“Far As the Curse Is Found” (Matthew 2:13-23)

What this episode covers

Far As the Curse Is Found Far As the Curse Is Found Brad Mills / General Advent: Now But Not Yet / Matthew 2:13–23 We opened this Advent series by looking at a passage that is rarely preached (Mt 1:1-17). Now we are closing the series with a passage that is rarely preached (Mt 2:13-23). Many come to church expecting a sermon specifically about the birth of Jesus on the Sunday before Christmas. But I have tried to show that the Biblical account of Christ’s birth is filled with emotional highs and lows. The story of Christmas contains varied emotions. Each character portrayed seems to have experienced significant fears even though there is also a great deal of hope. We miss what God wants us to understand when we avoid the hardship and only reflect on the joy. Do you allow room for lament in your celebration of Christmas? We come to a passage that predominately reflects upon the dark side of Christ’s birth narrative. That does not mean that the overarching message is dark and foreboding. But, in the midst of the joyful celebration of the Messiah’s birth, we read a story of great tragedy. This is the gospel narrative that we should not avoid. A confrontation between heaven and hell took place in Bethlehem and it left several families shattered. Matthew structures his book around numerous references and allusions to the Old Testament. Five references are found in these first two chapters (1:23; 2:6, 15, 18, 23). We will cover the last three in our passage this morning. Jesus did everything according to God’s plan. Read Matt 2:13-23. Spiritual warfare erupted when Christ’s light invaded the darkness of this world. But God was accomplishing his redemptive purposes just as the prophets had foretold. Joy was followed by tragedy, but through it all God established the hope that all of us need regardless of our circumstances. › Although the family’s flight to Egypt might have seemed like an unnecessary hardship at the time, it reveals how Jesus leads his people in… A New Exodus (13-15) After a slow first year in Bethlehem, Joseph was warned by an angel to “flee to Egypt” because Herod was seeking to destroy the child (13). Imagine the sudden shock and terror this would have caused Joseph and Mary. No doubt they experienced tremendous fear. They knew how important their roles were in nurturing and caring for Jesus, but now they must protect him from the threat of death. Herod was a ruthless king. He had already killed his wife and had two of their sons strangled. The closer he got to his death the more paranoid he became. Just prior to his death he killed a third son for prematurely making arrangements as heir to the throne. The insecurities of his fragile hold on the throne haunted him with the news of the birth of another king. Instead of trusting in the only One who could relieve him of his anxious fears, Herod sought to destroy Him. Joseph obeyed the angel’s instruction, probably the same night he had the dream. He departed for Egypt with Mary and Jesus and they “remained their until the death of Herod” (14-15a). Egypt made sense for several reasons. • It was far enough to get out of Herod’s reach without being too far. • There were roughly one million Jews in the area. They likely had relatives there who might have provided lodging and work. But Matthew confirms that the primary reason for their flight to Egypt was to fulfill… Hosea 11:1 ESV When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. In context, Hosea is not speaking of a future “son”. He is referring to the nation of Israel as his son. Hosea had the first exodus in mind as he wrote his prophecy. Of course, Matthew knew this. He is not twisting Scripture. Hosea spoke of Israel as God’s son. Matthew spoke of Jesus as God’s Son. Matthew is revealing the relationship between Jesus and Israel. Israel spent forty years in the wilderness, Jesus spent forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness (Mt 4:1-11). Whereas Israel was known for their grum

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