Read Matthew 2:13-23.
Life may seem as if it is against us. Circumstances beyond our control stand like brick walls to our intended plans. Yet none of this is outside of God’s sovereignty. In today’s lesson, Joseph and Mary are faced with a life circumstance that posed a real threat: Herod’s ruthless decree to kill all the baby boys in the town they’d been staying in. Little Jesus would not survive unless they fled. Joseph trusted God’s plan and carried out each mission he was given to protect his family, fulfill God’s prophecy, and safeguard the future of our Savior.
King Herod. Unlike the joy-filled wise men, Herod’s response to the news of Christ’s birth was fear. He was deeply disturbed. When he heard this news, he was so troubled that the rest of Jerusalem was troubled with him.
Attitudes towards Christ. God used the knowledge of the stars to draw a group of dedicated astrologers–the Magi–to Himself. Some people hear about Jesus and are filled with joy, while others hear about Him and are fearful and deeply disturbed. Those who are troubled are often repulsed by true joy, because they themselves have demonic strongholds that they are in need of deliverance from to think clearly. Could this have been the case with Herod?
Tormented by fear. Jealousy and fear motivated Herod’s hostility toward Jesus. Demons tormented Herod’s mind through his male ego, greed, and pride, which culminated in the paranoia to decree that all baby boys be murdered in Bethlehem. Herod feared his kingdom would collapse when people heard about the birth of the astrologer’s king. Herod wanted to be the only king, and he was afraid of not having the authority or respect to dominate the Jews.
Insecurity and fear resulted in sin. Herod ordered soldiers to kill all the little boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod wanted to destroy God’s plan. The plan for which Jesus came. The demonic influence had Herod in its grip–and he just a puppet carrying it out. If the demons could get rid of Jesus, then God would not have a chance. But God always has a plan–even when the spiritual forces in the heavenly realm work to interfere.
God warns Joseph’s dream. An angel appears to Joseph, husband of Mary and now Father to Jesus, in another dream. Could it have been the same angel that appeared to Joseph in the dream a few months before when he was told about Mary? If so, Joseph was familiar with this messenger from God and God’s way of communicating with him. Regardless, Jospeh did not question the angel’s warning. The angel in his dream urges Joseph to flee to Egypt and provides the reason why–King Herod’s murderous rampage.
Joseph’s response to God’s leading. Joseph steps into his role as protector of his wife and child. Scripture indicates that Joseph acts immediately. Today it is 4,032.6 miles from Bethlehem to Egypt, and that’s with the infrastructure of roads that most-likely provide travelers more direct routes than they would have in ancient times. It would have taken at least a couple of days for a fugitive family to run on foot or on a donkey, camel, or something. Not to mention that Mary and Joseph had a toddler with them! The new parents of Jesus were not accustomed to traveling to foreign countries as they both came from a poor village called Nazareth. Yet, they went in faith–knowing that God would take care of them.
Entrusted with God’s plan. Joseph had been entrusted with the plan to protect God’s newly-born son, Jesus. He probably felt the weight of responsibility to get his family out of Bethlehem and into Egypt without Herod knowing. It takes guts to make an escape during a city lockdown, but Joseph succeeded. Joseph relied on God to deliver, and there’s no question that He did. God had even provided funding just in time for this journey, as Joseph now possessed the gifts that the Magi had left. Little did Joseph know the bigger picture: that he, an insignificant carpenter from Galilee, had been entrusted to protect God’s whole plan of rescue for the entire world. Jesus had to live so that He could later die for humanity to be reconciled with our holy God. He was the long-awaited hope that people had been waiting for.
Fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus would fulfill every prophecy ever spoken about him, including that he would be resident of Egypt.
Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt."
Whether Joseph realized it or not, his pursuit to relocate his wife and son to Egypt had been predicted 750 years prior.
Insecurity and fear resulted in sin. Herod sent soldiers to kill all boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod wanted to destroy God’s plan. The demonic influence had Herod in its grip–and he was the puppet carrying it out.
God’s communication with Joseph. When Joseph learned that the new ruler in Judea was Herod’s son, he got another angel-warning-dream. Imagine what it must have been like to be on-call by dream for God at any the time. Joseph had to be vigilant; he couldn’t get lazy. His connection with God was paramount. God had been faithful to give Joseph his next move just in the knick of time to protect Jesus. In this dream, the angel confirms that Joseph is to leave Egypt, and take his family back to his home town of Nazareth.
Significance of Nazareth. This town had a reputation for not producing many note-worthy people (John 1:46). Irony at its finest, and God knew that. He purposely sent Joseph back to Nazareth to raise his young son there with Mary. Jesus would grow up in this little village and would be a Nazarene. Nazareth is situated in the region of Galilee, and there were a handful of other little boys growing up in this same region who Jesus would later call to be his disciples. Long before their paths would cross with Jesus’, God had already chosen Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and the others to be his future followers.
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