campus from
their spring
break trips
and classes
had resumed
as normal.
Second day
we attended
chapel at
10 a.m.
But to
our surprise
our president
Dr.
White walks
up on
stage and
he says
to leave
campus that
day.
He says
don't pack
up your
stuff.
Don't say
bye to your
friends.
just get
out of
campus
today.
This is
real.
Like literally
we left
that day
from campus
two days
after coming
back.
And you
can imagine
some of the
questions that
ran through
our heads.
Right?
When am I
going to
return?
For me I
was eight
hours away so
what about
all my
stuff?
I didn't
even have
a car.
I had to
figure that
out.
What about
my community?
Right?
My friends.
But within
a day
everyone
had emptied
the campus
and was
awaiting further
instructions for
what would
happen next.
For this
Jewish family
within the
night
Joseph,
Mary,
and Jesus
are literally
refugees
in a foreign
nation.
Exiled
from Israel.
But notice
here the focus
on Jesus.
Look again
at verse
13.
The angel
says,
rise,
take the
child and
his mother.
He doesn't
say,
take Mary
and her
kid.
See,
this is
still Jesus'
story.
And while
the situation
is alarming,
you can
already begin
to see the
sovereignty of
God at
play,
accomplishing
his purposes.
This
intervention
by the
angel is
not just
the second
to Joseph,
but the
third of
four in
two chapters
for Matthew.
So don't
miss the
fact that
God is
all over
the details
of the
story.
Perhaps
the most
surprising
detail of
the entire
instruction
here is
where God
tells
Joseph to
take his
family.
Did you
notice that?
He says,
flee to
Egypt.
Now,
geographically,
Egypt was
near the
southern
border of
Israel.
So it
makes sense
that if
they're in
Bethlehem,
kind of at
the south
part of
Israel,
that they
would flee
to Egypt.
But if
you know
your Old
Testament,
Egypt is
not just
a geographic
place to
Israel.
Egypt
represented
this world
and all
that it
had to
offer,
the luxury,
the power,
the food,
everything you
could want
was in
Egypt.
You may
remember
Israel's
complaint in
Exodus 16
after God
miraculously
takes them
out of
Egypt and
begins their
journey.
Here's what
they say.
Would we
had died
at the
hand of
the Lord
in the
land of
Egypt
when we
sat by
the meat
pots
and ate
bread to
the full.
for you
have brought
us out
into this
wilderness
to kill
this whole
assembly
with hunger.
Exodus
16
3
Or later
in Numbers
as they're
still journeying
through the
wilderness,
the people
are weeping.
So why
are they
weeping?
And here's
what it
says.
We
remember
the fish
we ate
in Egypt
that cost
nothing.
The cucumbers,
the melons,
the leeks,
the onions,
and the
garlics.
Not
garlics
pure,
but garlic.
Also,
I don't
know what
leeks are,
but I
assume that
they were
good because
they wanted
that.
But now
our strength
is dried
up and
there is
nothing at
all but
this manna
to look
at.
We don't
want manna,
Moses.
We want
Egypt.
Take us
back.
But Egypt
was exile
for God's
people.
Egypt
was a
place
of
slavery
and
bondage.
From
God's
perspective,
Egypt
represented
a curse,
God's
judgment
on those
who were
hard-hearted,
a place
full of
devastation
and
plagues.
That's
why God's
covenant
curses
in Deuteronomy
28
actually
close
with a
promise
that he's
going to
take them
back to
Egypt
if they're
disobedient.
He says,
And the
Lord will
bring you
back in
ships to
Egypt.
Notice
this,
A journey
that I
promised
you should
never make
again.
And there
you shall
offer
yourselves
for sale
to your
enemies as
male and
female slaves,
but there
will be
no buyer.
Israel
was never
supposed to
go back
to Egypt.
God had
redeemed
them.
He had
brought
them out
of slavery.
He had
brought
them to
Sinai,
where they
were given
his law,
where they
were meant
to worship
him alone.
Forget the
other gods,
forget the
world,
forget the
luxury,
forget the
pleasure.
You were
made to
worship
me alone.
They were
never supposed
to go back
to that.
So why
is the
Messiah
in Egypt?
Egypt?
Why take
the
promised
son out
of the
promised
land?
Egypt
seems like
the last
place Jesus
should be.
But verse
14 shows us
that Joseph
obeys
immediately,
without question
or hesitation.
Notice it
says,
Joseph
remained in
Egypt until
Herod's
death,
which God
later communicates
in verse 19,
which roughly
was about a
year later.
Stories like
these remind
us that
faith is
exercised
the most
when we
know the
least.
Faith is
exercised
the most
when we
know the
least.
When all
we have
to trust
is God's
word and
his character,
is he
enough?
For
Joseph,
he was
enough.
He didn't
ask questions,
he simply
followed.
But Matthew
tells us in
verse 15
that despite
the difficulty,
this was
God's
plan.
This was
to fulfill
what the
Lord had
spoken by
the prophet
out of
Egypt.
I called
my son.
Now,
students,
you know
from inductive
Bible study
lessons you've
had that
there's one
overarching rule
in Bible study.
See if you
can finish
this phrase.
Context
is
king.
Yes,
context is
king.
So when
later
authors like
Matthew
cite earlier
authors like
Hosea,
we have to
go back
to Hosea
to figure
out what
is Matthew
communicating.
So let's
flip back
to Hosea
chapter 11.
This is
where Matthew
is citing.
I'm going to
give you a
little context
here.
He cites
verse 1,
but I want
to read
through
verse 5.
Hosea 11,
1 to 5.
When Israel
was a
child,
I loved
him,
and out
of Egypt
I called
my son.
The more
they were
called,
the more
they went
away.
They kept
sacrificing
to the
Baals and
burnt offerings
to idols.
Yet I
who taught
Ephraim,
it was I
who taught
Ephraim
to walk.
I took
them up
by their
arms,
but they
did not
know that
I healed
them.
I led
them with
cords of
kindness,
with the
bands of
love.
I became
to them
as one
who eases
the yoke
of their
jaws.
I bent
down to
feed them.
So they
shall not
return to
the land
of Egypt,
but Assyria
shall be
their king,
because they
have refused
to return
to me.
Hosea,
as a
prophet
during the
time of
exile,
is looking
back to
Egypt,
looking back
to Israel
in this
toddler,
adolescent
kind of
stage.
God had
called
Israel out
of Egypt
through his
servant Moses.
You can
remember the
repeated phrase
that Moses
says to
Pharaoh.
But just
as quickly
as they
were liberated
from Egypt,
they enslaved
themselves to
other gods.
So God
redeemed
them,
but Israel
still rebelled.
This eventually
led to another
exodus cycle,
where even
though they
wouldn't go
back to
Egypt,
they would
be put
in bondage
through a
different
foreign nation.
They would
go back
into slavery,
and then
eventually be
brought back
out of the
promised land.
But when
we read
Hosea's
account,
there's one
really striking
question.
How can
Matthew say
that Jesus
was taken
out of
Egypt if
Hosea is
clearly
referring to
Israel?
In other
words,
how is
Matthew not
pulling these
words out of
context to
fit his own
purposes,
something that
we as Bible
readers are
always mindful
of avoiding?
Well,
some have
tried to
answer this,
and there's
a few things
that are not
very helpful.
First,
some try to
resolve this
tension by
claiming that
Hosea is a
prediction about
Messiah and
not Israel.
But aside from
the problem
that if it's
about Messiah
and not
Israel,
that that
implicates
Jesus as
this wayward
son who
went away
from God,
who we
know Jesus
is not,
the other
problem is
that it
reads the
New Testament
back into
the Old
Testament,
instead of
starting with
the Old
Testament and
working your
way forward
toward the
New Testament.
Hosea really
is talking
about Israel,
not Jesus.
God called
Israel his
firstborn son
in Exodus
4.11.
So when
Hosea looks
back to
Exodus,
he's talking
about Israel,
God's
firstborn son,
this nation
that he
called to
himself.
And the
other thing
is that
Hosea,
verse 1,
is not a
prediction at
all.
He's looking
backwards so
that he may
look forward
to the
exile.
Back to
Exodus,
forward to
exile.
Now others
knowing the
context say,
okay, that's
not a very
good argument.
But there is
this loose
connection between
Egypt, right?
Jesus goes
into Egypt,
Israel goes
into Egypt.
Okay, Jesus,
this is a
fulfillment.
But again,
this is kind
of like playing
word association.
It's very
loosey-goosey
in terms of
how the Bible
operates.
And we know
from Matthew's
other
fulfillments
that he is
very specific.
He is very
direct when he
wants to say,
this was
to fulfill
this.
So what are
we supposed
to think?
Okay, those
are not the
best ways to
read it.
How do we
think about
this?
Well,
pastor and
theologian
Kevin DeYoung
helps us
out.
He says that
Matthew wasn't
trying to give
Hosea a new
meaning.
But he did
see something
messianic in
Hosea's words.
Jesus would
be the
faithful son
called out
of Egypt,
filling up
what was
lacking in
this faithless
first son,
Israel.
So in the
same way
that Hosea
looks back
at Exodus
and sees a
pattern for
exile,
Matthew is
looking back
to Israel
and seeing a
pattern in
Jesus'
life.
Another
commentator
puts it
like this,
Jesus was
reenacting
the Exodus
story with
one major
difference.
Whereas
Israel proved
itself to be
an unfaithful
and idolatrous
son,
Jesus would
prove himself
to be a
faithful son
through whom
God would
bring about
that long
promised
restoration of
God's people
that Hosea
later anticipates.
This is what
Hosea anticipates.
So what
Matthew is
saying is
that Jesus
is the
true Israel.
He is
the faithful
son.
Jesus must
go into
Egypt in
order to be
brought out
of it.
He must
enter into
humanity in
order to
redeem it.
He must
go to the
cross to
be raised
again to
life.
This is the
pattern of
Jesus.
And notice
the way that
Matthew traces
this across
the first
five chapters
of his
book.
We're in
chapter 2
where Jesus
is called
out of
Egypt.
But then in
chapter 3
Jesus goes
through the
waters of
baptism.
Does that
remind you of
the Red
Sea?
In chapter
4 he
wanders for
40 days
in a
wilderness.
Does that
recall 40
years in a
wilderness?
But the
difference is
Jesus resists
temptation
every single
time.
He does
not live
by bread
alone.
But every
word that
comes from
the mouth
of the
Father.
And then
in chapter
5 he
will go
up to
a mountain
and he
will bring
down God's
law.
Jesus is
this true
Israel.
He is
the faithful
son.
Now that's
a lot of
whole Bible
theology,
right?
But why
does this
matter for
you and
me?
Okay,
here's why
it matters.
Jesus does
not just
have to
die and
be raised
for our
sanctification
and our
justification.
Jesus has
to live
the life
that we
were supposed
to live.
If he
doesn't live
a perfect
life,
then the
death means
nothing.
The
resurrection
means
nothing.
So Jesus
has to be
the faithful
son,
the faithful
daughter that
you and I
were meant
to be.
He has
to be
this true
Israel who
goes through
the wilderness
and comes
out as a
faithful son,
who goes up
the mountain
and comes
down and
brings God's
law to
us.
He has
to go to
the cross.
He has
to go to
the grave.
Someone has
to die.
And it's
either Jesus
or it's
you and I.
Do you see
this?
Do you see
the pattern?
Do you see
why this
matters?
I wonder
if you feel
today like
you don't
measure up.
Well,
that's good
because Jesus
measured up
for you.
So turn to
him for help
today.
It is because
Jesus is
truly God's
son that we
through faith
inherit his
rights,
eternal
life,
sonship,
God's
presence,
communion with
the Holy
Spirit.
All of our
Christian hope
is bound
up in the
life,
death,
resurrection,
and return
of Jesus.
That's why
it matters.
Okay,
that brings us
to our second
point.
God's people
weep at
loss.
God's people
weep at
loss.
God's people
weep at
us.
We've
already read
this,
so I'm not
going to
read it
again,
but verse
16 gives
us the
second scene
of this
story,
where Herod
goes to
Bethlehem
and he
starts
murdering
baby boys.
And it
says that
this was to
fulfill what
the prophet
Jeremiah had
said.
Now,
who in the
Bible does
this remind
you of?
If you
guys were
here during
our Daniel
series in the
summer,
maybe this
has overtones
of Nebuchadnezzar
and three
Hebrew boys
who he
wanted to
kill.
Herod,
like Nebuchadnezzar,
demands absolute
worship,
but not just
from his own
people,
from every
people and
nation and
language,
from Jews
and from
wise men.
Both kings
reject God's
rule and
seek to
destroy whoever
opposes them.
inherit's fear
of losing
the kingdom.
He ensures
the loss
of all
these mothers
baby boys
in Bethlehem.
You can
picture the
scene,
mothers being
stripped of
their babies
and watching
them crushed
in front of
their eyes.
This is not
unlike Pharaoh's
interest in
eliminating the
Hebrew baby boys
back in
Exodus.
another
ruthless
tyrant
bent on
destroying
Hebrew sons.
And if we
trace the story
far back
enough,
we'll see
that Herod
and Nebuchadnezzar
and Pharaoh
are not new.
There was
someone at the
very beginning
who opposed
God's rule.
That was
Satan.
And now
Herod,
like the
serpent,
is bent
on crushing
the promised
son.
If there
is no
son,
then there's
no seed
of Abraham.
There's no
son of David.
There's no
hope for
God's people.
But while
Jesus escapes,
many sons
die.
And you can
hear the
scene in
Matthew's words.
A loud
voice,
weeping,
lamentation,
Rachel refusing
the comfort
of others.
The night
which was
once silent
by the
promised
birth is
now filled
with screaming
and crying
at the loss
of Hebrew
sons.
I wonder
what loss
you have
experienced
at the
hands of
evil.
Abuse
from a
family member,
someone who
should have
protected you,
and the
loss of your
dignity and
your worth.
At least
that's what it
feels like.
Neglect and
disinterest from
others because
of your age or
your stage of
life, and
the loss of
friendship, of
companionship.
Exclusion from
others because
of your gender
or your age or
your ethnicity,
and the loss
of opportunities.
Slander from
coworkers, and
the loss of
your reputation
in the
workplace, or
a bad
dismissal from
a boss, and
now the loss
of provision
for your
family.
A friend
shares personal
privileged information
with others, and
you feel like you've
lost trust and
relational security.
Or someone you're
discipling walks
away from Jesus,
and you've lost
that intimate
ministry.
loss is a part of
this world in
both small and
significant degrees.
And Matthew
cites Jeremiah to
picture another
time of loss, the
time of exile for
Israel.
It was from
Ramah that the
Babylonians sent
out the Hebrew
sons.
And as a mother
of the nation,
Rachel here is
symbolizing the
mourning of
mothers watching
their sons be
taken off into
exile.
But if we read
Jeremiah 31, 15
in context, we'll
soon learn that
Jeremiah, like
Hosea, isn't
making any kind of
prediction.
In fact, the event
itself again refers
to Israel and not
Jesus.
So what is Matthew
doing here again?
Why is he quoting
Jeremiah?
Well, similar to
the Exodus, Matthew
sees a pattern of
this in exile.
He's equating the
reign of Herod.
Notice this.
He's equating the
reign of Herod to
the Babylonian
exile.
And Pastor Mark
Deber puts it this
way.
Bethlehem in
Herod's day has
become a kind of
Ramah in
Jeremiah's day.
But this is not
all that Matthew
is doing.
If you keep reading
Jeremiah, you
learn that God
turns Rachel's
weeping into
hope.
Listen to verses
16 to 17.
This is in the
same chapter.
Thus says the
Lord, keep your
voice from weeping
and your eyes
from tears.
For there is
reward in your
work, declares
the Lord.
Lord, they
shall come back
from the land
of the enemy.
There is hope
for your future,
declares the
Lord, and your
children shall
come back to
their own
country.
So God
promises this
return from
exile because
Israel is his
son.
Because of his
sonship, God
cannot abandon
him.
And so even
though he sends
them out to
exile to
discipline, he
must bring
them back as
his son.
But here's the
problem.
Israel brings
back with them
their sin.
So even though
they're out of
physical exile,
they're still in
the spiritual
exile.
They still are in
bondage to
something worse
than Babylon.
And the question
is, what is God
going to do?
He's taken
his son out
of Egypt.
He's taken
his son out
of exile.
What is he
going to do
about sin?
And this is
what he says
just a few
verses later.
Behold, the
days are
coming, declares
the Lord, future
days, when I
will make a
new covenant
with the house
of Israel and
the house of
Judah.
Not like the
covenants that I
made with their
fathers.
Notice this,
on the day
when I took
them by the
hand to bring
them out of
the land of
Egypt.
My covenant
that they broke,
though I was
their husband,
declares the
Lord.
For this is the
covenant that I
will make with
the house of
Israel after
those days,
declares the
Lord.
I will put my
law within
them.
I will write
it on their
hearts.
I will be
their God
and they shall
be my people.
And no
longer shall
each one teach
his neighbor
and each his
brother, saying,
Know the
Lord, for
they shall all
know me.
From the
least of them
to the
greatest, declares
the Lord, for
I will forgive
their iniquities
and I will
remember their
sins no more.
Isn't that an
amazing promise?
Matthew emphasizes
Jesus as God's
son, who not
only returns
from exile, but
also brings with
him the mercies
of God for his
people, who
remain in
spiritual exile,
bound in their
sin.
And because,
notice this,
because he's
brought us out of
spiritual exile,
or yes,
spiritual exile,
he will come back
again to bring us
out of physical
exile.
He has removed
our iniquities,
but we're not like
Israel, who are
brought out of
exile.
We still live in
a fallen world.
So what is our
hope?
Our hope is still
Jesus.
If he can bring us
out of spiritual
exile, how much
more in his
return will he
wipe away every
tear, all of the
weeping of mothers
who've lost their
sons, all of those
who've been
abused and
abandoned, Jesus
will do away with
it all.
And he will make a
whole new world
where we will
worship God
forever.
I want to say a
word, though, to
those who do not
know Jesus as
Savior and Lord.
Lord.
This text shows us
that mourning is
all you have.
You are not just
in the world.
You are of the
world.
Because you
reject Jesus, he
will reject you.
If you listen
closely, you'll hear
in Rachel's weeping
an echo of the
sorrow that
accompanied Adam
and Eve when God
brought them out of
the garden, out of
the promised land.
And it also
anticipates a final
sorrow, weeping and
gnashing of teeth that
Jesus says will
accompany all of those
who God will send out
of his presence, all
evildoers, all who are
given to lawlessness.
Unbelieving friend,
flee from the wrath of
God.
Flee from God's
wrath.
There are worse
things than evil
tyrants.
There are worse
things than abuse.
There are worse
things than losing
friends.
For those who do
not know Jesus, you
will spend eternity
in judgment, eternity
in torment, apart
from him.
But that's why you
need him.
That's why you need
a true Israel, a
better son, someone
who's lived the life
that you should have
lived, who died the
death that you should
have died, who was
raised to life for
your sake, so that if
you would confess your
sins, turn from them,
admit them to God,
and believe on him, you
will be saved.
No more wrath.
And one day, no more
weeping.
Isn't that amazing?
Don't you want that?
We don't deserve it.
But God is kind.
I know I'm out of time,
but I'm going to keep
going because this is
important.
Okay, point number
three, God's people
return to the
promised land.
Verse 19 introduces
the final scene.
But when Herod died,
behold, an angel of
the Lord appeared in
a dream to Joseph in
Egypt, saying,
Rise, take the child
and his mother, and
go to the land of
Israel.
for those who sought
the child's life are
dead.
And he rose, and he
took the child and his
mother, and went to
the land of Israel.
Now, perhaps you
notice the parallels
between how our story
started and how it
ends.
In both places, an
angel appears to
Joseph.
But the difference is
instead of fleeing
from Egypt, now he
returns to Israel.
Fear is replaced with
hope.
Mourning is replaced
with gladness.
The child who was
exiled is now brought
into the promised
land.
Herod is dead.
The king has
returned.
And Matthew seems to
close the bookends.
But there's another
verse.
Verse 22.
But when Joseph heard
that Archelaus was
reigning over Judea in
the place of his
father Herod, he was
afraid to go there.
And being warned in a
dream, he withdrew to
the district of
Galilee.
And he went and lived
in a city called
Nazareth, so that what
was spoken by the
prophets might be
fulfilled, that he
would be called a
Nazarene.
The return to Israel
was only partial for
Jesus.
Jesus didn't return and
assume David's throne.
He was relegated to a
backwater district, to
Galilee, where nobodies
and fishermen lived.
And notice Matthew
doesn't say he lived in
Nazareth.
It says he lived in a
city called Nazareth.
When people have asked
me about where I grew
up as I've gotten to
know some of you, I
always have to say I
live in a city called
Sellersville.
Because if you're not
from Sellersville, you
have no idea what it is.
It's the same thing
here.
If you're not from
Nazareth, you have no
idea.
It's this backwater.
Really, nobody has
heard of it.
And when you look at
this situation, you
wonder what in the
world is God doing.
Jesus shouldn't be
hidden.
He's the hope of the
world, right?
He's the true son.
He's the faithful
Israel.
But this, too, is part
of God's plan.
God accomplishes his
purposes in ways that
seem foolish to the
world.
Wasn't it Nathanael who
said, can anything good
come out of Nazareth?
And the crowds in
Jerusalem who asked,
is the Christ to come
from Galilee?
When we consider God's
sovereignty, which means
his righteous rule as
king, and his providence,
which means his good
guidance in every situation
toward his purpose, we, too,
can have questions of our
own.
I mean, I have so many
questions in this story
alone.
Okay, why send Joseph to
Egypt?
Why not just strike down
Herod like God does in Acts
12 to Herod's descendant?
Why allow the death of
innocent sons when you
could have preserved them?
Why relegate Jesus to
Nazareth, where he would
grow up in obscurity?
But ultimately, all these
questions boil down to one
important question.
why allow evil at all?
Why not save everyone from
everything?
It's easy to praise God for
his sovereignty when he
providentially fulfills his
promises to bring wise men to
worship him.
But what about when it brings
suffering?
For Joseph, for Mary, for
mothers, for sons, for
Jesus, and for us.
Among the kinds of loss that
I've already mentioned in this
sermon, some of you know what
it is like to lose a child,
perhaps even before you're able
to hold them for the first
time.
God can sympathize uniquely with
those who've lost sons.
It was God's idea to put his
son on the cross.
Jesus says, no one takes my
life from me.
I lay it down on my own
accord.
It was God who Paul says, did
not spare his own son, but
gave him up for us all.
And then he says, will he not
graciously give us all things?
If he's given us his son, what
more do we have to ask?
If he's made us sons because of
Jesus, we have all of the
promises, all of the blessings,
all of the rights as his
children.
He entered into our exile, into
our loss, so that he could
destroy sin and death and
weeping and all those who
oppose him.
And he will bring us to a new
promised land.
This new creation that we long
for.
A place where there's no more
weeping.
There's no more loss.
There's no more enemies.
enemies.
What Herod meant for evil, killing
babies for his own self
preservation, God meant for
good.
To send his son to exile so
that he could accomplish his
work and lead God's people to
victory over evil.
And the amazing fact of this
entire story is that the only
son that Herod wanted to kill is
the son that he could not.
The son that would assume the
throne, not just of Israel, but
of the whole world.
Matthew uses all these different
situations in Jesus' story to
communicate one central point.
Jesus fulfills the first exile,
the first exodus, to ensure a
final exodus for God's people.
A final exodus out of the world
into the new creation.
And while we still live in exile
and weep at loss, we anticipate
Jesus' return.
And our reunion with God into the
promised land where Jesus will
reign forever and we will worship
him forever.
forever.
That hope produces joy and peace
amidst sorrow and weeping.
At times we feel more like the
Israelites in the exodus and the
exile than we do like the wise men
at Bethlehem.
But take heart, Christian brothers
and sisters.
Jesus has overcome the world and he is
returning again to bring us to the
promised land.
That is our hope.
Let's pray.
Father, your plan is amazing.
Who could have dreamt up this kind of
work?
To send your own son to be born in our
likeness.
To send that son to the cross.
And then to raise that son from the
grave.
So that all of your sons in him could
also experience forgiveness and
newness of life.
Father, thank you for your many
mercies in Jesus.
And I pray, Lord, for those who don't
know you in this room.
Especially, Lord, these.
That they would see that all they have
is weeping and mourning to look
forward to.
This world is temporary.
It's temporary.
It's pleasures are fleeting.
But Jesus is eternal.
So, Father, would you save some?
Would you bring peace into the turmoil
of those who don't know you?
Thank you, Father, for Jesus.
We pray these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.